Uzbekistan vs Colombia: a historic night at Azteca

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Colombia begin their first tournament since 2018 against debutants Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The two nations meet for the first time in their history.

Néstor Lorenzo's Colombia were one of four teams to finish CONMEBOL qualifying on 28 points, but goal difference left them third. Eliminated by England on penalties in 2018 and absent in 2022, Colombia want to rekindle the spirit of Brazil 2014. Reaching the 2024 Copa América final is seen as a sign of their resurgence. Ranked 13th by FIFA, Colombia are clear favourites.

Uzbekistan qualified for the first time 34 years after independence, following a series of near misses. The White Wolves make their debut under 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro. The former Italian defender's managerial CV is not glittering, and results have been up and down over the past year. One curious note: Uzbekistan are the first double-landlocked country to reach a World Cup.

Uzbekistan rely on Manchester City's Abdukodir Khusanov in defence, while their all-time top scorer (44 goals) Eldor Shomurodov leads the attack. But Cannavaro's side lost to Canada and the Netherlands before the tournament and haven't beaten South American opposition inside 90 minutes since 2023.

For Colombia, 2014 Golden Boot winner James Rodríguez is having one last dance with the national team. The main threat comes from Luis Díaz and Sporting's Luis Suárez. Box-to-box midfielder Richard Ríos is another standout. SI.com predict 3-1 to Colombia. Refereed by England's Anthony Taylor, Colombia — with the runners and creators to unlock a deep Uzbek defence — are expected to take control.

Predicted XIs
Uzbekistan (3-4-3): Yusupov; Khusanov, Abdullaev, Ashurmatov; Sayfiev, Shukurov, Mozgovoy, Nazrullaev; Fayzullaev, Shomurodov, Urunov
Colombia (4-2-3-1): Vargas; Muñoz, Sánchez, Lucumí, Mojica; Lerma, Ríos; Arias, Rodríguez, Díaz; Suárez

Source: SI.com
Image: SI.com