MEXICO CITY, June 15 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan step onto the World Cup stage for the first time when they face Colombia in their Group K opener, a meeting between debutants guided by one of the game's most decorated defenders and a South American side looking to make up for lost time.
For Uzbekistan, Wednesday's match represents the biggest moment in the country's football history.
After years of near misses in Asian qualifying, they finally secured a place at the finals by finishing second in their Asian qualifying group, becoming one of the stories of the expanded 2026 World Cup.
Their historic debut also has an intriguing subplot on the touchline.
Fabio Cannavaro, Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain and former Ballon d'Or winner, coaches Uzbekistan, bringing an elite tournament pedigree to a squad lacking international experience.
Cannavaro's task is clear: make Uzbekistan hard to beat and give them a platform to compete in a demanding group featuring Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo.
Much will depend on defensive organisation, with Manchester City centre back Abdukodir Khusanov expected to be a key figure, while captain Eldor Shomurodov offers experience and threat in attack.
Colombia, by contrast, return to the World Cup with a point to prove after missing out on Qatar 2022, a failure that forced a reset for one of South America's most talented sides.
Under Nestor Lorenzo, Colombia have regained confidence and consistency.
Their run to the Copa America 2024 final, where they lost to Argentina after extra time, restored belief that Los Cafeteros can again compete deep into major tournaments.
The squad looks more mature than the one that fell short in the previous qualifying cycle.
Luis Diaz provides pace and directness from wide areas, the 34-year-old James Rodriguez remains a creative reference point and experienced leader, and Colombia have enough attacking options to expect control against a debutant opponent.
For Rodriguez, the tournament may carry additional weight. The playmaker became a global star at Brazil 2014, when Colombia reached the quarter-finals in their best World Cup finish, and 2026 could be his final appearance on this stage.
Colombia will be favourites in Mexico City, but openers can be awkward, particularly against a side with little history for opponents to study and a powerful sense of occasion behind them.
Uzbekistan will hope Cannavaro's defensive instincts can turn emotion into structure. Colombia will aim to show that their absence from Qatar was an aberration, not a decline.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City, Editing by Ken Ferris)
