Luis Diaz leads Colombia to their first 2026 World Cup victory against Uzbekistan
Colombia took care of business and secured a hard-fought victory over an intense Uzbekistan squad that pushed them to the absolute brink in the final minutes of the match.
Colombia edged Uzbekistan in a thrilling, action-packed 2026 World Cup opener that featured historic milestones for both sides, headlined by Luis Diaz netting his first career World Cup goal and Uzbekistan scoring the nation’s first-ever goal in tournament history.
With a great wall in the defense, Uzbekistan are contending Colombian's strikers.
35' - A great free kick (0-0)
But, in the end, in the second post, John Arias tried to score, but nothing happened.
32' - LUIS DIAZ HIT THE POST! (0-0)
A great pass by John Arias almost let Luis Diaz scored the first goal of the game, as the ball hit the post.
30' - Colombia can't find a clear space (0-0)
Despite passing the ball from side to side, Colombia can't find a space to score.
27' - Uzbekistan defend outstandingly (0-0)
The Asian team are just defending their area, but Colombia can't penetrate it.
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25' - The match restart (0-0)
Both teams are on the field again.
23' - Cooling break (0-0)
Time to hydrate.
22' - Ball possession (0-0)
Uzbekistan 31%, Colombia 69%
20' - The first corner kick was for Colombia (0-0)
With that corner kick sent by James, Colombia had a clear chance with Lucumi, but the defense cleared the ball.
18' - John Arias creates a clear chance (0-0)
After Puerta's ball recovery, John Arias had the chance to score with a long-range shot, and the ball was closed to Uzbekistan's goal.
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16' - Yusupov is laying on the field (0-0)
After a hit with his teammate Khusanov, the goalkeeper was being reviewed by the medical department.
14' - Luis Diaz hasn't appeared yet (0-0)
Colombia are trying to find Luis Diaz, but Uzbekistan are pressing too much in the middle of the field.
12' - A first chance for Colombia (0-0)
A great crossing by Johan Mojica, didn't find a good control and Puerta couldn't shot the ball in the edge of the area.
10' - Colombia start to pass the ball (0-0)
As it is well known, Colombia are trying to pass the ball and find a space, but without success.
8' - Uzbekistan are getting close (0-0)
Through free kicks, Uzbekistan are trying to find a space to score.
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6' - James with a dangerous free kick (0-0)
Despite he sent the ball to Uzbekistan's area, the defense clear the ball away.
4' - Colombia are taking control of the ball (0-0)
With the defenders of Uzbekistan trying to send the ball wide to Colombia's area, the defense are doing an outstanding job. They got a dangerous free kick.
2' - Uzbekistan have the first chance of the game (0-0)
With a free kick, they tried to score in Colombia's area, but the defense took charge of it.
0' - First half underway! (0-0)
Anthony Taylor blows his whistle and the first half is underway!
Both teams on the field for the protocolary acts
After warming up, both teams got dressed and they are ready now for the protocolary acts.
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Why isn't Juan Guillermo Cuadrado playing the 2026 World Cup
Colombia and Uzbekistan are set to make history, locking horns on the pitch for the very first time. While this marks an unfamiliar opponent, the South American powerhouse is no stranger to AFC competition, having posted a commanding 15-5-6 (W-L-D) historical record across 26 previous meetings against Asian nations. That dominance has largely carried over to the world stage, where the Colombian side hold a 2-1 record against Asian federation opponents in World Cup play.
Players warming up
Both teams are on the field warming up, and the crowd went wild.
Colombia's starting XI: Camilo Vargas; Daniel Munoz, Jhon Lucumi, Davinson Sanchez, Johan Mojica; Gustavo Puerta, James Rodriguez, Jhon Arias, Jefferson LERMA; Luis Diaz, Luis Suarez.
This matchup is scheduled to start at 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT).
In the United States, the match can be watched on FS1 and Telemundo. It is also available via streaming platforms such as Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV, Peacock Premium.
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Uzbekistan and Colombia make their World Cup debut
Welcome to a new live blog here at Bolavip. In this edition, we will be providing live, minute-by-minute coverage of this intriguing match between Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K of the 2026 World Cup.
Santiago Tovar is a bilingual sports journalist who joined Bolavip US in 2024. With over seven years of experience, he has covered a diverse range of sports, including soccer, NFL, NBA, tennis, and Formula 1. Santiago has provided real-time coverage of major events such as the 2021 Women's Copa America, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and the Davis Cup qualifiers. Before joining Bolavip US, he worked at Kienyke.com and Redmas.com.co, where he developed strategies to highlight key sports moments across websites and social media platforms.