Colombia booked their place in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ghana in their Round of 32 encounter.
The South Americans struck early through Jhon Arias, whose composed finish in the 14th minute proved enough to separate the two sides in a tightly contested match.
Colombia were forced into an early change after just eight minutes, with Luis Suárez replacing the injured Jhon Cordoba. The substitution quickly paid off as Suárez set up Arias, who calmly slotted home to hand his side the lead.
Ghana also had to make an early adjustment when Alidu Seidu came on for Mohammed Senaya in the 13th minute as both teams dealt with injury setbacks.
With the advantage, Colombia settled into the game, enjoying more possession and controlling the tempo, while Ghana searched for openings but found it difficult to break down a disciplined Colombian defence.
The South Americans carried their 1-0 lead into halftime and almost doubled it after the restart, only for a second goal to be ruled out following a VAR review.
In search of an equaliser, Ghana introduced Issahaku Fatawu and Ernest Owusu just after the hour mark before later bringing on Ernest Nuamah and Patrick Adu to add fresh attacking options.
Despite the substitutions and late pressure, Ghana could not find a way through as Colombia stayed organised at the back and protected their slender lead until the final whistle.
Several players were booked during the contest, including Arias, Richard Rios and Ghana’s Christopher Yirenkyi, Fatawu and Seidu, while Colombia also made late substitutions to help see out the victory.
The win sends Colombia into the Round of 16, while Ghana exit the tournament after a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful performance.
