Bogotá (EFE).- The Colombian national football team finished in third place in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, but their path to the World Cup was full of ups and downs, and that’s why Néstor Lorenzo’s team only secured their qualification in the penultimate matchday.

You may be interested in: RD draws against Suriname in the start of its route towards the Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027

The coffee growers added 28 points, eleven less than the leader Argentina, the result of seven victories, seven draws and four defeats. The team finished with a goal difference of +10 by scoring 28 times and conceding 18 goals. The great Colombian figures were winger Luis Díaz, second top scorer in the South American qualifiers with seven goals, and playmaker James Rodríguez, the top assister with seven goal passes.

A Consistent Base in the Colombian National Team

World Cup 2026

Colombia.

The Epic Return

Analysis of the classification, figures and the path of the Colombian National Team. Final Position 3rd In Qualifiers

Total Points

28

11 less than ARG

World Cups

7th Historical Participation Difference Goal +10 28 GF / 18 GC

Overall Performance

7

7

4

7 Victories 7 Draws 4 Losses Key Data: Secured classification in the penultimate matchday.

+10 Goal Diff

Figures of the Campaign

Luis Díaz

The Goalscorer 7 Goals “2nd Top Scorer of the Qualifiers”

Highlight: Historic double vs Brazil

James Rodríguez

The Brain 7 Assists “Tournament’s top assister”

Highlight: Copa América MVP

Luis Suárez

The Revelation 4 Goals “In the qualifying match” Highlight: Poker vs Venezuela (6-3)

Team Base

Camilo VargasDaniel MuñozDavinson SánchezJhon LucumíJefferson LermaRichard RíosJames RodríguezLuis Díaz+ Jhon Arias+ Johan Mojica

The Problem

Lack of a consolidated number 9. During much of the qualifying rounds, the position was rotated. Finally, Luis Suárez took the position after his key performance at the end.

Road to Glory

Nov 2023

Historic Victory

2-1 to Brazil. Double by Lucho Díaz.

Jul 2024

Runner-up of America

Copa América finalist (0-1 vs Argentina).

Sep 2024

The Revenge

2-1 to Argentina at the Metropolitano.

Oct 2024

Stumble in El Alto

0-1 vs Bolivia (played against 10).

Nov 2024

Painful Classics

Defeats against Uruguay (3-2) and Ecuador (0-1).

04 Sep 2025

CLASSIFICATION

Victory 3-0 vs Bolivia. ¡Quota secured! The Selection came from 6 winless games before the 3-0 against Bolivia.

See you in North America

Design and infographics: Integrated Table Sports Agency EFE Since the beginning of the qualifiers, in September 2023, the Argentinian Lorenzo found a base for his team that has been maintained since then. Names like goalkeeper Camilo Vargas; defenders Daniel Muñoz, Davinson Sánchez and Jhon Lucumí; midfielders Jefferson Lerma, Richard Ríos and James Rodríguez, and winger Luis Díaz became regulars in Colombia’s starting eleven. As the tournament progressed, other footballers joined, finding their place among those chosen by Lorenzo, as is the case with full-back Johan Mojica and midfielder Jhon Arias. Lorenzo’s only “but” in the formation of his team was in the center forward position, as none of the number nines that the coach trusted managed to establish themselves in the starting eleven. In the end, the position went to striker Luis Suárez, who in the last qualifying match took advantage of his starting position and scored four goals in the 3-6 victory over Venezuela.

From the ground up

Colombia started the qualifiers with good play and good results in the first few matches, in which they beat Venezuela 1-0 and drew 0-0 with Chile in Santiago, 2-2 with Uruguay in Barranquilla and 0-0 with Ecuador in Quito. The team’s best moment came on November 16, 2023, on the fifth matchday, when they defeated Brazil 2-1 with a brace from Díaz and beat the Canarinha for the first time in a qualifying match, showcasing great associative football that had Díaz and James as its main axes. The team defeated Paraguay 0-1 in Asunción five days later, thus finishing this stage of the qualifiers in third place with 12 points, one behind Uruguay and three behind leader Argentina. After that match, there was a ten-month break, during which the Copa América was played, in which they were runners-up after losing the final 1-0 to Argentina. That defeat was a very hard blow for the coffee selection, but the team seemed to maintain the momentum it showed in the continental tournament, tied 1-1 with Peru in Lima on September 6 and four days later took revenge by defeating Argentina 2-1 in Barranquilla.

Colombia: From Doubts to Takeoff

In the double matchday in October, the team began to show its weaknesses and fell 1-0 to Bolivia in El Alto, a match in which the opponent had one player less for more than 70 minutes. However, the match against Chile, which ended with a 4-0 thrashing, seemed to dispel the doubts left against La Verde, but it was all a mirage because afterwards it lost its brakes and fell into the abyss. First came the 3-2 defeat to Uruguay in Montevideo on November 14 and, four days later, the 0-1 loss to Ecuador at home, two matches in which the team’s best version was not seen. In March, the 2-1 defeat to Brazil away and the 2-2 draw at home with Paraguay arrived, to which were added the 0-0 with Peru in Barranquilla and the 1-1 with Argentina in Buenos Aires. The most important day for Colombia was September 4th because it broke the streak of six games without winning and with its 3-0 home victory against Bolivia, it qualified for its seventh World Cup.