James Rodríguez Leads Colombia Past Uzbekistan at Caracol En Vivo

Colombia opened the 2026 World Cup against Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with caracol en vivo following the match from the first whistle. James Rodríguez led Colombia in its first game of the tournament. The opener paired a first-time World Cup participant with a team making its debut in this edition.

James Rodríguez and Colombia

Rodríguez captained Colombia as it began its World Cup campaign. That put the spotlight on a squad taking its first step in the tournament while trying to set the tone in a venue carrying extra weight for the event.

Tuesday afternoon brought thousands of Colombian fans to the Monumento a la Independencia in Mexico City before the match. Their gathering framed the day around the team’s debut and showed how far the trip had already reached before kickoff.

Fabio Cannavaro’s Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan arrived under Fabio Cannavaro for its first World Cup appearance. The team had reached the tournament after trying to qualify seven times, and this match also marked its first meeting with Colombia in any setting.

That made the opening less routine than a standard group-stage game. Uzbekistan came in as the most populous country in Central Asia, with almost 40 million inhabitants, and with mining — especially gold mining — as its main economic driver.

Estadio Azteca’s third World Cup

The match was played at a renovated Estadio Azteca that had its biggest renovation since its inauguration for the 2026 World Cup. The stadium became the first to host three World Cups, and it had already been used in the opening of the 2026 World Cup.

For Colombia, that meant a debut played on one of the sport’s biggest stages. For Uzbekistan, it meant a first World Cup appearance handled in a building that now carries a record no other stadium has matched.