“I told them that I am incredibly proud of the match they played. I expressed to them how much I appreciated what I saw,” Cannavaro remarked. “It wasn’t easy; we were competing in Mexico, yet it felt as though we were in Colombia, surrounded by all the Colombian fans here.”

Colombia's winger, Luis Diaz, spearheaded his team's triumph as the South Americans celebrated their return to the World Cup after missing the 2022 edition. After Daniel Munoz opened the scoring late in the first half, Uzbekistan responded admirably, leveling the match through Abbosbek Fayzullaev shortly after the hour mark.

However, Colombia swiftly regained their dominance with Diaz leading the charge, and substitute Jaminton Campaz sealed the victory in stoppage time. This left Cannavaro reflecting on a scoreline he felt did not accurately represent his team's commendable effort.

Cannavaro noted that the experience of playing in such a historic venue would leave a lasting impression on his players.

“Playing here is nothing short of amazing. It’s an experience you will cherish for a lifetime. It’s the first time my players have performed in this stadium, and it will be etched in their memories forever,” he stated.

“When a smaller team like ours plays with such determination, it’s clear that a 3-1 loss feels too harsh,” Cannavaro added.

The Italian coach highlighted the importance of growth as Uzbekistan continues their debut campaign, especially when facing elite opponents like Colombia and their upcoming match against Portugal.

“We must continue to develop. I always remind them to remain engaged in the match,” Cannavaro said. “It’s not easy to take on teams like Colombia or Portugal... Today, the team showed understanding in when to endure, when to maintain possession, and when to transition the play. I believe the second half was particularly strong.”

“However, at this level, mistakes come at a steep price.”

Uzbekistan's next challenge is against Portugal in Houston, while Colombia, currently leading Group K after Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo played to a 1-1 draw, will face DR Congo in Guadalajara.

Check out the match summary here.