Uzbekistan misses chance against Colombia in World Cup debut

The Uzbekistan national football team made its debut in the final stage of the World Cup for the first time in its history. In the first round of the 2026 World Cup group stage held at the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico, our representatives faced the Colombia national team and suffered a 1:3 defeat. This match is noteworthy not only for its result but also for its historical significance for Uzbek football. This is reported by Goal.com news reports.

From the opening minutes of the match, Bayern star Luis Diaz emerged as a clear leader on the pitch. The Colombians' attacking play paid off in the 40th minute. Following a precise pass from Luis Diaz, Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz scored an acrobatic goal past Otkir Yusupov. The first half ended with a slight advantage for the South American representatives.

Historic goal from Abbosbek Fayzullaev

In the second half, Fabio Cannavaro's pupils managed to regain the momentum of the game. The "White Wolves," demonstrating a disciplined and compact game, equalized in the 60th minute. After a ball delivered from the wing returned, Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored with a header, becoming the author of Uzbekistan's first-ever goal in World Cup history. This goal caused great joy among the Uzbek fans in the stadium.

However, the joy was short-lived. Five minutes later, Luis Diaz returned to the scene. After an error in the center of the pitch, Gustavo Puerta delivered the ball to Diaz, whose powerful shot Otkir Yusupov could not stop. Shortly before the end of the match, the Colombians succeeded once more, bringing the final score to 3:1. Luis Diaz was named the man of the match.

After the match, Luis Diaz did not hide his excitement: "I am fulfilling my childhood dream — playing in the World Cup with my national team. There is nothing more beautiful than scoring and assisting." The Bayern forward became the key figure in his team's victory.

Colombia national team head coach Nestor Lorenzo praised the performance of the Uzbekistan national team. According to ixbt.com, the coach noted that the opponent was very well-organized defensively and that it was difficult to break through their defense. Lorenzo urged his pupils that they still need to work a lot on capitalizing on opportunities.

Despite the defeat, the debut of the Uzbekistan national team is being positively evaluated by experts. The fact that a worthy resistance was put up against Colombia, who possess world-class stars, can serve as a good foundation for the team to earn points in future matches.