Lorenzo Leads Colombia World Cup Start Against Uzbekistan in Mexico City
Colombia world cup starts in Mexico City against Uzbekistan on Wednesday night, and Nestor Lorenzo’s team enters as the favorite. It is Colombia’s first World Cup campaign since 2018, while Uzbekistan arrives for its debut on the sport’s biggest stage.
The match at the Estadio Azteca also gives Colombia a first look at a side led by Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Cup winner now steering Uzbekistan through its first appearance. For Colombia, the opener comes after missing the 2022 tournament and regrouping through a qualifying run that ended with 28 points.
Estadio Azteca meeting
The teams meet for the first time at the Estadio Azteca, a venue that already produced a 2-0 Mexico win over South Africa last Thursday. Colombia’s trip to Mexico City opens the group with a clear status split: one side trying to reestablish itself, the other trying to survive its first World Cup match.
Colombia finished third in CONMEBOL qualifying on goal difference, which left Lorenzo’s side with enough points to return but no margin for comfort. The team had last reached the World Cup in 2018, when it lost to England on penalties.
Uzbekistan and Cannavaro
Uzbekistan’s route has been built on persistence. The country secured its World Cup place last June after a series of near misses, and it became the first double landlocked country to qualify for the tournament.
Cannavaro brings a different kind of pressure. He is guiding Uzbekistan in its first World Cup appearance, and the opener is also its first real attempt to turn qualification into a result. Colombia reached the quarterfinals 12 years ago and its progression into the 2024 Copa América final had already been read as a sign of re-emergence, but Wednesday night starts the new campaign from zero.
For readers tracking the group from the start, the immediate picture is simple: Colombia must justify favorite status, and Uzbekistan gets a first test against a team that finished qualifying with 28 points and no room left to waste.
