Colombia defeats Congo with a goal from Muñoz and qualifies for the round of 32

Colombia officially qualified for the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup after defeating Congo 1-0 in the final match of the second round of Group 11, which was the last match of the second round in all groups.

Colombia dominated the match with 64% possession, and the only winning goal came in the 76th minute from a brilliant pass by Juan Quintero, which was converted into a goal by Daniel Muñoz, the Crystal Palace player, scoring his second goal in the tournament after his previous goal against Uzbekistan, earning him the Man of the Match award.

Colombia raised its tally to 6 points at the top of Group 11 after its previous victory over Uzbekistan 3-1 and then Congo 1-0. It still has one final match against Portugal, which has 4 points, having drawn with Congo 1-1 and won decisively against Uzbekistan 5-0.

Congo remained third with one point, and their hope remains alive by facing Uzbekistan, who are at the bottom of the group with no points, in the last round, where neither of them has an alternative to winning in order to maintain their chances of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams, and in the event of a draw they will both be eliminated.

The decisive third round kicks off this Wednesday evening with Canada facing Switzerland and Qatar taking on Bosnia at the same time, 10 pm Mecca time, 9 pm Sudan time.