Luis Diaz delivered a standout World Cup debut, scoring the decisive goal in the 65th minute and adding an assist as Colombia opened Group K with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan on Wednesday in Mexico City.
The Bayern Munich forward set the tone in the first half, helping create Daniel Munoz’s superb 40th-minute volley as Colombia took control of the match and moved to the top of the group after Portugal drew with the Democratic Republic of the Congo earlier in the day.
Jaminton Campaz put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, finishing from a Cucho Hernandez cross as Colombia sealed a commanding victory in front of a raucous, pro-Colombia crowd.
Abbosbek Fayzullaev leveled in the 60th minute on a close-range rebound in Uzbekistan’s World Cup debut. Colombia, however, outshot its opponent 15-9 overall and 4-3 on target.
Remarkably, Diaz had never previously appeared at the World Cup, having been a relative late bloomer in his career. He was still playing in the Colombian second tier during the 2018 tournament, and Colombia failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
