Jhon Arias and his first official goal: “I dreamed of it and I'm hungry for more”

Jhon Arias had been waiting for the right moment to score his first competitive goal for Colombia – and it finally arrived on the biggest stage. His previous six goals for Los Cafeteros had all come in friendlies, but this strike sparked wild celebrations in Kansas City as it secured a place in the World Cup round of 16.

One of Colombia’s most consistent performers finished first time with the inside of his right foot after a cross from Luis Suárez. That proved enough to beat Ghana in the final round of 32 clash. It was a dream come true for the boy from Quibdó, who spoke of his joy after the final whistle.

On his first official goal: “It’s a funny statistic that I hadn’t really thought about until someone mentioned it to me a couple of days ago. I’m happy, and there couldn’t be a better way to score my first official goal in a Colombia shirt than in an official tournament.”

On his family’s sacrifices: “It was a wonderful night for me. Seeing my family in the stands after everything we’ve been through and everything it has taken to get here is a dream – not just for me, but for everyone who has supported me along the way. It’s something I’ve worked towards for a long time, and today I was blessed with the chance to score the goal that takes us into the round of 16.”

From Quibdó to the World Cup stage

On fulfilling a childhood dream: “I dreamed about this when I was a kid. The greatest honor for any athlete is representing your country, your people and your culture, and there’s no better place to do it than on the biggest stage in the world. When you’re young and watching on TV, you dream of being on the other side of the screen and having nights like this. I’m happy, but I want more – more nights like this and the chance to keep making history.”

On Switzerland, Colombia’s next opponent: “We watched a little bit of them. We know Switzerland will be a difficult opponent and they deserve to be in the round of 16. It’ll be a game that demands our very best. We’ve shown that we’re ready to compete. We have a great national team and great players, but the foundation of our success so far has been humility. We’re taking it one step at a time, and that’s even more important at this stage of the tournament.”

With the round of 16 now awaiting, Colombia will have played in all three host nations at this World Cup. After matches in Mexico and the United States, Los Cafeteros will face Switzerland in Vancouver, Canada, on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. Colombia time.

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