KEY FACTS AND MATCH DETAILS: Colombia vs Ghana (Round of 32)

It will be a make-or-break encounter in Kansas City as the Black Stars of Ghana come up against Colombia on Friday evening for a place in the Round of 16 of the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

This match is scheduled for Kansas City Stadium on Friday, 3 July 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET (1:30 a.m. Ghana Time – Saturday).

CHECK KEY FACTS AND DETAILS FOR THE HISTORIC SHOWDOWN

Officials

Referee: Clement TURPIN (FRA)
Assistant referee 1: Nicolas DANOS (FRA)
Assistant referee 2: Benjamin PAGES (FRA)
Fourth official: Alejandro HERNANDEZ (ESP)
Reserve assistant referee: Jose Enrique NARANJO (ESP)
Video assistant referee (VAR): Jerome BRISARD (FRA)
Assistant VAR (AVAR): Willy DELAJOD (FRA)
Support VAR: Ming FU (CHN)

Match background

Ghana are back in the FIFA World Cup™ knockout stage for the first time since a quarter-final appearance in 2010. Their opponents at Kansas City Stadium, Colombia, finished top of Group K and have progressed from their group for the fourth time.

An entertaining goalless draw with Portugal at Miami Stadium saw Colombia finish on seven points as they topped their group for a third successive participation. La Tricolor’s first six points came courtesy of wins over Uzbekistan (3-1) and Congo DR (1-0), with Daniel Muñoz scoring in both victories.

Although they lost 2-1 to Croatia in their final Group L contest in Philadelphia, Ghana had already done enough to qualify in third place on four points, having edged past Panama 1-0 and held group winners England to a goalless draw.

KEY FACTS

This is the first meeting between Colombia and Ghana.

Colombia have won four matches in a row against CAF teams at the FIFA World Cup™

since a 2-1 extra-time defeat against Cameroon in the 1990 round of 16 – their first such encounter and their only previous knockout fixture against an African opponent.

This is Colombia’s third successive qualification to the knockout phase, and their fourth overall.

La Tricolor progressed though the group stage unbeaten for only the second time. The only previous instance came back in 2014, when they went on to win their opening five fixtures before a 2-1 quarter-final defeat against Brazil.

The 0-0 draw against Portugal was the first time in 25 FIFA World Cup™ encounters that Colombia have been involved in a goalless draw. They had not failed to score in their previous 11 matches in the competition.

Colombia have kept four clean sheets in their last six World Cup matches.

Juan Quintero could make his tenth World Cup appearance, becoming only the fourth Colombian player to reach the landmark.

Ghana remain winless in their three FIFA World Cup matches against South American opposition, with defeats to Brazil (3-0) in 2006 and Uruguay (2-0) in 2022, bookending their 2010 quarter‑final exit to Uruguay, when a 1-1 draw after extra time led to a decisive
penalty shoot‑out loss.

The Black Stars have qualified for the knockout stage for the first time since making back-to- back appearances in 2006 and 2010.

Ghana’s only win in a knockout phase fixture is their 2-1 extra-time triumph over the USA in the 2010 round of 16.

Only one of Ghana’s 18 World Cup matches has finished goalless.

Jordan Ayew could become only the third player to reach ten World Cup appearances for Ghana – after Asamoah Gyan, who made 11 outings, and André Ayew, who is on ten.

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz managed Colombia between February 2019 and December 2020, leading them at the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. Surviving members of that Colombia squad on duty at this FIFA World Cup, and now in opposition to Queiroz, are David Ospina, Santiago Arias, James Rodríguez, Camilo Vargas, Yerry Mina, Luis Díaz, Jefferson Lerma, Jhon Lucumí and Davinson Sánchez.

Colombia records
FIFA WORLD CUP™ TEAM RECORDS
Overall record: P: 25 W: 11 D: 4 L: 10 F: 36 A: 31 GD: 5

Biggest win: 4-1 v. Japan (group stage, 24/06/2014)/3-0 v. Greece (group stage, 14/06/2014)/3-0 v.

Poland (group stage, 24/06/2018)
Biggest defeat: 0-5 v. Yugoslavia (group stage, 07/06/1962)

Highest-scoring draw: 4-4 v. Soviet Union (group stage, 03/06/1962)

Highest-scoring match: 8 goals – Soviet Union 4-4 Colombia (group stage, 03/06/1962)

Most goals scored in a match: 4 – Colombia 4-4 Soviet Union (group stage, 03/06/1962)/Colombia 4-1 Japan (group stage, 24/06/2014)

Most goals conceded in a match: 5 – Colombia 0-5 Yugoslavia (group stage, 07/06/1962)

Most goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 12 – 2014 (5 matches)

Fewest goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 1 – 1998 (3 matches)

Most goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 11 – 1962 (3 matches)

Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 3 (twice) – the last of which was 2018 (4 matches), 1 (at the current edition – 3 matches)

FIFA WORLD CUP™ STREAKS
Successive wins: 4 (14/06/2014 – 28/06/2014) Successive defeats: 3 (23/06/1990 – 22/06/1994)

Successive draws: 1 (four times) – the last of which was 27/06/2026

Successive matches without a defeat: 6 (24/06/2018 – present)

Successive matches without a win: 5 (14/06/1990 – 22/06/1994)

Successive matches with a goal scored: 11 (14/06/2014 – 23/06/2026)

Successive matches without scoring: 1 (five times) – the last of which was 27/06/2026
Successive clean sheets: 2 (twice) – including a current streak dating back to 23/06/2026

FIFA WORLD CUP™ EXTRA-TIME MATCHES
Cameroon v. Colombia 2-1 a.e.t. (0-0, 0-0) 1990, round of 16

Colombia v. England 1-1 a.e.t. (1-1, 0-0), 3-4 on pens 2018, round of 16

The first score in brackets is the full-time result, while the second denotes the state of play at half-time.

FIFA WORLD CUP™ PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS (W0 L1)

L 3-4 v. England (2018, round of 16)

Ghana records
FIFA WORLD CUP™ TEAM RECORDS
Overall record: P: 18 W: 6 D: 4 L: 8 F: 20 A: 25 GD: -5

Biggest win: 2-0 v. Czechia (group stage, 17/06/2006)

Biggest defeat: 0-3 v. Brazil (round of 16, 27/06/2006)

Highest-scoring draw: 2-2 v. Germany (group stage, 21/06/2014)

Highest-scoring match: 5 goals – Portugal 3-2 Ghana (group stage, 24/11/2022)/Korea
Republic 2-3 Ghana (group stage,28/11/2022)

Most goals scored in a match: 3 – Ghana 3-2 Korea Republic (group stage, 28/11/2022)

Most goals conceded in a match: 3 (twice) – the last of which was Ghana 2-3 Portugal (groupstage, 24/11/2022)

Most goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 5 (twice) – the last of which was 2022 (3 matches)

Fewest goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 4 (twice) – the last of which was 2014 (3 matches), 2 (at the current edition – 3 matches)

Most goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 7 – 2022 (3 matches)

Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 4 – 2010 (5 matches), 2 (at the current
edition – 3 matches)

FIFA WORLD CUP™ STREAKS
Successive wins: 2 (17/06/2006 – 22/06/2006)

Successive defeats: 2 (26/06/2014 – 24/11/2022)

Successive draws: 1 (four times) – the last of which was 23/06/2026

Successive matches without a defeat: 2 (four times) – the last of which was 17/06/2026 –
23/06/2026

Successive matches without a win: 5 (02/07/2010 – 24/11/2022)

Successive matches with a goal scored: 7 (26/06/2010 – 28/11/2022)

Successive matches without scoring: 1 (five times) – the last of which was 23/06/2026

Successive clean sheets: 2 (17/06/2026 – 23/06/2026)

FIFA WORLD CUP™ EXTRA-TIME MATCHES
USA v. Ghana 1-2 a.e.t. (1-1, 0-1) 2010, round of 16

Uruguay v. Ghana 1-1 a.e.t. (1-1, 0-1), 4-2 on pens 2010, quarter-finals

The first score in brackets is the full-time result, while the second denotes the state of play at half-time.

FIFA WORLD CUP™ PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS (W0 L1)

L 2-4 v. Uruguay (2010, quarter-finals)

FIFA Power Rankings powered by Aramco
At this year’s FIFA World Cup 2026™, FIFA has rolled out an individual player-ranking system: the FIFA Power Rankings powered by Aramco. Based on data collected during matches, the initiative provides objective insight into player performance in each match and across the tournament.

In every encounter, each outfield player who features for at least 20 minutes receives a score between zero and ten in three categories: attacking, creativity and defending, while goalkeepers are assessed both in and out of possession. Standings featuring the top 100 players in each
category were published following the conclusion of the Matchday 1 action, and the full rankings will now continue to be updated after each game.

Source: FIFA MEDIA