World Cup: Munoz sends Colombia into knockout stages with tight win over DR Congo
Daniel Munoz saved Colombia’s blushes with a second-half winner as the South Americans cruised to a 1-0 victory over DR Congo to book their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 in Guadalajara on Tuesday.
After dominating possession and creating a number of chances, Colombia looked set for a frustrating night against a resilient DR Congo side inspired by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. But Munoz finally broke the deadlock in the 76th minute and sent Nestor Lorenzo’s men into the knockout stages with a game to spare.
Colombia vs DR Congo, FIFA World Cup 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
The result took Colombia to six points from two Group K games, ensuring qualification regardless of results elsewhere. Portugal also progressed after beating Uzbekistan 5-0 earlier in the day to set up a battle between the two sides for top spot in the group.
For DR Congo, the defeat was a cruel result after an organized and disciplined performance. They remain on one point but still have a realistic chance of progressing if they beat Uzbekistan in their final group stage game.
Colombia arrived in Guadalajara full of confidence after a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan in their opener and immediately got involved in the competition. James Rodriguez led the attacks from midfield, Luis Diaz was a constant threat down the wing and Jhon Arias repeatedly found gaps in dangerous areas.
Yet despite all the scrutiny, Colombia found themselves repeatedly denied by Mpasi.
The DR Congo goalkeeper made a number of excellent saves to keep the scoreline. He responded sharply to keep out James’ effort from inside the box, stood firm against Diaz and then frustrated Arias as the Colombian’s pressure mounted. With each tackle, confidence grew among the Congolese players, while anxiety began to creep into Colombia’s game.
DR Congo rarely threatened for long but remained dangerous on the counter. They defended compactly, effectively shutting down passing lanes and forcing Colombia to look for openings that never seemed to come.
As the match wore on, Colombia’s dominance began to resemble a flurry.
The breakthrough finally came when Juan Quintero unlocked the defense with a smart pass into the path of Munoz. The defender timed his run perfectly, burst into the penalty area and clawed his way to the near post. A slight deflection of the ball helped it elude Mpasi and nestle into the net, ending a remarkable resistance from the keeper.
The goal sparked more relief than celebration among the Colombian players, who knew they had been made to work much harder than expected.
DR Congo tried to respond late on, but Colombia handled the closing stages comfortably and protected their slender advantage to secure back-to-back tournament victories.
While Munoz produced the decisive moment, much of the post-match discussion will likely focus on Mpasi’s performance. The goalkeeper finished with eight saves and was the main reason the contest stayed alive for as long as it did.
The win continues Colombia’s impressive World Cup trend. They have now progressed from the group stage in each of their last three tournament appearances and also reached the knockout stages in 2014 and 2018.
Munoz also etched his name into Colombia’s World Cup history. He became only the second Colombian defender to score multiple goals in a single World Cup, joining Yerry Mina who struck three times during the 2018 tournament.
Qualification may now be assured, but Colombia will know they face tougher tests. They are likely to get fewer chances against Portugal than they enjoyed against DR Congo and will need to be much more clinical if they are to establish themselves as genuine contenders in the knockout stages.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
24 Jun 2026 09:40 IST