Group K's opening round closed out the way most people expected on the scoreboard, and not at all the way most people expected in the details. Colombia leave Estadio Azteca with all three points and top spot — but it was Uzbekistan, in their first-ever World Cup match, who produced the night's most indelible image.
Colombia's pressure told first. In the 40th minute, Luis Díaz threaded a sublime pass through Uzbekistan's back line for Daniel Muñoz, who finished smartly to make it 1-0 in front of a crowd that was — despite the fixture being staged in Mexico City — overwhelmingly Colombian in voice.
Uzbekistan responded after the break in spectacular fashion. A loose touch from Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas in the 59th minute handed Abbosbek Fayzullaev an open goal, and the 22-year-old did not miss — Uzbekistan's first-ever World Cup goal, delivered on their World Cup debut, against the team many had pegged for a comfortable rout. Estadio Azteca, for one minute, briefly forgot which country it was supposed to be supporting.
Colombia restored order quickly. Five minutes later, Díaz himself settled it with a low, powerful strike that beat Uzbekistan's goalkeeper to make it 2-1 in the 65th minute. Jáminton Campaz added the exclamation point in the ninth minute of stoppage time, rising to head home a pinpoint cross from substitute Juan Hernández and confirm the 3-1 final score.
Colombia finish Matchday 1 top of Group K on goal difference and goals scored. But this was Uzbekistan's night to remember regardless of the result — a maiden World Cup goal, on a maiden World Cup appearance, against a side that had Luis Díaz fresh off a 26-goal club season.
Fayzullaev's goal will be replayed in Uzbekistan for decades regardless of how the rest of the group goes. First match, first goal, first World Cup — that's the kind of sentence a football nation builds a museum exhibit around.
A goal and an assist in his World Cup opener, on the back of a 26-goal club season. Whatever was left to prove about peak Díaz, this answered it.
Predicted Uzbekistan 0-3 Colombia with a Díaz brace and a James Rodríguez assist. Got Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia with a Díaz goal-and-assist, a Muñoz finish, a Campaz header, and — the part nobody saw coming — a Camilo Vargas blunder gifting Uzbekistan a slice of history.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 🇨🇩 DR Congo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Colombia top the group outright. Portugal and DR Congo share second on a head-to-head draw. Uzbekistan sit bottom — but leave Matchday 1 with a goal that means more than the table does.