Colombia beats RD Congo 1-0 to reach World Cup round of 32

Daniel Muñoz’s goal gave Colombia a 1-0 victory over RD Congo and secured a place in the World Cup round of 32, a result that felt like more than a routine advance for a team trying to reclaim its place among the tournament’s serious contenders.

The win came with Colombia’s back line holding firm and Néstor Lorenzo publicly backing the group afterward. “Hicieron un partidazo los muchachos,” Lorenzo said after the match, praising the way his players handled the pressure and managed the result. Colombia’s place in Group K also gives the victory added weight, because the next major test arrives against Portugal on June 27, 2026.

Telemundo’s coverage of Iván Córdoba and José Pékerman reacting to the result framed the night as a measure of Colombia’s ceiling, not just proof of qualification. Colombia have returned to the World Cup after missing Qatar 2022, and the question now is whether this squad can match the discipline and emotional control that a long knockout run demands, while still finding enough attacking force against stronger opponents.

The benchmark remains Brazil 2014, still Colombia’s best World Cup finish. Under Pékerman, Colombia reached the quarterfinals before falling 2-1 to Brazil on July 4, 2014. That team also produced James Rodríguez’s breakout tournament, and FIFA still highlights his Golden Boot campaign as one of the defining individual performances in Colombia’s World Cup history.

This edition has already restored Colombia to the global stage for the seventh time in FIFA World Cup history, with matches against Congo DR, Portugal and Uzbekistan shaping the path forward. For a nation that has waited through the disappointment of missing 2022, Muñoz’s winner against RD Congo did more than extend the campaign. It reopened the conversation about whether Colombia can build from qualification to something larger.