World Cup 2026: Former AC Milan forward Carlos Bacca backs Colombia to eliminate Ghana

Former AC Milan forward Carlos Bacca believes Colombia will be too strong for Ghana in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

The South Americans face the West Africans after finishing top of Group K, while Ghana placed third following defeat to Croatia in Philadelphia last Saturday.

According to Bacca, a star of the Colombia team that reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2014, the current team comprises a good blend of youthful exuberance and experience, with Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz as the fulcrum of the side.

“Things are working out well for us," he told FIFA. "We’ve got a great squad with lofty ambitions and the hunger to do well. We have a top coach [Nestor Lorenzo] who featured at the World Cup during his playing days and has also taken his place in the dugout at the tournament.

"What’s more, he has been involved in the national team set-up for a number of years now, having served as Pekerman’s number two.

"He’s assembled a squad with some experienced players who still bring something to the table, with the likes of James, [David] Ospina, Davinson Sanchez and Santiago Arias. Those players form the foundations on which he has built a side that revolves around our main man: Luis Diaz."

Both teams arrived in Kansas on Wednesday for the knockout game set for Friday, July 3.