There is an irresistible subplot to this 2026 World Cup knockout tie in Kansas City. Ghana are coached by Carlos Queiroz, who was in charge of Colombia himself back in 2019 and 2020 before results turned against him, and now he walks into Arrowhead Stadium, the loudest outdoor venue on record, to face the country that sacked him. Colombia, unbeaten and dreaming of a repeat of their famous 2014 run, are strong favourites. Ghana, missing their biggest attacking name, will hope belief and a point to prove can carry them through. Here is how to watch Colombia vs Ghana, the kick-off time where you are, the lineups and our prediction.
Kickoff is 9:30 PM ET on Friday, July 3 / 2:30 AM BST early Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, an 8:30pm local start. In the US it is on Fox and Telemundo. In Britain it is free on ITV1, with streaming on ITVX.
Where to Watch Colombia vs Ghana
Free on ITV1 in the UK. In the US it is on Fox and Telemundo.
Quick tip: in the UK this is free on ITV1 and ITVX, though it is a very late 2:30am kick-off. Our guide to watching the World Cup in the UK has every channel and time. In the US it is on Fox with Telemundo in Spanish, plus Fubo and YouTube TV.
Colombia vs Ghana TV Channel and Live Stream
USA UK Colombia Ghana
Canada
IndiaWhat Time Is Colombia vs Ghana in Your City?
New York (ET)Kansas City (CT, local)Los Angeles (PT)
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London (BST)
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Doha (AST)When Does It Kick Off Where You Are?
Pick your country and we will do the maths.
The Road to the Round of 32
Colombia won Group K unbeaten, drawing only with Portugal. Ghana finished third in Group L and went through as one of the best third-placed teams. Every final table is in our World Cup 2026 groups guide.
ColombiaGhanaThe winner advances to the Round of 16 to face the winner of Switzerland vs Algeria in Vancouver. If level after 90 minutes, the tie goes to extra time and, if needed, penalties.
Queiroz Returns to Face the Team That Sacked Him
Carlos Queiroz knows exactly what he is walking into. Before he was Ghana's manager, appointed only two months before this World Cup in a genuinely surprising move, he had a spell in charge of Colombia in 2019 and 2020 that ended badly, a 3-0 home defeat to Uruguay and a 6-1 hammering by Ecuador making his position untenable. Now he is back on the other side of the touchline, at Arrowhead Stadium, a venue certified as the loudest outdoor sports arena on record, hoping to have the last word.
Colombia, for their part, look like a team on a mission. Nestor Lorenzo's side went unbeaten through Group K, brushing aside Uzbekistan and edging DR Congo through a Daniel Munoz winner, before a goalless draw with a strong Portugal side. James Rodriguez, the 2014 Golden Boot winner who inspired Colombia's famous run to that year's quarter-finals, now has six goals and four assists in 11 World Cup appearances, and remains the creative heartbeat of this team alongside Luis Diaz. Munoz, a right-back by trade, has somehow ended up as Colombia's top scorer with two goals of his own. There are no fresh injury concerns to speak of.
Ghana have had a tougher road and a bigger absence to manage. Mohammed Kudus, arguably their best attacking talent, has missed the entire tournament through injury, which has forced Queiroz to lean on captain Jordan Ayew's experience and the energy of Antoine Semenyo, who picked up a knock against Croatia but should be fine to play. A 1-0 win over Panama and a battling goalless draw with England showed real defensive discipline, but a 2-1 defeat to Croatia, Queiroz's only loss of the tournament, exposed the same defensive lapses he has been trying to coach out of this squad. There is also a goalkeeping question mark: Benjamin Asare has held the jersey since replacing an injured Lawrence Ati-Zigi in game one, but two goals conceded against Croatia will have Queiroz thinking hard about his options.
History carries a strange symmetry here. Ghana have twice reached a World Cup knockout stage and lost both times to South American opposition, Brazil in 2006 and, most painfully, Uruguay in the infamous 2010 quarter-final. Colombia's only previous World Cup knockout match against African opposition also ended in defeat, 2-1 to Cameroon back in 1990. Somebody's hoodoo breaks here. Colombia's superior depth and James Rodriguez's know-how should be enough to see them through, but Queiroz has beaten bigger nations than Colombia before, and Ghana without fear have already shown they can frustrate strong sides.
How They Might Line Up
Colombia have no significant injury concerns and should field close to their strongest XI. Ghana are still without the injured Mohammed Kudus, with Antoine Semenyo expected to shake off a knock, and Benjamin Asare likely to continue in goal ahead of Lawrence Ati-Zigi.
COLOMBIA Β· Lorenzo Β· 4-2-3-1Vargas Β· Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica Β· Lerma, Rios Β· Arias, James (c), Diaz Β· Cordoba
GHANA Β· Queiroz Β· 4-3-3Asare Β· Seidu, Opoku, Mumin, Mensah Β· Partey (c), Owusu, Semenyo Β· Fatawu, Williams, Sulemana
Who Reaches the Last 16?
James Rodriguez and Colombia to roll on, or can the Black Stars cause an upset? Sign up on Vatan in seconds and back your call.
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A Word on Kansas City Stadium
Better known as Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFLβs Kansas City Chiefs, this venue is officially certified by Guinness World Records as the loudest outdoor sports stadium anywhere, having hit 142.2 decibels during a 2014 Chiefs game. Known as the soccer capital of America, Kansas City already hosted four group games here, and the stadium will stage a quarter-final on July 12. There is more on it at Wikipedia.
There is little meaningful history to lean on. This is the first ever World Cup meeting between Colombia and Ghana. Both nations do carry scars against similar opposition types though: Ghana have lost both their previous World Cup knockout games to South American teams, and Colombia's only World Cup knockout defeat to African opposition came against Cameroon in 1990.
Colombia vs Ghana: Quick Answers
What time does Colombia vs Ghana kick off?
9:30pm Eastern in the US, which is 8:30pm local in Kansas City. In the UK it is 2:30am BST in the early hours of Saturday, July 4, and in Accra it is 1:30am. The date is Friday, July 3, 2026.
What channel is Colombia vs Ghana on in the US?
Fox has the English-language broadcast, with Telemundo in Spanish. You can also stream it via Fubo and YouTube TV.
Is Colombia vs Ghana free to watch in the UK?
Yes. It is live and free on ITV1, with free streaming via ITVX, though it is a very late 2:30am kick-off.
What happens if it is a draw after 90 minutes?
This is a knockout tie, so a draw means 30 minutes of extra time and then a penalty shootout if the teams are still level. The winner reaches the Round of 16; the loser is out.
Who does the winner play next?
The winner of Colombia vs Ghana advances to the Round of 16 to face the winner of Switzerland vs Algeria, with that tie played in Vancouver on July 7.
Why is this game significant for Ghana's coach?
Carlos Queiroz, Ghana's head coach, previously managed Colombia in 2019 and 2020, but was sacked after heavy defeats to Uruguay and Ecuador. This is his first competitive meeting with his former team.
Who are the key players?
For Colombia, James Rodriguez, the 2014 Golden Boot winner, and Luis Diaz. For Ghana, captain Jordan Ayew and Antoine Semenyo, though they are missing the injured Mohammed Kudus for the entire tournament.
What is the prediction?
We expect a Colombia win, around 2-1. Colombia have greater squad depth and are unbeaten so far, though Ghana's defensive discipline, shown against England, means they should not be underestimated.
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