The Estadio Azteca will host the final match of the opening round as Colombia takes on Uzbekistan in Group K, with kick-off at 8pm local time. The venue is already awash in yellow, giving the South Americans a decided home-field advantage despite the match taking place in Mexico City.
Uzbekistan arrives as perhaps the tournament's biggest unknown quantity. The Central Asian nation qualified with relative ease under Timur Kapadze, going unbeaten through his eight matches in charge. But in October, the Uzbekistan FA made a surprising move, replacing the respected domestic coach with Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Cup winning captain. Cannavaro's coaching resume since that World Cup triumph offers little reason for confidence. After a decent stint at Guangzhou Evergrande that ended in 2021, he has managed only briefly and unsuccessfully at Benevento, Udinese, and Dinamo Zagreb.
Cannavaro has opted for a 3-4-3 formation that served well during qualifying. Abdukodir Khusanov, the 22-year-old centerback now at Manchester City, is the squad's only player in Europe's top five leagues. The promising playmaker Fayzullaev and goalscorer Shomurodov compete in the Turkish league, while everyone else is drawn from clubs in Uzbekistan, Iran, or the UAE. Khusanov's rise has been meteoric: just 18 months ago he joined Manchester City from Lens, and he has already collected FA Cup and League Cup medals this season.
Colombia's trajectory has been sharply different. Eighteen months ago they were genuine tournament favorites under Argentine coach Néstor Lorenzo. But the shine has faded considerably. A two-year unbeaten streak that ran from 2022 through 2024 gave way to recent friendly defeats by France and Croatia. James Rodriguez, still the orchestrator of their attack as the team's No. 10, carries the weight of a side searching for consistency. Luis Díaz possesses considerable talent but his form dropped noticeably during his time at Bayern Munich, and the departure of Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabia has left Lorenzo without a crucial X-factor in attack.
Weather conditions at the Azteca favor flowing football. Temperatures hover around 19 Celsius with light rain and no wind, conditions that players from both sides welcomed. Colombia will wear their striking electric teal and navy change kit with neon accents, while Uzbekistan takes the field in all white, fitting their White Wolves nickname.
Referee Anthony Taylor of Manchester will oversee the match. Taylor has handled FA Cup finals, UEFA Nations League deciders, and the 2023 Europa League final. That assignment saw him endure extraordinary abuse from Roma supporters and then-coach Jose Mourinho.
For Colombia, the question remains whether Rodriguez and Díaz can generate enough firepower. Neither has a robust goal-scoring record at international level. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, scored just 14 goals across their 10 AFC qualifying matches, suggesting they will rely on defensive discipline and organization rather than creative brilliance.
Recent warmup matches offer limited insight into either team's readiness. Uzbekistan fell to Uruguay 2-1, beat Gabon and Egypt, then suffered losses to Canada and the Netherlands. The Netherlands match was particularly painful, with Cody Gakpo's penalties and a 99th-minute winner arriving just after Uzbekistan believed they had secured a morale-boosting draw.
Author James Rodriguez: "Colombia are clear favorites on paper, but underestimating Uzbekistan in the rarified air of the Azteca with a crowd that will feel like Colombia's own could prove costly."
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