FIFA World Cup 2026: Arias strikes as Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 to seal R16 spot
Kansas City, July 4
An early strike from Jhon Arias helped Colombia secure their FIFA World Cup round of 16 spot, beating Ghana 1-0 in their round of 32 clash at Kansas City on Friday.
Colombia, the 2014 edition quarterfinalists, will now take on Switzerland on July 8.
Colombia dominated the match with over 60 per cent of ball possession and managed to make 19 touches in their opposition's box as compared to Ghana's eight. Colombia's 20 shots were also more than Ghana's total of eight, which could not get even a single shot on target.
Luis Suarez had come to the field to replace an injured Jhon Cordoba in the eighth minute, beat multiple defenders down the right wing, while it was Arias who came out on top with a bottom corner finish.
Ghana and Colombia continued to produce chances for the rest of the half-time to no avail, with the first half ending in favour of Colombia at 1-0, who dominated with 66 per cent ball possession and a total of eight touches inside the opponents' box.
In the 57th minute, Luis Diaz netted the ball into the net to double Colombia's lead, only to see his effort being ruled out for offside. Despite the substitutions introduced by Carlos Queiroz, Ghana failed to breach a solid Colombian defence and made their exit in the round of 32. Ghana are yet to match their best-ever finish, a quarterfinal finish in 2010.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an American living in India, it's amazing to see World Cup matches in Kansas City! The atmosphere must be electric. Colombia's possession game was clinical - 66% in first half is dominant.
Ghana's exit is disappointing for African football. Their 2010 quarterfinal run feels like ages ago. Colombia looks dangerous though - Switzerland match should be a cracker! Indian fans are watching closely. 📺
Arias finishes like an Indian street footballer - pure instinct! But seriously, Colombia's 20 shots to Ghana's 8 shows the gap. Wish our ISL players could get exposure to such high-intensity matches.
Respect to both teams for their efforts. Ghana's counter-attacking style is exciting but today Colombia's midfield was just too strong. While some fans focus on big European teams, I love watching these underdog stories. India needs to start somewhere.
Good game but Ghana's finishing was poor - not one shot on target? That's unacceptable at this level. Colombia's defence deserves credit though. Looking forward to their next match against Switzerland.
Watching World Cup matches in the US morning works perfectly for Indian time zones! This tournament is showing how football is truly global. Hopefully one day we'll see India on
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