Cucho Hernández Seeks World Cup Debut as Colombia Opens 2026 Campaign Against Uzbekistan

Colombian forward Cucho Hernández of Real Betis will have the opportunity to make his World Cup debut when Colombia opens its 2026 tournament campaign against Uzbekistan at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 17, 2026. The match kicks off at 4:00 AM Spanish time as the tournament advances in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Hernández shares the striker position with prominent teammates Luis Díaz of Bayern Munich and Luis Suárez of Sporting Portugal, along with Jhon Córdoba and Carlos Gómez, leaving selector Néstor Lorenzo to decide his starting eleven for the crucial opening group-stage match.

Hernández arrives at the tournament in strong form after an impressive 2025-26 season with Betis. The Pereira native appeared in 40 matches across all competitions, scoring 15 goals including 11 in La Liga. Despite missing five league matches due to a muscular injury sustained in early January that sidelined him for approximately six weeks, he demonstrated his recovery by scoring crucial goals in European competition and league play. He marked his return to form with a brace against Oviedo and later scored in the decisive match where Betis secured qualification for the 2026-27 Champions League.

In pre-tournament preparation, Hernández featured in both friendly matches against Costa Rica and Jordan, playing 90 minutes total split across the contests. Against Costa Rica, he started alongside Díaz before being substituted at halftime for Suárez, while in the Jordan match he played the entire second half. According to Colombian media reports, Suárez and Díaz are considered frontrunners for starting positions in Colombia's opening lineup, though Hernández remains a competitive alternative for selector Lorenzo to consider.