Colombia v Ghana: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
51 min Yirenkyi gets a yellow card for a shirt pull. That’s illegal again?
50 min Suárez does well to keep a ball in play but is unable to fight through the physical play of the Ghanaian defense.
49 min A Colombian clearance under pressure is deflected high in the air, but Vargas has no trouble collecting it.
48 min Rios announces his presence with a diagonal shot from the upper corner of the box to a point maybe halfway between the far post and the 6-yard box.
47 min Ghana pressing forward to start the second half, and they are not backing down from some physical challenges.
Isn’t it funny how sports people say “physical” as a euphemism for “foul”?
46 min Halftime sub for Colombia: Richard Rios replaces James Rodriguez, who didn’t have the most impactful first half but is still a surprising sight on the bench.
Halftime mailbag
Scott Bassett: “Torn between these abstract, Jackson Pollock mescaline-addled crayon-freakout Ghana shirts and the Mexican Aztec calendar green, all spiraling order from a disordered universe number. Both beautiful. Must I choose a favorite?”
I think if Ghana play Mexico, it will usher in a psychedelic Renaissance.
Oli Pritchard: “El Pibe Valderrama just popping up on the adverts here in Bogotá. Not quite the same since he backed the right-winger in the recent elections.”
Never meet your heroes.
Peter Oh: “Did the Ghanaian players who remember the 2010 World Cup break out in a cold sweat when a Luis Suárez entered the game?”
That Suárez had a hat trick in his most recent game, a 6-4 decision against the Philadelphia Union. I’d imagine Union manager Bradley Carnell chewed out the team afterwards. (He was then removed from his position.)
Justin Kavanagh, in the same vein: “It’s hardly a surprise that the Colombia attack has had more bite since the introduction of a sub with the name of Luis Suárez.”
Peter again, and I really had to think about this one: “It’s probably Against All Odds for the Colombia #3 central defender to score the match winner, but if he does, Take a Lucumi Now.”
Picture Phil yelling out the chorus and you’ll get it.
Halftime: Colombia 1-0 Ghana
This game needed an early goal, and it got it. Ghana have felt compelled to attack a bit, and they’re showing that such efforts might not be futile.
45 min +6 Oh my goodness. It’s Suarez again, simply launched himself into Sibo. If Turpin doesn’t give a card here, I’m flying to Kansas City and offering to replace him. Hey, I have seven years of experience now.
45 min +5 Handbags. We have handbags. Suarez gives Opoku the business right in front of the spot where some Ghanaian subs are warming up. The foul is called, but Suarez has to extricate himself from the situation.
45 min +4 Lucumí, the Bologna defender, does well to shepherd the ball out of play and deny Ayew. Colombia reclaim the ball.
45 min +1 BRILLIANT SAVE by Ati-Zigi in the Ghanaian goal. Muñoz floated a ball across the box, and his fellow fullback Mojica rose to knock it goalward with the side of his head. Well-struck shot, very well saved.
We have a Ghanaian injury on the play, so we’ll have additional stoppage time. Turpin, unlike a referee from a few games ago, takes the dropped ball properly instead of just nonchalantly dumping it at the feet of a player who’s surrounded by opponents.
Hey, I’m right. Six minutes of stoppage time.
45 min I’ll guess six minutes of stoppage time because I think it should be five. We had a goal and two injury subs.
44 min Semenyo shoots from distance. Passing it back to Mensah on the left may have been a better option.
43 min Ghana’s defenders pass the ball around while the forwards stand like pillars farther up the field.
42 min Lerma puts the ball in the air at the top of the box, and Suarez heads it straight at the goal line … unfortunately, several yards wide of the actual goal.
41 min Colombia have it back, and they’re willing to be patient after having to play defense for a bit. Everybody pad your passing stats!
Here’s the email I mentioned:
Kári Tulinius: “I don’t expect fun from a team managed by Carlos Queiroz, but I do expect them to keep their shape deny their opponents space. Ghana have looked ragged and open from the off. If Colombia press their advantage, the match could be put to bed soon. They probably should, because the Black Stars can’t be this bad all game.”
Indeed – this email came in five minutes ago, and Ghana have had the better of things in that stretch aside from the one Colombia counterattack.
38 min Ghana still possessing, more than they have not just tonight but in many of their games.
But Colombia take it back, and Diaz makes surging run down the left. He centers, the ball is chipped back in his direction, but his half-volley is off target.
36 min Ghana are enjoying a spell of supremacy now. Semenyo shoots, and it’s deflected high into the soupy sky for a corner kick.
35 min Keeper holds it … holds it … holds it …
Colombia just not interested in pressing. I have an email that suggests they might want to reconsider.
34 min Experienced referee Clement Turpin has a few words with people before this kick can be taken. He then positions himself right next to a clump of players like someone trying to win a staring contest.
33 min Promising from Ghana now, with a couple of good switches from side to side. Williams forces Mojica to concede a corner.
32 min Ghana have the ball now, and Colombia seem content to take a break.
31 min That said, Colombia only have six touches in the opponent’s box. Ghana have 0.
30 min I think people may be sleeping on this Colombian side. Maybe they fell asleep during the 0-0 draw with Portugal. But they’re a menace moving forward.
29 min Ghana pass around in their own half, and Suarez isn’t far away from nicking the ball from keeper Ati-Zigi in his own 6-yard box.
27 min We have resumed.
Why don’t they just stop the clock for the hydration breaks and then restart? If a game is interrupted for three hours by lightning, we don’t say someone scored in the 232nd minute.
24 min It’s a foul – no, wait, the referee was signaling for the hydration break when the throw-in was taken quickly. Drink!
23 min Ghana have the ball for a chance, but a through pass is brilliantly intercepted.