Luis Díaz leads Colombia past Uzbekistan in World Cup opener

Colombia turned Estadio Azteca into something close to a home ground as its supporters filled the stadium and spilled across Mexico City, giving the World Cup opener against Uzbekistan a distinctly Colombian pulse. Luis Díaz, Daniel Muñoz and Jaminton Campaz supplied the goals in a 3-1 victory that put Los Cafeteros in command of Group K.

Played on June 17, 2026 at Estadio Azteca, also listed as Estadio Ciudad de México, in Ciudad de México, the match kicked off at 20:00 UTC and marked Colombia’s seventh World Cup appearance. Muñoz opened the scoring, Díaz added a goal and an assist, and FIFA named him Player of the Match. Campaz finished the job late, extending a result that was driven as much by Colombia’s control as by the noise around the venue.

The atmosphere carried a broader meaning for the tournament. Colombia’s following made the Azteca feel less like a neutral site and more like a staging point for a team backed well beyond its own borders, a reminder of how the 2026 World Cup’s North American footprint can travel with fans and reshape home-field feel far from home. In Mexico City, that support was visible in the stands and audible throughout the capital.

The victory also mattered in historical terms. Colombia returned to the World Cup after missing Qatar 2022 and entered the tournament with pressure to start cleanly, having lost four of its six opening matches in prior World Cup appearances. Néstor Lorenzo guided the side into the opener with James Rodríguez as captain and Colombia’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup play.

Uzbekistan’s place in the match carried its own significance, too. It was the country’s first game at a World Cup, a milestone reached on the same night Colombia underlined its own ambitions. With Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo also in Group K, Colombia left Mexico City with the early advantage and a statement win at one of football’s most iconic renovated stages, now set to host its third World Cup.