Luis Díaz came up big under the Mexico City lights, scoring one and setting up another as Colombia opened its FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at Estadio Azteca on Wednesday night. The result handed the South Americans an early lead in Group K and a timely boost of confidence after missing the 2022 tournament. The match swung back and forth in classic opener fashion: Colombia grabbed the lead before halftime, Uzbekistan hit back early in the second half, Díaz restored the advantage, and Jaminton Campaz’s stoppage-time header finished the job in front of a loud Azteca crowd.
Daniel Muñoz put Colombia in front in the 40th minute after a move sparked by Díaz, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev hauled Uzbekistan level in the 60th. Just five minutes later, in the 65th, Díaz struck again, his shot glancing off Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov before crossing the line, and Campaz added the third in stoppage time to seal the 3-1 scoreline, according to KXAN.
Díaz Makes An Immediate Impact
Díaz’s goal-and-assist combo underlined why he has become Colombia’s go-to weapon after a prolific club season, and his presence consistently helped unlock Uzbekistan’s compact defence. Colombia’s attack looked noticeably more fluid whenever he drifted inside, a pattern highlighted in prematch team notes and tournament coverage by FIFA. For manager Néstor Lorenzo, it was the kind of night where the frontline carried the load and justified the game plan.
Where This Leaves Group K
The win puts Colombia on top of Group K after the opening round and sets up a quick turnaround: Colombia faces DR Congo next Thursday in Guadalajara, while Uzbekistan travel to Houston to meet Portugal later in the week, per Sky Sports. With only three group matches to stake a claim, every point in this compact schedule carries extra weight.
For Uzbekistan, making their first World Cup appearance, the night still delivered a few landmark moments. Fayzullaev’s goal was a milestone in itself and reflected how the side earned qualification, finishing behind Iran in Asian qualifying. Their progress was noted in tournament previews on Goal, which highlighted Uzbekistan’s organisation under Fabio Cannavaro.
The match drew a crowd of 80,824 at the Azteca, where Colombia’s mix of pace and experience carried them through a testing opener. If Díaz keeps producing moments like this, Colombia will head into the next fixtures looking very much like one of the form sides in the group.
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