Colombia 1-0 Congo DR: Munoz Goal Secures World Cup Knockout Berth

Daniel Munoz's deflected second-half goal broke Congo DR's resistance as Colombia secured a 1-0 victory at Guadalajara Stadium on Saturday, booking their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 32 with a game to spare.

The win, Colombia's second in Group K, guarantees them a top-two finish ahead of their final group match against Portugal. Congo DR, meanwhile, must beat Uzbekistan on Matchday 3 and hope other results go their way to advance.

First Half: Colombia Dominate but Fail to Break Through

Congo DR's Edo Kayembe tested the waters early with a long-range effort that sailed wide, but the rest of an electric first half largely belonged to Colombia. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi denied Jhon Arias, with Munoz sending the follow-up into the side netting. Munoz then saw a header saved before bundling in the rebound, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Colombia continued to press as Mpasi saved from James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz and Gustavo Puerta. Congo DR finally threatened late in the half, but Arthur Masuaku's raking cross narrowly evaded the head of Yoane Wissa, who was inches away from adding to his equalising goal against Portugal on Matchday 1.

Second Half: Munoz Breaks the Deadlock

Mpasi was at it again after the restart, making himself big to thwart Diaz at close quarters. The rebound fell to Arias, but his shot through a crowded penalty area went wide. Colombia's frustrations were beginning to show when Munoz broke Mpasi's stubborn resistance, scoring with a deflected strike after intelligent hold-up play from substitute Jhon Cordoba in the 76th minute.

Diaz had two goals chalked off for offside as Colombia withstood a late wave of Congo DR pressure to seal the victory. Munoz has now scored in successive World Cup 2026 games.

Reaction

“I want to thank the team for all their effort. Against teams like this, you have to find the spaces between the lines; if you stick too rigidly to a set play, they’ll counter-attack by exploiting those spaces. We’re very happy - we’re a team that takes the initiative, and we never give up on that approach. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us.”
— Daniel Munoz, Colombia scorer

“We played with intensity and aggression, and we stuck to our style. This achievement belongs to the entire team; we earned these three points as a team and for all the fans who came out to support us. This victory gives us a morale boost. We don’t want to settle for this.”
— Nestor Lorenzo, Colombia coach

“It was a difficult match for us. We played against a very good team. They were superior. First, we will recover. The next match will be here quickly. We’ll need to take risks. A draw will not be enough. We need to analyze ourselves now and move forward. We’ll be prepared against Uzbekistan. They have some great defenders.”
— Sebastien Desabre, Congo DR coach

What's Next

Colombia face Portugal in their final Group K match, while Congo DR take on Uzbekistan, needing a win and favorable results elsewhere to progress.