Uzbekistan makes its World Cup debut on Wednesday night when it faces Colombia—the first time the pair have ever crossed paths.
Ranked 14th in FIFA’s World Rankings, Colombia finished third in CONMEBOL qualifying, finishing level on points with Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay but edging ahead on goal difference. Inevitably, Colombia is favorite and arrives at the tournament in strong form, with recent friendly wins over Costa Rica and Jordan.
Uzbekistan, ranked 50th, secured its place by finishing second behind Iran in its AFC qualifying group. Since then, it has produced mixed results in friendlies, suffering defeats to the Netherlands, Canada and Uruguay, but also picking up wins over Kuwait and Egypt to show it can compete at this level.
That contrast suggests Uzbekistan will need a major performance to trouble one of South America’s strongest sides.
