Colombia Opens Group K Campaign Against Uzbekistan in Iconic Azteca Stadium

Colombia returned to World Cup competition with a match against Uzbekistan on June 17, 2026, at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, one of football's most emblematic venues. The match kicked off at 9:00 p.m. Panama time, marking the debut for both nations in Group K of the tournament.

After missing the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Colombia arrived in Mexico with renewed confidence under coach Néstor Lorenzo. The Colombian squad featured a mature and experienced lineup with an average age of 30.1 years, with 96.2 percent of players competing abroad. The team arrived on the back of a strong Copa América 2024 campaign, where they reached the final, and a recent 2-0 warm-up victory over Jordan courtesy of a double from Jhon Arias. Luis Díaz emerged as the squad's most valuable player, valued at approximately 70 million euros, while captain James Rodríguez provided leadership and historical weight to the team with his prior World Cup experience, including six goals scored during Brazil 2014.

Uzbekistan made their World Cup debut under Italian manager Fabio Cannavaro, after qualifying through a solid AFC campaign. The Central Asian nation presented a younger squad with an average age of 28.5 years and only 42.3 percent of players competing outside their domestic league. Defender Abdukodir Khusanov, valued at 50 million euros and recently named Manchester City's Player of the Month, anchored their defensive structure as the team's standout player.

Colombia's historical World Cup record in opening matches showed mixed results, with two victories and four defeats across their six previous tournament appearances. Their most recent debut loss came in 2018 against Japan, while their last opening victory occurred in Brazil 2014 when they defeated Greece 3-0, with James Rodríguez among the scorers. Despite the optimistic atmosphere surrounding their seventh World Cup participation, the weight of this history tempered expectations heading into the match.