Colombia's road to the tournament was uneven. They opened qualifying with a 1-0 victory over Venezuela and followed it up four days later with a draw in Chile. Home form proved reliable throughout the campaign, including statement wins over Argentina and Brazil, but results on the road were inconsistent, particularly in the second half of qualifying. A 3-0 win against Bolivia ultimately sealed their ticket, and they finished third in the table with 28 points from seven wins, seven draws, and four defeats. After missing out on Qatar 2022, Colombia are eager to return to the sport's biggest stage with their core squad intact.
The team is led by Luis Díaz, who is enjoying a standout season at Bayern Munich, alongside captain James Rodríguez, Colombia's all-time leading World Cup scorer. Veteran goalkeeper David Ospina brings the most experience to the squad and holds the national record with 129 caps. Other key names include Davinson Sánchez (Galatasaray), Yerry Mina (Cagliari), Daniel Muñoz and Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Juan Fernando Quintero (River Plate), Jhon Arias (Palmeiras), and Richard Ríos (Benfica). Despite questions around Rodríguez's recent form, Lorenzo remains confident in his captain: "James arrived in great shape; he's been training hard. Then he had a minor injury that kept him out of a couple of training sessions, but he's doing great now."
Among the notable omissions are 37-year-old Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, who had impressed at Pisa SC, along with Jhon Jader Durán and Rafael Santos Borré.
Colombia have been drawn into Group K alongside Portugal, DR Congo, and Uzbekistan. Los Cafeteros open their 2026 campaign on June 17 against tournament debutants Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, before facing DR Congo on June 23 at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. Last group stage match is against Portugal on June 27 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Ahead of the tournament, Colombia will play two warm-up friendlies: Jordan on June 7 in San Diego, followed by Costa Rica on May 29 in Bogotá.
Colombia 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Camilo Vargas (Atlas), David Ospina (Atletico Nacional), Alvaro Montero (Velez Sarsfield)
Defenders: Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace), Santiago Arias (Independiente), Yerry Mina (Cagliari), Davinson Sanchez (Galatasaray), Jhon Lucumi (Bologna), Willer Ditta (Cruz Azul), Yohan Mojica (Mallorca), Deiver Machado (Nantes)
Midfielders: Richard Rios (Benfica), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Gustavo Puerta (Racing de Santander), Kevin Castano (River Plate), Jhon Arias (Palmeiras), James Rodriguez, Juan Fernando Quintero (River Plate), Jorge Carrascal (Flamengo), Juan Camilo Portilla (Athletico Paranaense)
Forwards: Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich), Luis Suarez (Sporting CP), Carlos Gomez (Vasco da Gama), Jaminton Campaz (Rosario Central), Jhon Cordoba (Krasnodar), Juan Camilo Hernandez (Real Betis)
