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Colombia will kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with an encounter against Uzbekistan at Estadio Azteca on Thursday.
Los Cafeteros will set their sights on a return to the knockout stages after failing to qualify for the last edition of this competition.
Uzbekistan, on the other hand, will look to make their debut at the world's biggest stage in style.
Read our Uzbekistan vs Colombia prediction, preview and betting tips below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Uzbekistan vs Colombia key stats
- Three or more goals were scored in five of Colombia’s last six matches.
- Colombia won four of their last six fixtures.
- Four of Uzbekistan’s last six games went above the 2.5-goal threshold.
Uzbekistan vs Colombia preview: White Wolves to hold their own?
| Uzbekistan | vs | Colombia |
|---|---|---|
| 50th | FIFA Ranking | 13th |
| Eldor Shomurodov (91) | Most Caps | David Ospina (130) |
| Eldor Shomurodov (44) | Most Goals | James Rodriguez (31) |
| 903 | Total Caps | 1041 |
| 127 | Total Goals | 104 |
| 1 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
Uzbekistan have turned their fortunes around in recent years and are enjoying their best run in over three decades. After a few near-misses, the White Wolves secured a place in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history last year, before proceeding to win the CAFA Nations Cup, their first international title since 1994.
Interestingly, the Uzbekistan FA parted ways with head coach Timur Kapadze shortly after their title triumph, replacing him with Fabio Cannavaro, who won the 2006 World Cup with Italy as a player.
Although the former Udinese coach had a solid run of results in his first eight games in charge (W6, D1, L1), the White Wolves lost their two preparatory friendlies earlier this month against Canada and the Netherlands, ahead of this competition.
Jaloliddin Masharipov, who has earned 74 caps for the Uzbekistan national team, is unlikely to be fit for their World Cup debut. The veteran midfielder is battling a persistent back injury that forced him to miss both pre-tournament friendlies.
However, Cannavaro will be able to rely on the services of Manchester City's defensive prodigy Abdukodir Khusanov, as well as the nation’s all-time top scorer Eldor Shomurodov (44 goals).
On the other hand, Colombia had an impressive qualifying campaign in which they finished ahead of five-time champions Brazil and two-time winners Uruguay.
Los Cafeteros were on the verge of winning their first major international trophy since 2001, but they ultimately fell in extra time to Argentina in the 2024 Copa América final.
Led by Nestor Lorenzo, who guided the team to their longest-ever unbeaten run (28 games), Colombia are brimming with confidence after winning their friendlies against Costa Rica and Jordan over the past couple of weeks.
Unlike their opponents, Los Cafeteros have a clean bill of health ahead of their opening game. Paired alongside Uzbekistan, Portugal, and DR Congo, they will set their sights on reaching the last eight for only the second time in history.
Veteran playmaker James Rodriguez, who will be featuring in his third and last World Cup for the Coffee Growers, will look to make an impact alongside Luis Diaz and goal poacher Luis Javier Suarez.
These nations will go up against each other for the first time on Thursday.
Uzbekistan vs Colombia form guide & betting tips
| Uzbekistan | vs | Colombia |
|---|---|---|
W
W
W
L
L
|
Form |
W
L
L
W
W
|
| 8 | Goals For | 10 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 6 |
N/A |
World Cup Form | N/A |
Whispers Predicts: Uzbekistan 1-2 Colombia
At 39/100 (1.39), Colombia are considered favourites by the bookmakers. Los Cafeteros advanced to the knockout stages in their previous two outings, winning five of six group games in the process, while Uzbekistan have no experience whatsoever in this competition.
However, it is worth mentioning that Uzbekistan found the net in 12 of their last 15 games across all competitions, while Colombia saw their defence breached six times in their last four matches.
On that note, we fancy BTTS – Yes at 7/5 (2.40).
Moreover, keeping in mind that Colombia opened the scoring in five of their last six outings, while Uzbekistan conceded first in five of their last six fixtures, HT Colombia to win at 17/20 (1.85) should be worth a punt.
> Over 2.5 total goals at 1/1 (2.00) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS – Yes at 7/5 (2.40) | Likelihood: Probable
> HT result: Colombia at 17/20 (1.85) | Likelihood: Probable
> Colombia & BTTS – Yes at 27/10 (3.70) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct Score: 1-2 at 8/1 (9.00) | Likelihood: Outsider