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Colombia and Ghana will face each other in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup on Friday, July 3, in a match that will be historic: both teams have never met in an official A-category match, making this encounter a complete debut between two nations with very different World Cup histories.
The on Friday, July fourth —which is equivalent to 21:30 Cuban time on Thursday, July third— at the Kansas City Stadium, the Arrowhead Stadium temporarily renamed for the tournament.
The venue, which has a capacity of 69,045 spectators, will host a total of six matches of the 2026 World Cup, including a quarter-final scheduled for July 11. The final location of the match has not yet been officially confirmed.
Colombia arrives at the crossroad as the with 7 points, resulting from two victories and one draw in three matches, with four goals scored and one conceded.
The coffee growers kicked off the tournament on June 17 with a convincing 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with goals from Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz, and Jáminton Campaz.
On the second matchday, Colombia defeated the Democratic Republic of the Congo 1-0 at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, with a goal from Daniel Muñoz in the 76th minute, a result that secured their qualification ahead of time. Last Saturday, they concluded the group stage with a goalless draw against Portugal, also in Guadalajara, solidifying their position at the top of the group.
Muñoz, from Crystal Palace, scored in two of the three group stage matches. Luis Díaz, from Bayern Munich, was another key offensive player for the team, scoring against Uzbekistan and delivering outstanding performances throughout the initial phase.
Ghana, for its part, reached the knockout stage by the narrowest of margins. The Africans with 4 points, following an irregular group stage. They debuted with a 1-0 victory against Panama thanks to a goal from Caleb Yirenkyi in the 90th minute, drew 0-0 with England at Gillette Stadium, and lost 1-2 to Croatia last Saturday in Philadelphia in the final match.
That defeat against Croatia left them third in Group L, but they had enough merit to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament and advance to the Round of 32. Group L concluded with England in first place with 7 points, Croatia in second with 6, Ghana in third with 4, and Panama eliminated without any points.
At the helm of Ghana is the Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, who has extensive experience in world tournaments. Among the most influential players for the African team are Iñaki Williams, Jordan Ayew, and Thomas Partey, key components of the coach's strategy.
The winner of this matchup will advance to the Round of 16 in the first World Cup in history with 48 participating teams, in a tournament taking place in Mexico, the United States, and Canada until July 19, 2026.
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