Unbeaten Colombia will take on Ghana for the first time on the world stage as the rivals contest the last of the Round of 32 ties at Kansas City Stadium.
Round of 32
Saturday, 4 July | Kansas City Stadium
Kick-off time
02:00 (GMT+8)
The match
Colombia and Ghana will meet on the world stage for the first time when they lock horns in Kansas City in the very last of the Round of 32 ties. As winners of Group K, Colombia are unbeaten so far at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, having defeated Uzbekistan and Congo DR and drawn with Portugal – and their aim now is to reach the Round of 16 for the fourth time.
As for Ghana, they will arrive in Kansas City on the back of a third-placed finish in Group L following a win over Panama, draw with England and defeat against Croatia. They are targeting a third appearance in the Round of 16 – and hoping for third-time lucky given their two previous encounters with South American opposition in the World Cup knockout stage both ended in defeat, against Brazil in the 2006 Round of 16 and Uruguay in the 2010 quarter-finals. That said, Colombia’s only previous World Cup knockout tie against CAF opposition brought a 2-1 defeat by Cameroon in 1990.
Possible Colombia starting XI
Vargas; Lucumi, S Arias, Puerta, Machado, Sanchez; Rodriguez, J Arias, Lerma; Diaz, Cordoba.
Possible Ghana starting XI
Asare; Adjetey, Mensah, Luckassen, Senaya; Owusu, Semenyo, Partey, Sibo; Ayew, Sulemana
What they said….
“They (Ghana) are an organized team, but aggressive when they press and aggressive when they attack. They play very well, and their players play for some of the best clubs in Europe. The quality of our team is defined by the players: by their versatility, their quality, their ability to occupy different spaces and to perform a defensive role and, when they have the courage, an attacking role. So, from that point of view, I think we have grown, and we hope to keep growing.” Nestor Lorenzo, Colombia coach
“It will be fantastic to see two great teams on the pitch, with different styles. Both teams are committed to winning the match, creating entertainment and, of course, trying to take the best possible result home. They are a very good team, but there are no perfect teams in the world. They have some weaknesses and some strengths, and we have to be cautious, stay alert and be very careful throughout the 90 minutes.” Carlos Queiroz, Ghana coach
Kansas City Stadium
Kansas City Stadium is certified by Guinness World Records as the loudest outdoor sports venue in the world and has hosted a record five consecutive NFL Conference Championships. The arena, which is the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, reached a record-breaking decibel level of 142.2 when the Chiefs took on the New England Patriots in 2014. Known as the soccer capital of America, Kansas City is home to two-time MLS champions Sporting KC and 2022 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) finalists KC Current and is a bi-state metropolitan area that straddles the state line between Missouri and Kansas. The stadium hosted four World Cup 2026 group games including a six-goal thriller between Algeria and Austria, plus Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria and Netherlands’ 3-1 victory over Tunisia. Its final match will be a quarter-final on 12 July.