Daniel Muñoz strikes, Colombia seals World Cup knockout spot

Daniel Muñoz broke through in the 76th minute in Guadalajara and sent Colombia into the World Cup knockout stage with a 1-0 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The result gave Colombia six points from two matches, put Néstor Lorenzo’s side on top of Group K, and left it two points clear of Portugal with one game remaining.

Muñoz framed the victory as a collective statement rather than a personal moment. He said Colombia played “con intensidad y agresión,” kept its style intact, and took the three points “como equipo y para todos los aficionados” who turned up to back the side. Lorenzo backed that reading, calling Colombia the “merecido ganador.”

That message fit the way Colombia has played through its first two matches. After opening the tournament with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Colombia again relied on tempo, pressure and a clear sense of roles to carry the night. In Guadalajara, the Colombian supporters turned the stadium into a sea of yellow and vastly outnumbered the Congo contingent, giving the team the kind of visible backing that matched Muñoz’s emphasis on connection with the crowd.

The Congo pushed Colombia harder than the score line suggested before Muñoz’s finish. Lionel Mpasi made several important saves to keep the match level, but Colombia’s persistence finally told in the closing stages, and Muñoz delivered the decisive strike that sealed advancement.

The win carried added weight because Colombia missed the 2022 World Cup altogether, while Congo was playing in its first World Cup since 1974, when the country competed as Zaire. That context gave Colombia’s qualification a sharper edge: this was not just another group-stage victory, but a return to the knockout rounds built on discipline, intensity and a stadium full of supporters wearing the same colors.

With six points already banked and a place in the last 16 secured, Colombia has turned its attention to the final group game under the pressure that comes with being top of the section. Muñoz’s decision to share the spotlight with teammates and fans offered the clearest sign yet of how Colombia wants to present itself in the tournament: as a side defined less by individual glory than by collective force.