Colombia secured a spot in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a tough 1-0 win against Ghana in the heat at Arrowhead Stadium on Friday night.

Jhon Arias scored the only goal early in the first half, finishing from close range after a great cross from Luis Suárez. The win sends Los Cafeteros to the next round, where they will play Switzerland on Tuesday in Vancouver for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Colombia had to make an early substitution when striker Jhon Córdoba picked up a groin injury just minutes into the match. Suárez came on and quickly made a difference.

In the 14th minute, Daniel Muñoz found Suárez, who sent a low cross in front of goal. Arias calmly finished past Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi to put Colombia ahead.

Colombia believed they had scored again in the 56th minute when Luis Díaz put the ball in the net, but it was ruled offside. Later, Díaz was stopped by a great save from Ati Zigi, who made seven saves to keep Ghana in the game.

With temperatures at 31.1°C (88°F) and a heat index close to 36°C (96°F), the match included hydration breaks as both teams dealt with the tough conditions.

Colombia came into the knockout stage in strong form, having topped Group K with wins over Uzbekistan and DR Congo and a draw against Portugal. Their play even led Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente to call them real World Cup contenders.

With strong support from their yellow-clad fans at Arrowhead Stadium, Colombia mostly controlled possession and set the pace for most of the match.

Ghana, who surprised many by advancing from a tough group with England and Croatia, found it hard to create good chances against Colombia’s organized defense.

The Black Stars had eight shots but none were on target, as Colombia’s defense held firm to protect their narrow lead and move on to the next round.