Uzbekistan v Colombia: World Cup 2026 – live

The toothless White Wolves trail the decaf Cafeteros at the break.

45+4 mins: Colombia triangulate their way into space on the right but eschew the first crossing opportunity. Instead the long ball is switched to Diaz on the left. Again there is no urgency to do anything decisive and Uzbekistan smuggle the ball away for a corner. The delivery of which is wicked and scuds along the box but Lerma is unable to make something of it.

45+2 mins: A long ball earns Uzbekistan a corner on the right. Fayzullaev can’t beat the first man. then Karimov is very fortunate not to be booked for bringing down Diaz on the counter. Taylor then has to tell Colombia’s backroom staff to settle down. I’m on their side with that one.

45 mins: Colombia have the opportunity to break but after neat work from Arias, Diaz slows play down. his team return to their obsessional keep-ball. Diaz almost prompts a second phase down the right but again the conservative option is taken. Eventually James clubs one from miles out that dribbles into Yusupov’s gloves.

44 mins: The White Wolves get some rare time on the ball but twice fail to locate channel runners. Half-time can’t come soon enough for Fabio Cannavaro.

43 mins: Just what the game needed. Uzbekistan will have to come out of their 5-4-1 shell.

For a minute or so Colombia find a couple of forward runs in succession. The first is dealt with by Uzbekistan. the second is timed absolutely perfectly by Munoz, drifting in from the right behind the back three. He’s picked out by Lerma with a delightful dinked vertical pass. the fullback does brilliantly to contort his body and flick a volleyed finish beyond Yusupov. A very very good finish.

Colombia decide to attack – and it pays off!

40 mins: Do dogs still run on the pitch these days? That would be fun.

38 mins: That free kick is belted aimlessly long and out for a goal kick.

37 mins: Diaz is growing into this and shows some nice skill on the left that ends with nothing. Taylor then rewards Shomurodov’s blatant attempt to buy a free-kick on the turn on halfway.

36 mins: “Jonathan. the Telemundo team calling the US Spanish-language broadcast are doing their best to inject some life into this turgid affair. Perhaps you need a bootleg feed?” Thank you Tracy Mohr. I definitely need something to keep me going, this is pretty ordinary so far. But then I did Argentina yesterday, so swings and roundabouts.

35 mins: James lofts the free-kick, Colombia head the first ball into the sky. Yusupov claims it in his big sticky gloves. Taylor then blows for a foul that was barely there and there’s another needless stoppage.

34 mins: Khusanov gets a yellow card for clipping Diaz late on the left touchline. A cameraman gets taken out in the process.

33 mins: Diaz hits the post! Out of nothing Diaz times his run in behind and Arias picks him out superbly. From a narrow angle the Bayern forward drives left-footed across the keeper. sees his effort ping back off the far upright and almost rebound in off Yusupov’s back.

32 mins: Colombia are attempting long extravagant switches of play to shift Uzbekistan around, but the five-man defence is comfortable drifting across. eliminating the space.

31 mins: The ball breaks out of midfield kindly for Shomurodov. as he jinks towards the box Lucumi shows great pace to cover.

30 mins: Along with the absence of ambition. pace in this contest, Anthony Taylor has found plenty of soft fouls to disrupt momentum.

29 mins: This kicked off at 3am in the UK. I hope nobody set their alarm to wake up specially for it. So far this has been thin gruel.

28 mins: This match is still being played mostly at walking pace with Colombia happy to stroke the ball around innocuously. When they try to inject some pace Uzbekistan are alive to it.

26 mins: Hopefully Nestor Lorenzo has spent the break encouraging his players to play with a little more freedom. daring.

23 mins: We are halfway through this very unpromising contest. giving us a chance to spend a hydration break catching up on Ghana’s last gasp victory over Panama.

22 mins: Arias again finds room between the lines to set Colombia in motion down the left. James gets involved on the edge of the box but there is no room to manoeuvre. no ambition to play a forward pass so in no time Uzbekistan are back in formation and the move fizzles out.

20 mins: Colombia are now bossing this. Arias looks the most likely in build-up play, bouncing off James. Puerta, but there is a distinct lack of cutting edge.

18 mins: Colombia get some joy down the right. the overlapping runner drills a cross to the near post that Uzbekistan defend well ahead of the predatory Suarez. The corner isn’t dealt with first time. the ball bounces kindly in the box for the White Wolves to hack clear.

17 mins: The first shot of the night is from Arias who lashes a drive into the side netting from the edge of the penalty area after strong work from Puerta in midfield. Yusupov probably had it covered had it curled on target.

16 mins: The match has settled somewhat. The pattern is Colombia controlling the tempo (slow) and looking for a runner between the three centre-halves. So far it has proven ineffective. Uzbekistan are defending in a 5-4-1 block and look difficult to break down.

14 mins: “I’m old. so I spend a lot of time telling my wife or kids that I knew a coach when he was a player,” begins Tony Hughes. “In a similar vein, is that Youri Djorkaeff sitting behind Infantino today?”. It sure is Tony. The former Bolton schemer is now a FIFA bigwig.

13 mins: Mojica whips over a decent ball to Puerta on the edge of the box. the midfielder can’t bring it under control first time. Colombia then look to have switched play promisingly but Munoz had drifted offside.

11 mins: Uzbekistan are more direct. happy to look long early or find medium-length direct passes through the lines to find their creative attackers on the half-turn.

9 mins: Neither side has settled into a rhythm. Colombia are a very conservative proposition. always mindful of their positioning while in possession so as not to find themselves caught in transition should they concede a turnover.

7 mins: Early yellow card for Mojica who hauls back Fayzullaev after the young Uzbek caught his direct opponent dwelling on the ball. The Istanbul-based playmaker takes the resulting free-kick but belts it straight at the one-man wall.

5 mins: Now Colombia get a free-kick opportunity with Khusanov going in too firmly on Mojica just a few metres outside the corner of the box on the left. James takes it left-footed, but it’s overhit slightly and Yusupov does well to swat it away.

4 mins: It’s a patient start. Colombia are happy to accept possession along their back four. probe through midfield, in no rush to find the vertical pass. James is busy, trying to get on the ball, but Uzbekistan are organised. happy to watch the game unfold in front of them.

2 mins: Uzbekistan get the first opportunity to attack when Taylor awards a free-kick on the right. Fayzullaev curls it over but Colombia head clear. The two sides are structured as expected.

The last of the first round of group matches is under way…

There are tears in Rodriguez’s eyes as he, his teammates,. most of the 80,000 crowd belt out Himno Nacional de la República de Colombia. That was a proper World Cup moment. Uzbekistan, on debut, are going to have to absorb plenty of emotion tonight.

The two sides stride out into the Mexico City evening. James Rodriguez puffs out his cheeks as he takes in the massed ranks of Colombian supporters in the stands.

The host broadcaster has just shown us inside the Azteca for the first time. it is a sea of Los Cafeteros yellow. It is going to feel like a Colombia home match.

Uzbekistan will be wearing all white tonight, hence their nickname the White Wolves. Colombia will be in their jazzy change strip of electric teal and navy with neon accents.

Conditions in Mexico City are surprisingly cool and damp, much to the delight of the players. There is light rain in the air, temperatures around 19C, and no wind to speak of.

This is our second visit to the mighty Estadio Azteca (AKA Mexico City Stadium) this tournament. It is unrivalled for World Cup significance.

Anthony Taylor will be in charge of this match. The Mancunian has refereed FA Cup finals, a UEFA Nations League decider, and the Europa League final. On the latter occasion, back in 2023, he was the subject of extraordinary abuse by Roma fans. their then coach, Jose Mourinho.

José Orlando Ascencio knows more about Colombia than I do.

double quotation mark Today’s Selección Colombia still have a core of players that are remembered fondly from the Brazil. Russia World Cup finals tournaments in 2014 and 2018 respectively. A few of them are taking part in their third tournament. led by James Rodríguez, still a key figure in a side whose 4-2-3-1 formation is built around his No 10 position. There is support out wide. where Luis Díaz has become a source of goals, though not to the extent to which he shines for Bayern Munich.

Asian football expert John Duerden has more on the White Wolves.

double quotation mark Since qualifying behind Iran, Uzbekistan have lost 2-1 to Uruguay but defeated Gabon. Egypt before final warm-up defeats to Canada and the Netherlands. The latter came thanks to two penalties from Cody Gakpo with the Liverpool forward scoring the winner in the 99th minute. not long after Uzbekistan had equalised to achieve what they thought was going to be a morale-boosting result. It was an important lesson about concentration and focus.

Underestimating the White Wolves would, however, be a mistake. “Uzbeks are tough: people who fight, who never give up,” Cannavaro says. “Playing against them is a pain in the arse. We played Uruguay: we had nine injured players, they weren’t at their best, but my players are tough. It’s not easy to play against them and we only lost 2-1.”

If you don’t know much about Uzbekistan football, you’re not alone. Fortunately Narzulla Saydullaev is around to help out.

double quotation mark Abdukodir Khusanov is by far the most recognisable face in the Uzbekistan side – the country’s first player to appear in the Champions League. Premier League or Ligue 1. His father, Khikmat Khoshimov, also played as a central defender. At 17, Khusanov went to play for Energetik-BGU Minsk in Belarus. could only train, with foreign players not allowed to play competitively until the age of 18. “In Belarus, I suffered away from my parents – often there were training sessions three times a day. If there was heavy snow in winter, we would clear the field ourselves and then train,” he says. During a whirlwind 2023, when Khusanov won the Under-20 Asian Cup with Uzbekistan. earned his first senior cap, Lens came calling. Within 18 months the shy youngster was at Manchester City. “He is a top signing,” Pep Guardiola said. “He is so coachable. He is always training good and gives 100%.” The 22-year-old has won the FA Cup and League Cup this season.

An experienced and robust Colombia will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The question is where the goals will come from with only Rodriguez. Diaz registering more than six in their international careers to date.

12 Vargas. 2 Munoz, 23 Sanchez, 3 Lucumi, 17 Mojica; 14 Puerta, 16 Lerma; 11 Arias, 10 Rodriguez, 7 Diaz; 25 Suarez.

Fabio Cannavaro has continued with the 3-4-3 that served Uzbekistan well in qualifying. Khusanov is the only man in the starting XI to play in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The promising playmaker Fayzullaev is on the cusp of bigger things at İstanbul Başakşehir. where he is teammates with the proven goalscorer Shomurodov. Everyone else in the squad is drawn from clubs in Uzbekistan, Iran, or the UAE.

1 Yusupov; 18 Abdullaev. 5 Ashurmatov, 2 Khusanov; 13 Nasrullaev 7 Shukurov, 6 Mozgovoy, 24 Karimov; 22 Fayzullaev, 11 Urunov, 14 Shomurodov.

The penultimate match of the first round has just ended –. it’s joy for Ghana – who pinched a last-minute winner to down Panama 1-0 in Group L.

On the topic of goalscorers. Justin Kavanagh joins in by email to discuss a striker who failed to find the back of the net earlier today. “Strange how we’ve seen a 40-year-old goalkeeper perform miracles for Cape Verde,. an aging Messi put on a masterclass for the next generation. Yet Ronaldo, for all his years of dedicated self-preservation, looks like the oldest man at this tournament. He used to be wind in Portugal’s sails, but now he looks like their anchor. Yet presumably Roberto Martínez won’t do the necessary and make him walk the plank.”

I agree entirely. Extending the point somewhat. Roberto Martinez must be great in job interviews, or have a massive cache of incriminating photographs of significant football administrators. Behind a modest CV he was gifted Belgium’s greatest ever cohort. never looked like winning anything with them, now he has arguably the strongest squad at the finals under his management. At a World Cup notable for its array of superstar coaches it’s hard not to think Portugal may be handicapped by theirs. his inability to make the tough call(s).

With Harry Kane scoring twice against Croatia earlier today –. Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé already putting on a show – see how the race for the golden boot is shaping up.

And check out the all-time standings for good measure.

The World Cup groups have started falling into place with Uzbekistan v Colombia the last game to be played in the opening round of matches. Wondering where each team might be heading into the knockouts? Predict your team’s path to the final with Bracketology:

Similar topics can be enjoyed in audio format with Max, Barry, and the rest of the podcats.

Yara El-Shaboury has the latest Football Daily round-up.

double quotation mark Yet for all the brilliance of Mbappé. Haaland, football’s greatest showman was not about to accept third billing. Hours after the younger generation had dazzled, Lionel Messi wandered on to the stage. reminded us sequels rarely outperform the original. A first World Cup hat-trick. A record-equalling 16th World Cup goal. Another entry in the ever-expanding folder labelled “proof he still has it”. Argentina beat Algeria 3-0. Messi was involved in absolutely everything that mattered, including a raking challenge on Aissa Mandi that surely would have been a red card for mere mortals. Perhaps not inconsequentially, Gianni Infantino was in Kansas, watching on through misty eyes.

Not such a comfortable debut for Portugal though, who failed to click in attack against DR Congo.

double quotation mark Ronaldo’s baying followers, swathes of them with local accents. wearing his No 7 shirt, had done their best to cajole a meaningful contribution from their idol but ultimately they had to settle for being under the same roof. Perhaps they expected a repeat of Lionel Messi’s staggering performance the previous night. Ronaldo did little to assuage concerns that his presence, once glorious, is nowadays a dead weight. The watching Gianni Infantino could have been forgiven for wondering whether Fifa’s contortions in freeing him from suspension for this game had been worthwhile.

It’s already been a significant matchday for England, who looked like genuine contenders as they put four past Croatia.

double quotation mark They looked like they actually wanted to take part in a game of football, that this wasn’t just an activity to be undertaken out of fear. self‑loathing. For the next 10 minutes they swarmed all over Croatia, might have scored four,. gave a glimpse not so much of patterns of play, but of a willingness to actually do this, of the muscle, speed and ruthlessness that are undeniably there in this team.

Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of match 24 of the 2026 World Cup between Uzbekistan and Colombia. Kick-off in this Group K clash at the Estadio Azteca is 8pm local time (10pm EDT/3am BST/12pm AEST).

The final match of the opening round of fixtures is, on paper, perhaps the most unprepossessing. Uzbekistan, on World Cup debut, scored just 14 goals in their 10 AFC qualifying matches,. they take on a Colombia side that have gone off the boil since an incredible unbeaten run that stretched over two years from 2022 to 2024.

Uzbekistan are one of the few little-known quantities at the finals. They began their qualification journey led by Slovenian Srečko Katanec,. ill health forced him to resign in 2025, handing the reins to national hero Timur Kapadze. The step up from under-23 coach was seamless with Kapadze going unbeaten in his eight matches in charge to confirm the White Wolves’ participation in North America.

But then in October of last year the Uzbekistan FA parachuted in Fabio Cannavaro. The 2006 World Cup winning captain has done nothing in his coaching career to date to suggest he is worthy of such a gift. A decent four-year spell at Guangzhou Evergrande ended in 2021, since when he has coached only briefly –. unsuccessfully – at Benevento, Udinese, and Dinamo Zagreb.

A mere 18 months ago Colombia would have been among the tournament favourites. Remodelled by Néstor Lorenzo, the Argentine oversaw victories over Germany, Brazil,. Japan, as well as taking Argentina to extra time of the final of the Copa America. But recent friendly defeats to France. Croatia exposed the limitations of a squad still reliant on James Rodriguez to pull the strings. Luis Diaz has prodigious talent. saw his form wane for Bayern Munich, while the disappearance off the radar of Jhon Duran since leaving Aston Villa for Saudi Arabia has robbed Lorenzo of an x-factor.

I’ll be back shortly with team news and a roundup of all the matchday action so far. In the meantime you can keep an eye on Ghana v Panama. email any thoughts about the tournament so far to jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.