Colombia edge Ghana (1-0) with an early Jhon Arias goal to set up a last-16 tie with Switzerland
Jhon Arias scored in the 14th minute, set up by Luis Suárez, the only goal of a game Colombia controlled from start to finish. Ghana did not manage a single shot on target, and only a superb Ati Zigi spared them a rout. Switzerland await in the last 16.
Colombia reached the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup with a composed win over Ghana (1-0) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, the home of the NFL's Chiefs famous for being one of the loudest stadiums on the planet —it holds the Guinness record for the noisiest crowd—. An early Jhon Arias goal was enough to see off a Ghana side that failed to register a single shot on target all game.
Néstor Lorenzo set up a 4-3-3 with Camilo Vargas in goal; Daniel Muñoz, Davinson Sánchez, Jhon Lucumí and Johan Mojica in defence; Gustavo Puerta, Jefferson Lerma and Jhon Arias in midfield; and James Rodríguez, Jhon Córdoba and Luis Díaz up front. Opposite them, Carlos Queiroz's Ghana —a familiar face in Colombian football, having coached the national team between 2019 and 2020— lined up in a 4-1-4-1 with Thomas Partey anchoring and Iñaki Williams and Jordan Ayew up top. The Colombian plan clicked early: in the 14th minute, barely two after picking up a booking, Jhon Arias turned in a Luis Suárez pass for 1-0.
With the lead in hand, Colombia took command of the ball and set about piling up chances. Their shot count was overwhelming, but time and again they ran into a stellar Lawrence Ati Zigi: the Ghanaian keeper produced a magnificent display, with fine saves that prevented a rout and earned him, despite the defeat, the man-of-the-match award with a 9.2 rating, the highest on the pitch.
The second half turned scrappy and niggly, with a flurry of yellow cards for both sides. Queiroz turned to his bench in search of a response, but Ghana never found a way to Camilo Vargas's goal, and the keeper enjoyed a quiet night. Colombia, with James Rodríguez's craft to slow the game down and the constant menace of Luis Díaz, managed their advantage without alarm until the final whistle.
The numbers portray near-total control: 61% possession, 20 attempts (8 on target) and an xG of 2.18 for Colombia, against the zero shots on target and 0.26 xG of a toothless Ghana. The 1-0, flattering to the losers, is worth a ticket to the last 16. The Black Stars bow out of the World Cup without ever threatening, while Colombia, group winners with another clean sheet, march on to the next round, where Switzerland await. This result completes the round-of-16 bracket of the 2026 World Cup.