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Arias strike sends Colombia into World Cup last 16
Key Points
Colombia vs Ghana; FIFA World Cup Round of 32 Colombia vs Ghana. FIFA World Cup Round of 32. GEHA Field at Arrowhead StadiumAttendance69,045.
Colombia vs Ghana; FIFA World Cup Round of 32
Colombia vs Ghana. FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
GEHA Field at Arrowhead StadiumAttendance69,045.
World Cup 2026: Colombia 1-0 Ghana - Jhon Arias' goal sets up last-16 clash with Switzerland in Vancouver
Match report from the 2026 World Cup last 32 clash between Colombia and Ghana in Kansas City; former Wolves forward Jhon Arias scores winner that sets up last 16 tie with Switzerland in Vancouver on July 7
Saturday 4 July 2026 04:55, UK
Colombia reached the last 16 of the World Cup for the third time in their last three appearances at the tournament with a 1-0 win over Ghana.
Los Cafeteros reached the quarter-finals at Brazil 2014 and the last 16 in 2018.
Nestor Lorenzo's side will now face Switzerland in Vancouver on July 7, with a place in the quarter-finals, against either Argentina or Egypt, on the line.
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An unwanted piece of history was made early on in Kansas City, with both sides forced into changes after injuries to Colombia's Jhon Cordoba and Ghana's Marvin Senaya. No World Cup match on record had ever seen both teams make changes before the 15th minute.
That did not disrupt the flow of the game, however, and shortly after the second change, Colombia struck. Cordoba's replacement Luis Suarez curled in a cross from the right, which the untracked Jhon Arias - formerly of Wolves - was able to guide home.
They should have added to their lead before the break, but Luis Diaz struck just wide after a rapid counter, before Suarez headed past the opposite post and Johan Mojica's header was brilliantly clawed away by Lawrence Ati Zigi.
Just before the hour mark, Colombia celebrated a second when Luis Diaz slid in to convert a cross from Crystal Palace's Jefferson Lerma, only for the assistant referee's flag to raise his flag for offside.
Diaz, Davinson Sanchez and Juan Fernando Quintero each had further chances to extend the lead, but against a toothless Ghana attack, that slender advantage never looked under threat.
The key moments in Kansas City...
- 1: SHOT! Ghana's Thomas Partey tests the water with a shot from 25 yards that whistles just wide.
- 8: SUB! Colombia's Jhon Cordoba taken off injured. Luis Suarez replaces him.
- 13: SUB! Ghana's Marvin Senaya also goes off injured. Alidu Seidu comes on.
- 14: GOAL! Jhon Arias opens the scoring after being picked out by Suarez's cross.
- 45+1: SAVE! Crucial stop from Ghana's Lawrence Ati Zigi to claw away Johan Mojica's header.
- 57: GOAL DISALLOWED! Diaz slides in Jefferson Lerma's cross, but he's flagged offside.
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Arias (PERSON)
Colombia (LOCATION)
World Cup (EVENT)
Ghana (LOCATION)
FIFA World Cup Round (ORG)
World Cup Round (EVENT)
GEHA Field (ORG)
World Cup 2026 (EVENT)
Jhon Arias' (PERSON)
Switzerland (LOCATION)
Vancouver Match (ORG)
the 2026 World Cup (EVENT)
Kansas City (LOCATION)
Wolves (ORG)
Jhon Arias (PERSON)