Colombia vs Ghana – Bet Builder Tips | 9/2 odds and prediction | talkSPORT

Jul 3, 2026 - 11:45

Néstor Lorenzo’s Colombia side topped Group K ahead of Portugal, conceded just once in three games, and they carry more quality in pretty much every position than a Ghana team that limped through into third.

A win for either side here and it’s a Round of 16 date with Switzerland or Algeria. Bet365 currently has Colombia at 1/5 to go through and Ghana at 7/2, and that gap is one of the reasons why a bet builder looks more intriguing than a straight 1X2 bet.

9/20 on Colombia to win the game within 90 minutes (which is what bet365 has currently as a World Cup betting offer) is low. Here you’d be risking £20 to win £9 on a favourite in a knockout game that could still crawl to extra time and penalties.

If you bet on the 9/20 and it goes beyond the 90 minutes then you’ve lost. The value isn’t in whether Colombia win, it’s all about how they win.

Ghana under Carlos Queiroz will probably utilise the same low block that held England to 0-0 in the group stages with barely 21% of possession. Colombia are patient and possession-heavy, the kind of side that wears teams down rather than blowing them away.

So instead of one short price, I’ve stacked three legs that all pull the same way for a bet builder.

The three-leg bet builder Ive put together on bet365 that lands around 9/2: Colombia to win, Luis Díaz to score or assist, and over 2.5 goals. It’s worth noting though that builders can change in price with the odds, so while this is correct as of writing, it will likely change the closer we get to kickoff.

You should always check the live number before you stake to make sure that you haven’t made an error in your selections and that you’re happy with the price offered!

Top choice bet builder

Bet on Colombia to win – 9/20 with bet365
Bet on Luis Diaz to score or assist – 5/6 with bet365
Bet on Over 2.5 goals – 11/10 with bet365

Colombia vs Ghana match details

Date: Friday 3 July 2026 (early hours of Saturday July 4th in the UK)
Kick-off: 2:30am BST, Saturday 4 July (8:30pm CT, Friday 3 July)
Venue: Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Stadium), Kansas City, Missouri
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Round of 32 (Match 87)
TV channel (UK): ITV1 / ITVX

Our 9/2 bet builder: Colombia win, Luis Díaz to score or assist, over 2.5 goals

I’m very much expecting Colombia to dominate the ball in this one, Ghana to sit deep and invite pressure and Colombia’s individual quality, Díaz especially, to eventually prise the block open. If Ghana have to start chasing the game when they’re down by one or two, then the goals will start coming.

So, back the winner, back the man most likely to make it happen, and back the match to clear 2.5 goals.

Bet on Colombia to win – 9/20 with bet365
Bet on Luis Diaz to score or assist – 5/6 with bet365
Bet on Over 2.5 goals – 11/10 with bet365

Colombia vs Ghana bet builder breakdown

Colombia to win

Why: Colombia are the stronger side on paper by some way, and the group stage left no room for argument. They saw off Uzbekistan 3-1, edged DR Congo 1-0, then held on for a goalless draw with a Portugal team stacked with talent, meaning they got seven points, unbeaten, and the top spot.

Ghana, by contrast, needed a 95th-minute Caleb Yirenkyi winner just to beat Panama and scraped in as one of the best third-placed teams.

Stat: Across the group, Colombia racked up 59 shots and 6.05 xG at 59.8% average possession while conceding only once. Ghana managed 2.86 xG from 15 shots with barely a third of the ball.

Bet on Colombia to win at 9/20 with bet365

Luis Díaz to score or assist

Why: Díaz is Colombia’s main creative outlet, and when I pulled up bet365’s card he was the joint-shortest scorer in the whole match at 8/5. That tells you what the market thinks of his ability even when up against a team designed to sit deep for the 90.

Ghana will sit off, invite pressure, and hand him the one thing he loves most, which is a defender to run at from a standing start. Gideon Mensah down Ghana’s left is in for a long night against the Díaz-Muñoz overload.

Stat: Diaz comes into this game with 23 goals in 74 caps to his name, so fourth on Colombia’s all-time list. Taking the score or assist market at 5/6 widens the net, as he only has to score or tee one up, and against this opponent I’d back him to do at least one or the other.

Bet on Luis Diaz to score or assist at 5/6 with bet365

Over 2.5 goals

Why: This is the leg that I have least trust in, and I’d rather point that out now than try to sell you on some guarantee. The logic of this makes sense, because you’ve got Colombia’s firepower, a knockout dynamic that forces Ghana to eventually come out, and a bet365 price of 11/10 that’s fair.

But, Queiroz has built a side that lives to keep the score low. Ghana kept two clean sheets in the group and only conceded when Croatia raised the tempo late.

Stat: Only one of these two teams’ five combined group games cleared 2.5 goals, Colombia’s 3-1 opener, while Colombia themselves ground out a 1-0 and a 0-0. If the night stays scrappy, this is where the slip falls down.

I’m still sticking with this though because I fancy Colombia to score at least twice, but it’s the leg I’d drop first if you’d rather lessen your own risk.

Bet on Over 2.5 goals at 11/10 with bet365

How to place this Colombia vs Ghana bet builder

Placing this bet takes just under a minute on the bet365 app.

You just need to open the app, tap the search bar and pull up Colombia v Ghana in the World Cup Round of 32 list.
Head into the match, then click or tap on the Bet Builder tab.
Add Colombia in the match result market, drop into player markets for Luis Díaz to score or assist, then find over 2.5 in the goals total market.

The three legs will then combine into a single price automatically.

Before you confirm, you should always read the slip back to make sure that you haven’t made any mistakes, as a fat finger here or there can completely ruin your builder and your World Cup betting odds.

Plus, it always pays to shop around, because the value of a multi-leg bet compounds, so even small edges on each leg add up.

Stats that matter for your bet

Backs Colombia to win: Colombia topped Group K unbeaten on seven points, conceding only a single goal in three matches, whereas Ghana crept through in third with four points and just two goals scored.
Backs Díaz to score or assist: bet365 rate Díaz their joint-shortest scorer at 8/5 (5/6 to score or assist), and he’s already netted at this tournament against Uzbekistan.
Backs over 2.5 goals: Colombia generated 6.05 xG across the group and can attack in waves. Ghana’s frailty showed late against Croatia, the one side that started to raise the tempo on them.
Team news: Colombia have no reported injury concerns and Luis Suárez has shaken off a minor knock, while Antoine Semenyo carries one but is expected to feature for Ghana. Kudus remains absent.

Why we are backing this bet builder

Because Colombia will likely get the majority of the ball, and they have the quality, Ghana will have to defend deep and narrow.

Because Ghana defends deep, Colombia’s individual class has to be the difference here, and no one is better placed to provide it than Díaz.

On top of that, because this is a win-or-go-home, the moment Ghana falls behind they have to push up and chase, which is exactly when over 2.5 goals starts to look more likely as they leave gaps at the back.

Again though, the goals leg is the one that can undo it if Ghana decide to drag the night into a 1-0 grind or they somehow manage to survive at 0-0 for the 90.

Colombia vs Ghana odds

For balance, it’s worth looking at how the rest of the market also sees this as a bit of a mismatch, with both Paddy Power and Sky Bet listing Colombia to win, Luis Diaz to score or assist and Over 2.5 goals at the following:

Colombia to win – 4/9 with Paddy Power
Luis Díaz to score or assist – 5/6 with Sky Bet
Over 2.5 goals – 11/10 with Sky Bet

Colombia vs Ghana match prediction and line-ups

Colombia 2-1 Ghana is my betting tip and prediction for this one.

Colombia’s squad depth will be the difference maker here, as Lorenzo can freshen his attack from the bench (Suárez, Córdoba, Cucho Hernández are all available as subs) and against a Queiroz side that thins out physically in the final 20 minutes, that’s where I expect the tie to be settled.

Ghana will make it awkward, may even nick one on the break through Semenyo or Williams, but Colombia’s patience and weight of possession should tell.

Prediction: Colombia 2-1 Ghana

Colombia predictions: Expect a 4-3-3 built to dominate the ball, with James Rodríguez pulling strings from the number 10 role behind Jhon Córdoba, Díaz stretching the left and Daniel Muñoz, their top scorer with two goals from right-back, overlapping to create overloads.

Richard Ríos and Jefferson Lerma give the midfield legs and press.

Predicted XI: Ospina; Muñoz, D. Sánchez, Lucumí, Mojica; Ríos, Lerma, Rodríguez; Arias, Córdoba, Díaz.

Ghana predictions: Queiroz will go with a disciplined 4-3-3 that’s really a low block out of possession, Thomas Partey anchoring midfield and Semenyo carrying the main transitional threat once he’s shaken off his knock.

The concern for Ghana is really obvious, having only scored two goals in three games, and both came from players who aren’t recognised first-choice forwards. If Colombia score first, Ghana quite clearly lack an obvious plan B.

Predicted XI: Ati-Zigi; Seidu, Opoku, Mumin, Mensah; Partey, Owusu, Semenyo; Sulemana, Williams, Ayew.

About the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football, cricket, and darts, with a keen focus on the Premier League and Champions League, as well as in-depth coverage of Premier League Darts and major tournaments. He can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game and beyond, delivering expert analysis across a range of sports. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge)

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.