Right-back Daniel Muñoz, 30, has been an unexpected hero for the Colombian national team. He scored a dramatic goal at the end of the match that secured victory and qualification for the round of 16 of the World Cup.
While all eyes were on Bayern Munich winger Luis Díaz and Minnesota United midfielder James Rodríguez, it was Muñoz who appeared to give Colombia a 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo, adding another goal to what he had scored in Colombia’s victory against Uzbekistan.
The Crystal Palace player initially put the ball in the net in the eighth minute, but following a VAR review, Italian referee Maurizio Mariani ruled it offside and disallowed the goal.
Almost 70 minutes passed until a masterful pass from Juan Fernando Quintero found Muñoz. There, he finally managed to break through the block led by goalkeeper Lionnel Mpasi.
After being named the best player of the match, Muñoz sought to soften the well-deserved praise.
“Just because I scored the goal doesn’t mean I’m the star. We’re all stars. We all got these three points. This is a family, and the star here is Colombia,” he said after the match.
“The effort of the entire team deserves recognition. Nothing is easy; no one is getting anything for free”, he added.
In Colombia’s first match last week, Muñoz paved the way to victory by infiltrating the Uzbekistan box in the 40th minute and scoring the first goal of a match that ended 3-1.
The defender already knows what it’s like to score for the national team. In the 2024 Copa América, when Colombia finished runner-up, he scored two goals and finished the tournament as one of the Colombian top scorers. Tuesday’s goal brings his total tally to five in 46 appearances.
A fast player, Muñoz plays on the right side of the field and is not only an efficient finisher, but also a great waiter. During his four seasons at Genk in Belgium, he played in a more attacking role and scored 19 goals, as well as providing 20 assists.
Since arriving at Crystal Palace, in the English Premier League, in 2023, Muñoz has scored 11 goals and provided 16 assists.
