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Colombia national football team

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Colombia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers) La Tricolor (The Tricolors)
AssociationFederación Colombiana de Fútbol (FCF)
ConfederationCONMEBOL (South America)
Head coachReinaldo Rueda
CaptainRadamel Falcao
Most capsCarlos Valderrama (111)
Top scorerRadamel Falcao (35)
Home stadiumEstadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez[1]
FIFA codeCOL
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 12 Steady (19 December 2024)[2]
Highest3 (July–August 2013, September 2014 – March 2015, June–August 2016)
Lowest54 (June 2011)
First international
 Colombia 4–0 Costa Rica 
(Barranquilla, Colombia; 17 February 1926)
Biggest win
 Colombia 7–1 Guyana 
(Bogotá, Colombia; 18 May 2012)[3]
 Bahrain 0–6 Colombia 
(Riffa, Bahrain; 26 March 2015)[4]
Biggest defeat
 Brazil 9–0 Colombia 
(Lima, Perú; 24 March 1957)[5]
World Cup
Appearances6 (first in 1962)
Best resultQuarter-finals (2014)
Copa América
Appearances22 (first in 1945)
Best resultChampions (2001)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances3 (first in 2000)
Best resultRunners-up (2000)
Central American and Caribbean Games
Appearances2 (first in 1938)
Best resultChampions (1946)
Bolivarian Games
Appearances9 (first in 1938)
Best resultChampions (1951)
Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2003)
Best resultFourth place (2003)

The Colombia national football team (Template:Lang-es) represents Colombia in men's international football and is managed by the Colombian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Colombia. They are a member of CONMEBOL and are currently ranked 15th in the FIFA World Rankings.[7] The team are nicknamed Los Cafeteros due to the coffee production in their country.

Since the mid-1980s, the national team has been a symbol of fighting the country's negative reputation. This has made the sport popular and made the national team a sign of nationalism, pride, and passion for many Colombians worldwide. Colombia is known for having a passionate fan base.[8][9]

The Colombian team has participated in six World Cups (1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014 and 2018). In Brazil 2014 the team achieved its best World Cup performance, reaching the quarter-finals of that event and coming fifth in the final standings.[10] Its greatest international achievement is the Copa América, won in 2001, with Colombia hosting the event; it has also reached a runner-up in 1975 and reached semi-finals in 1987, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2004 and 2016. Furthermore, the team managed to make outstanding appearances at the continental level, obtaining from the Central American and Caribbean Games the gold and bronze medals in 1946 and 1938 respectively,[11] and the Bolivarian Games the gold medal in 1951 and the silver medal in 1961, 1973 and 1981.[12]

Colombia had its strongest period during the 1990s. A 1993 match resulted in a 5–0 win over Argentina which began a special "mutual respect" rivalry between both nations.[13] The goalkeeper René Higuita achieved fame from his eccentric scorpion kick clearance against England at Wembley Stadium in 1995. Stars from Colombia's team included Carlos Valderrama and Faustino Asprilla. During this era Colombia qualified for 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, only reaching the second round in 1990. Following the murder of Andrés Escobar after the 1994 World Cup, Colombia's team faded in the latter half of the 1990s. They were the champions of the 2001 Copa América, which they hosted and set a new Copa América record of conceding no goals and winning each match. Prior to that success, they were runners-up to Peru in the 1975 Copa América. In total, Colombia has gained a top-four result in seven Copa Américas. Colombia was the first team to win FIFA best mover in 1993 where the achievement was first introduced and the second team after Croatia to win it twice in 2012.[14]

Colombia missed three World Cups between 2002 and 2010. During the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Colombia showed improvement over the 2011 Copa América, bringing its rank up to the top ten for the first time since 2002 and into the top five consistently for the first time since 2004. After a 16-year-long wait, in 2014 Colombia finally returned to the World Cup, where they were able to advance to the quarter-finals, the furthest Colombia has ever made it in a World Cup.[14][15] Colombia's midfielder James Rodríguez won two awards, the Golden Boot for most goals (6) and Best Goal of the Tournament.

History

Early years and maiden World Cup debut

Fernando Paternoster was the first foreign manager of the Colombia national team.
The Argentine Adolfo Pedernera was the manager of Colombia during the 1962 World Cup.

Colombia played its first international match against Costa Rica in the Julio Torres Stadium, obtaining a 4–0 victory against the Central American team.[16]

Years later, Colombia played at the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games. The Colombia national football team was composed mostly by all the players of the Club Juventud Bogotana (now Millonarios).[17] Alfonso Novoa was the manager of Colombia until 23 February.

The first game was played on 10 February 1938 against Mexico. Colombia was defeated 1–3; Luis Argüelles, Luis de la Fuente and Horacio Casarín scored for Mexico, while Marcos Mejía scored for Colombia. Colombia was able to obtain the bronze medal, with two wins and three losses. The same year, Colombia played at the I Bolivarian Games in Bogotá, where they finished fourth with one win and three losses. Fernando Paternoster was the manager of Colombia, the side's first foreign manager.

Colombia did not play again until 1945 when they participated for the first time at the South American Championship, finishing in fifth place. This time, Colombia was composed by players of Junior de Barranquilla save for Antonio de la Hoz (who played for Sporting de Barranquilla) and Pedro Ricardo López (who played for Boca Juniors de Cali).[18] Roberto Meléndez was player and coach of Colombia throughout the tournament.

The first match of Colombia in the professional era was played on 6 April in the 1949 South American Championship, a 3–0 defeat against Paraguay. Austrian coach Friedrich Donenfeld was the manager of Colombia during the tournament; he had moved with his family to Colombia due to World War II, and Atlético Junior would be his first team as a coach.[19] As Junior was chosen to represent Colombia in the tournament, he became in the first European manager of the Colombia national team. The team, however, repeated their losing streak since, as in the previous tournament, ended eighth with two draws and five losses, scoring four goals.

After withdrawal in 1938 and getting banned in 1954 (due to the controversial El Dorado era), Colombia participated for the first time in qualifying for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden. Their first match was on 16 June 1957 against Uruguay in Bogotá, a 1–1 draw. Colombia lost their next matches, leaving them at the bottom of the group.

Colombia qualified for the 1962 World Cup, its first-ever FIFA World Cup by eliminating Peru 2–1 on aggregate. At the 1962 World Cup, Colombia was drawn into a tough group containing Uruguay, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia; both had achieved notable results comparing to Colombia. Colombia lost its first match, 2–1 against Uruguay. Luis Cubilla and Jorge Sasía scored for Uruguay at the 56th and 75th minute respectively, while Francisco Zuluaga scored a 19th-minute penalty goal for Colombia to give the Colombians their first-ever World Cup goal and a shock lead. In the second match, they earned a 4–4 draw with the USSR, champions of the 1960 European Nations' Cup. In this game, Colombia scored four goals against Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, widely considered the best goalkeeper in football history. Also in that game, Marco Coll scored the only olympic goal in World Cup history so far. Unfortunately, the Colombian campaign in 1962 ended with a 5–0 defeat against Yugoslavia, who finished in fourth place in the tournament. After the 1962 World Cup, Colombia didn't qualify for over 28 years before they returned in the 1990 edition.

1990s: The Golden Era and a tragic end

Colombia at the 1990 World Cup

At 1990 World Cup, Colombia was once again drawn with the Yugoslavs, alongside United Arab Emirates and powerhouse West Germany. Colombia defeated 2–0 to the United Arab Emirates to make its first-ever win in the World Cup, then lost to Yugoslavia 1–0, but earned their place in the Round of 16 after a respectable 1–1 draw with West Germany, who would later win the World Cup. Colombia would be eliminated in their next match against Cameroon with a 2–1 defeat in extra time, marked the rise of the new Colombian generation known as Colombian first Golden Generation.

For the 1994 World Cup, Colombia finished top of their qualifying group without having lost a match, which included a historic 0–5 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires. Expectations of the team were high, some even naming them as favorites to win the tournament. Colombia was assigned to the Group A with the hosts United States, Romania, and Switzerland. During the tournament, internal conflict within Colombia proved to be detrimental and harmful for the Colombian squad as the team was distracted from their main goal. Colombia only earned one win over Switzerland and suffered two losses, which would eliminate them in the first phase. The first match against Romania ended with a 3–1 defeat that resulted in cartels' threats to relatives of Colombian players. During the match against the United States, an unwanted incident occurred, when Andrés Escobar scored an own goal, leading to Colombia's elimination. Escobar was later murdered following the own goal in Colombia. This traumatic incident would lead to the demise of Colombia's first Golden Generation.

Colombia ended their qualification for the 1998 World Cup in third place with 28 points, two points below first-place Argentina with 30 points. Colombia was assigned to the Group G alongside Tunisia, England and once again, Romania. Romania, like the 1994 edition, obtained a 1–0 victory in the first match. Colombia's second match was a 1–0 win against Tunisia, with a goal from Léider Preciado. In the last match, however, England won the game 2–0, thereby eliminating Colombia from the tournament.

2001 Copa America

Iván Córdoba captained the Colombian team that won the 2001 Copa América in which he scored the sole goal in the final against Mexico.

The 2001 Copa América was the first Copa América held in Colombia. Prior to the tournament, meetings were held by CONMEBOL authorities who were concerned about potential security issues in Colombia, and the tournament was canceled on 1 July, just ten days before the opening match.[20] On 6 July, CONMEBOL decided to reinstate the tournament, which was held on schedule. Canada had already disbanded its training camp and released its players, so Costa Rica (a CONCACAF invitee) was invited to the tournament. Claiming that Argentine players had received death threats from terrorist groups, the Argentine Football Association decided to withdraw from the competition the day before the first game, with Honduras (a CONCACAF invitee) hastily invited and flown in by the Colombian Air Force to participate.[20] There were no terrorist incidents within the competition. Colombia had a strong run through the tournament, winning their first Copa América title by defeating Mexico (a CONCACAF invitee) with a goal from Iván Córdoba in the second half.

The Declining Years (2002–2010)

For the 2002 World Cup, Colombia only managed to place sixth in the qualification round, tied with Uruguay but failing to qualify due to goal difference. Colombia would also eventually fail to qualify for the 2006 edition in Germany and for the 2010 World Cup, mainly because their constant change of formations and struggles to score goals in the last games of the qualification.[21]

The Revival and A New Golden Generation (2010–present)

In the 2011 Copa América, Colombia made a good run, topping their group and achieving a draw to the host nation Argentina, who were the favorites. In the next round, Colombia would be eliminated in a 2–0 loss against Peru in extra time.

"We can't stop people talking about us, nor should we duck away from positive opinions. This national squad, with a new generation of players, is making history. Nowadays nearly all of us are playing in Europe and I think we've got a wider variety of players and talent than we did at the 1994 World Cup when this pressure was on them too. But we can't afford to get too carried away with what people say. Of course, we want to have a great tournament, but we mustn't let ourselves get weighed down by external pressures."

Jackson Martínez on the current generation and its run into the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[22]

The Colombian side gained Leonel Álvarez as the new coach following the resignation of Hernán Darío Gómez, but was sacked after three games with disappointing results, which led in the hiring of José Pékerman. The Colombian squad would break a personal qualifying best record, and raise the FIFA ranking consistently into the top ten and allowed them to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Celebrations broke throughout the nation, as many neutrals hailed Colombia as a dark-horse towards being a World Cup contender.[23][24][25][26] Often, Colombia were noted by many figures in Colombia such as Carlos Valderrama as a team that could become the most successful Colombian squad in history.[23][27]

2014 World Cup

Colombia topped off their return in the 2014 World Cup after a 16-year absence by defeating Greece 3–0.[28] Colombia then edged a 2–1 victory over the Ivory Coast to dispute Group C's top spot days later.[29] On the same day, Japan and Greece drew 0–0 and automatically qualified Colombia to the round of 16 for the first time in 24 years since the 1990 World Cup.[30] In its final group stage game, Colombia defeated Japan 4–1 to win Group C and become the third South American team (following Brazil and Argentina) to go 3–0 in group stage in World Cup history. The Japan match also saw goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón, the last active player from the country's previous World Cup appearance in 1998, become the oldest player ever to appear in a World Cup final tournament. Colombia went on to defeat Uruguay 2–0 on 28 June in the knockout round, securing a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. Colombia then fell to hosts Brazil 2–1 in the quarter-final round in controversy, where media and figures such as Diego Maradona criticized FIFA and Carlos Velasco Carballo for "favoring" Brazil and being biased in disallowing a goal from Mario Yepes and allowing too many fouls by the Brazilians to occur without any yellow cards being shown.[31][32][33][34][35][36]

Despite the elimination, the national team was greeted by tens of thousands of Colombians in Bogotá, welcoming them back as heroes and restoring pride to the nation.[37] Colombia would then receive the FIFA Fair Play Trophy and have James Rodríguez and Juan Cuadrado end as the World Cup's leading goal scorer and assist leader, respectively.[38][39]

2015 Copa América

Colombia had a disappointing 2015 Copa América, having won only a single game during the group stage match against Brazil, with their only goal of the tournament. Colombia would be eliminated by Argentina in the next round via penalty shootout, ending their campaign with one win, two draws, and one loss. Their only goal throughout the tournament was scored by Jeison Murillo, who would later win the tournament's Best Young Player award and be included in the tournament's Star XI.

Copa América Centenario

Colombia began their campaign with a 0–2 victory against hosts United States. Days later, they sealed their qualification to the quarter-finals with a 2–1 victory against Paraguay. However, they fell to Costa Rica 2–3 and finished second in the group following a complete change with 11 of their starters. On 17 June, they advanced to the semi-finals with a win against Peru on penalties 4–2 in front of 79,000 fans at MetLife Stadium. Colombia would then lose (2–0) to eventual tournament winners Chile following mistakes by their defense. Colombia won the third-place match against the United States to seal their best result since winning the 2001 tournament.

2018 World Cup

Colombia qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup by finishing fourth in CONMEBOL qualifying with seven wins, six draws and five losses and drew a challenging group; playing with Japan, Poland and Senegal.[40] The team was nevertheless considered the group favorites, but began their campaign with an unexpected 2–1 controversial defeat to Japan, with Carlos Sánchez being sent off after just three minutes of play.[41][42][43] Colombia resurrected their hopes of advancing from the group with a 3–0 win over Poland, whose own chances of advancing were ended with the defeat. After the match, head coach José Pékerman dedicated the win to Carlos Sánchez.[44][45][46] On 28 June, Colombia beat Senegal by a scoreline of 1–0, topping their group and advancing into the round of 16, and eliminated Senegal in process as well.[47][48][49] On 3 July in Moscow, Colombia were knocked out by England in the round of 16; the game finished 1–1 after extra time, with England winning 4–3 on penalties.[50][51]

Match referee Mark Geiger proved to be controversial, with criticism from both sets of teams.[52] Colombia captain Radamel Falcao and manager José Pékerman both accused Geiger of favouring the England team during the match.[53][54] Diego Maradona once again claimed favouritism against Colombia, saying, "England's penalty was a terrible call and that the ref won the match for England," and that Colombia were victims of a "monumental robbery".[55][56][57] In response, FIFA said Maradona's comments were "entirely inappropriate" and insinuations about the referee "completely unfounded". A FIFA statement read, "Following comments made by Diego Armando Maradona in relation to yesterday’s round of 16 game, Colombia vs England, FIFA strongly rebukes the criticism of the performance of the match officials which it considers to have been positive in a tough and highly emotional match. Furthermore, it also considers the additional comments and insinuations made as being entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded."[58][59] Maradona subsequently apologized to FIFA and its president, admitting some of things he said were unacceptable: "I said a couple of things and, I admit, some of them are unacceptable."[60]

2019 Copa America

Following the federation's choice to not renew Pekerman's contract, former Iran's manager Carlos Queiroz was hired to coach the national team. After an impressive 8 goal run, winning 3 out of 4 of their pre-Copa America friendlies as well as conceding only 2 goals in only one, optimism for the Portuguese coach and the team itself was strong.;[61]

Starting off their 2019 Copa América campaign, Colombia defeated favorites Argentina in a shocking 2–0 win, marking their first victory over the La Albiceleste since 2007.;[62] Days later, they would face a very defensive Asian Cup champions and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar with a 1–0 victory to end Qatar's unbeaten streak to eight and becoming in the first team in the group stages to advance to the next round.;[63][64] Colombia would end their group stage run in perfect fashion with a 1–0 victory over Paraguay, resting a majority of their starters and finishing with nine points with four goals scored and none conceded throughout the group stage.[65] Colombia became the only team since the 2001 edition to advance out of the group stage with a 100% perfect run.[66] Despite this achievement, Colombia was then eliminated by Chile in a penalty shootout during the quarter-finals match where Colombia performed poorly, only be saved by a referee over two disallowed goals of Chile.

Rivalries

Colombia's main geopolitical rival has always been Venezuela. However, because of the lack of interest for football in Venezuela, the rivalry was historically very one-sided for Colombia and thus considered irrelevant. This state of affairs started to change from the late 1990s, when football slowly began replacing baseball as Venezuela's main sport.[67]

In 2001, Coach Luis Garcia was sacked for only managing a draw in an away game in San Cristóbal which ended 2–2 when a victory had been taken for granted. This was just a sign of things to come. Four years later for the qualification for the 2006 World Cup, Venezuela stunned the continent by defeating Colombia in Barranquilla 0–1. The game showed the new direction of the rivalry: while Colombia remains ahead on all rankings and competitions, Venezuela always outperform themselves when meeting each other. Former captain Valderrama started calling the games a "classic" and stated "Venezuela kill themselves [do their best] playing against us."[68]

As of 2020, Colombia has not been able to win on Venezuelan soil since 1996. During Jose Pekerman's coaching for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, considered the rebirth of Colombian football, Venezuela still managed to win their game at home, which was one of only three defeats the Argentinean suffered. Venezuela also won the group stage game against Colombia in the 2015 Copa America which were their only three points, Colombia still managed to advance to the knockout stage while Venezuela ended last. However, the matches are still not as popular as the rival matches against Argentina.

The historical Colombian 5–0 victory in 1993, beating host Argentina in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers, was the very first time Argentina lost in its home stadium Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti during a qualifying match for a World Cup. Argentina comes as a previous twice World Cup champion. It caused a huge upset and start of a respective rivalry. Unlike other rivalries full of hostility, the Colombian–Argentine rivalry is more based on "respect" than a "hated" relationship always attracting great interest between both nations.[69] After the wane of the Valderrama's generation, the rivalry became one-sided again and since then only Colombians kept considering a classic while Argentineans consider it many steps below their historic rivalries against Brazil, England and Uruguay.

Colombia also has another small rivalry against Peru, which both fought in the Leticia Incident to control the Amazon region. Peru is often seen as the buildup of Colombia's football successes, as Colombia had eliminated Peru during qualification for the 1962 World Cup to secure its maiden appearance. Matches between the two teams also draw a great level of intensity, although not as hostile as Colombia's rivalry with Brazil.

Colombia has a more hostile rivalry against Brazil due to the 2014 FIFA World Cup encounter, where Brazil defeated Colombia 2–1 overshadowed by Neymar's injury and referee's favoritism towards Brazil against Colombia.;[70] This would later cause matches between the two national teams to be more intense, aggressive and to a certain extent, played with great hostility with numerous violent incidents, especially during the 2015 Copa América.;[71] The rivalry would soon improve in a less hostile manner after the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals after Atlético Nacional asked to award the trophy for Associação Chapecoense de Futebol.;[72] Nonetheless, it remains a competitive rivalry between the two.

Home stadium

Colombia plays their qualifying matches and friendlies at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez in Barranquilla.

Team image

Traditionally, Colombia's home colours are yellow shirts with navy trim and navy or white shorts and socks and their away colours being normally navy shirts. They wore their first ever red kit at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Colombia used red as their home colours in the 20th century, although in Copa América Centenario the team played in an all-white kit for the first time in their history, before reverting back to the yellow and navy kit thereafter.

Kit sponsorship

Kit supplier Period
Germany Adidas 1980–1987
Germany Puma 1987
United States Reebok 1988–1990
Germany Erima 1991
United Kingdom Umbro 1992–1998
United States Reebok 1998–2002
Italy Lotto 2002–2010
Germany Adidas 2011–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
Italy 1934
France 1938 Withdrew Withdrew
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Switzerland 1954 Banned Did not participate
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 3rd 4 0 1 3 3 8
Chile 1962 Group stage 14th 3 0 1 2 5 11 Squad 1st 2 1 1 0 2 1
England 1966 Did not qualify 3rd 4 1 0 3 4 10
Mexico 1970 3rd 6 1 1 4 7 12
West Germany 1974 2nd 4 1 3 0 3 2
Argentina 1978 3rd 4 0 2 2 1 8
Spain 1982 3rd 4 0 2 2 4 7
Mexico 1986 3rd 8 3 2 3 8 10
Italy 1990 Round of 16 14th 4 1 1 2 4 4 Squad 1st1 6 3 2 1 6 3
United States 1994 Group stage 19th 3 1 0 2 4 5 Squad 1st 6 4 2 0 13 2
France 1998 21st 3 1 0 2 1 3 Squad 3rd 16 8 4 4 23 15
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 6th 18 7 6 5 20 15
Germany 2006 6th 18 6 6 6 24 16
South Africa 2010 7th 18 6 5 7 14 18
Brazil 2014 Quarter-finals 5th 5 4 0 1 12 4 Squad 2nd 16 9 3 4 27 13
Russia 2018 Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 6 3 Squad 4th 18 7 6 5 21 19
Qatar 2022 To be determined In progress
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined
Total Quarter-finals 6/21 22 9 3 10 32 30 134 50 40 44 180 159
1.^ Played Intercontinental playoffs.

Copa América

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  

South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Argentina 1916 Did not participate
Uruguay 1917
Brazil 1919
Chile 1920
Argentina 1921
Brazil 1922
Uruguay 1923
Uruguay 1924
Argentina 1925
Chile 1926
Peru 1927
Argentina 1929
Peru 1935
Argentina 1937
Peru 1939 Withdrew
Chile 1941
Uruguay 1942
Chile 1945 Fifth place 5th 6 1 1 4 7 25 Squad
Argentina 1946 Withdrew
Ecuador 1947 Eighth place 8th 7 0 2 5 2 19 Squad
Brazil 1949 8th 7 0 2 5 4 23 Squad
Peru 1953 Withdrew
Chile 1955
Uruguay 1956
Peru 1957 Fifth place 5th 6 2 0 4 10 25 Squad
Argentina 1959 Withdrew
Ecuador 1959
Bolivia 1963 Seventh place 7th 6 0 1 5 10 19 Squad
Uruguay 1967 Did not qualify
South America 1975 Runners-up 2nd 9 6 0 3 11 5 Squad
South America 1979 Group stage 5th 4 2 1 1 5 2 Squad
South America 1983 7th 4 1 2 1 5 5 Squad
Argentina 1987 Third place 3rd 4 3 0 1 8 3 Squad
Brazil 1989 Group stage 6th 4 1 2 1 5 4 Squad
Chile 1991 Fourth place 4th 7 2 2 3 5 6 Squad
Ecuador 1993 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 6 4 Squad
Uruguay 1995 3rd 6 3 1 2 7 8 Squad
Bolivia 1997 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 0 3 6 7 Squad
Paraguay 1999 5th 4 3 0 1 8 4 Squad
Colombia 2001 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 11 0 Squad
Peru 2004 Fourth place 4th 6 3 1 2 7 7 Squad
Venezuela 2007 Group stage 9th 3 1 0 2 3 9 Squad
Argentina 2011 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 1 1 3 2 Squad
Chile 2015 6th 4 1 2 1 1 1 Squad
United States 2016 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 7 6 Squad
Brazil 2019 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 1 0 4 0 Squad
Brazil 2021 Qualified
Ecuador 2024 Qualified
Total 1 Title 22/46 117 47 22 48 135 184

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999
South Korea Japan 2001
France 2003 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 5 5 Squad
Germany 2005 Did not qualify
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017
Total Fourth place 1/10 5 2 0 3 5 5

All-time head-to-head record

Below is a result summary of all matches Colombia have played against FIFA recognized teams.[73][74]

As of 17 November 2020

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

  1. ^ Includes matches against  Curaçao.
  2. ^ Includes matches against  West Germany.
  3. ^ Includes matches against  Soviet Union.
  4. ^ Includes matches against  Yugoslavia.

Results and fixtures

  Win   Draw   Loss

2020

9 October 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Colombia  3–0  Venezuela Barranquilla, Colombia
18:30 UTC−5
  • Zapata 16'
  • Muriel 26', 45+3'
Report Stadium: Estadio Metropolitano
Referee: Guillermo Guerrero (Ecuador)

2021

2022

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Peru and Argentina on 3 and 8 June 2021.[75]
Caps and goals updated as of 17 November 2020, after the match against  Ecuador.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK David Ospina (1988-08-31) 31 August 1988 (age 36) 105 0 Italy Napoli
1GK Camilo Vargas (1989-03-09) 9 March 1989 (age 35) 9 0 Mexico Atlas
1GK Aldair Quintana (1994-07-11) 11 July 1994 (age 30) 0 0 Colombia Atlético Nacional

2DF Davinson Sánchez (1996-06-12) 12 June 1996 (age 28) 32 0 England Tottenham Hotspur
2DF Yerry Mina (1994-09-23) 23 September 1994 (age 30) 26 6 England Everton
2DF Stefan Medina (1992-06-14) 14 June 1992 (age 32) 21 0 Mexico Monterrey
2DF Óscar Murillo (1988-04-18) 18 April 1988 (age 36) 16 0 Mexico Pachuca
2DF William Tesillo (1990-02-02) 2 February 1990 (age 34) 12 1 Mexico León
2DF Daniel Muñoz (1996-05-25) 25 May 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Belgium Genk
2DF Carlos Cuesta (1999-03-09) 9 March 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Belgium Genk

3MF Juan Cuadrado (1988-05-26) 26 May 1988 (age 36) 94 8 Italy Juventus
3MF Edwin Cardona (1992-12-08) 8 December 1992 (age 32) 39 5 Argentina Boca Juniors
3MF Wílmar Barrios (1993-10-16) 16 October 1993 (age 31) 33 0 Russia Zenit Saint Petersburg
3MF Mateus Uribe (1991-03-21) 21 March 1991 (age 33) 28 3 Portugal Porto
3MF Jefferson Lerma (1994-10-25) 25 October 1994 (age 30) 23 1 England Bournemouth
3MF Sebastián Pérez (1993-03-29) 29 March 1993 (age 31) 8 1 Portugal Boavista
3MF Gustavo Cuéllar (1992-10-14) 14 October 1992 (age 32) 7 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
3MF Yairo Moreno (1995-04-04) 4 April 1995 (age 29) 6 0 Mexico Pachuca
3MF Baldomero Perlaza (1992-06-25) 25 June 1992 (age 32) 0 0 Colombia Atlético Nacional

4FW Luis Muriel (1991-04-16) 16 April 1991 (age 33) 36 7 Italy Atalanta
4FW Duván Zapata (1991-04-01) 1 April 1991 (age 33) 20 4 Italy Atalanta
4FW Luis Díaz (1997-01-13) 13 January 1997 (age 27) 16 1 Portugal Porto
4FW Miguel Borja (1993-01-26) 26 January 1993 (age 31) 10 3 Colombia Junior
4FW Rafael Santos Borré (1995-09-15) 15 September 1995 (age 29) 2 0 Argentina River Plate

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up in the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Juan Moreno (1999-07-09) 9 July 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Colombia Millonarios Training session, February 2021
GK José Luis Chunga (1991-07-11) 11 July 1991 (age 33) 0 0 Colombia Alianza Petrolera Training session, February 2021
GK Álvaro Montero (1995-03-29) 29 March 1995 (age 29) 3 0 Colombia Tolima v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
GK Eder Chaux (1991-12-20) 20 December 1991 (age 33) 0 0 Colombia Junior v.  Chile, 13 October 2020

DF Yerson Mosquera (2001-05-02) 2 May 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Colombia Atlético Nacional Training session, February 2021
DF Cristian Arrieta (1996-01-03) 3 January 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Colombia América de Cali Training session, February 2021
DF Pablo Ortiz (2000-06-08) 8 June 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Colombia América de Cali Training session, February 2021
DF Andrés Román (1995-10-05) 5 October 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Colombia Millonarios Training session, February 2021
DF Dairon Mosquera (1992-07-23) 23 July 1992 (age 32) 0 0 Colombia Santa Fe Training session, February 2021
DF Germán Mera (1990-03-05) 5 March 1990 (age 34) 0 0 Colombia Junior Training session, February 2021
DF Dany Rosero (1993-10-06) 6 October 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Colombia Junior Training session, February 2021
DF Walmer Pacheco (1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Colombia La Equidad Training session, February 2021
DF Álvaro Angulo (1997-03-06) 6 March 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Colombia Rionegro Águilas Training session, February 2021
DF Gabriel Fuentes (1997-02-09) 9 February 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Colombia Junior Training session, February 2021 INJ
DF Jeison Murillo (1992-05-27) 27 May 1992 (age 32) 32 1 Spain Celta Vigo v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
DF Frank Fabra (1991-02-22) 22 February 1991 (age 33) 22 1 Argentina Boca Juniors v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
DF Johan Mojica (1992-08-21) 21 August 1992 (age 32) 13 1 Spain Elche v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
DF Luis Orejuela (1995-08-20) 20 August 1995 (age 29) 5 0 Brazil São Paulo v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
DF Jhon Lucumí (1998-06-26) 26 June 1998 (age 26) 4 0 Belgium Genk v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
DF Santiago Arias INJ (1992-01-13) 13 January 1992 (age 32) 54 0 Germany Bayer Leverkusen v.  Venezuela, 9 October 2020 INJ

MF James Rodríguez INJ (1991-07-12) 12 July 1991 (age 33) 80 23 England Everton v.  Peru, 3 June 2021 INJ
MF Juan Fernando Quintero (1993-01-18) 18 January 1993 (age 31) 23 3 China Shenzhen v.  Peru, 3 June 2021 COV
MF Rafael Carrascal (1992-11-26) 26 November 1992 (age 32) 0 0 Colombia América de Cali Training session, February 2021
MF Santiago Moreno (2000-04-21) 21 April 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Colombia América de Cali Training session, February 2021
MF Luis Sánchez (2000-09-18) 18 September 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Colombia América de Cali Training session, February 2021
MF Jhojan Valencia (1996-07-07) 7 July 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Colombia Deportivo Cali Training session, February 2021
MF Fabián Ángel (2001-01-10) 10 January 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Colombia Junior Training session, February 2021
MF Larry Angulo (1995-08-10) 10 August 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Colombia La Equidad Training session, February 2021
MF Jorman Campuzano (1996-04-30) 30 April 1996 (age 28) 2 0 Argentina Boca Juniors v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
MF Steven Alzate (1998-09-08) 8 September 1998 (age 26) 4 0 England Brighton & Hove Albion v.  Chile, 13 October 2020
MF Víctor Cantillo (1993-10-15) 15 October 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Brazil Corinthians v.  Chile, 13 October 2020

FW Alfredo Morelos (1996-06-21) 21 June 1996 (age 28) 10 1 Scotland Rangers v.  Peru, 3 June 2021 COV
FW Cristian Arango (1995-03-09) 9 March 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Colombia Millonarios Training session, February 2021
FW Rivaldo Rodríguez (2000-08-25) 25 August 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Colombia Millonarios Training session, February 2021
FW Jhon Vásquez (1995-02-12) 12 February 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Colombia Deportivo Cali Training session, February 2021
FW David Lemos (1995-11-09) 9 November 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Colombia Once Caldas Training session, February 2021
FW Luis Suárez (1997-12-02) 2 December 1997 (age 27) 1 0 Spain Granada v.  Ecuador, 17 November 2020
FW Radamel Falcao INJ (captain) (1986-02-10) 10 February 1986 (age 38) 91 35 Turkey Galatasaray v.  Chile, 13 October 2020
FW Jhon Córdoba (1993-05-11) 11 May 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Germany Hertha BSC v.  Chile, 13 October 2020

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad
COV Withdrew due to COVID-19
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Suspended

Coaching staff

Position Name
Head coach Colombia Reinaldo Rueda
Assistant coaches Colombia Alexis Mendoza
Assistant coaches Colombia Bernardo Redin
Goalkeeping coach Argentina Nestor Lo Tartaro
Fitness coaches Colombia Eduardo Velasco
Doctor Colombia Carlos Ulloa
Physiotherapist Colombia José Rendón
Match analyst Portugal João Peixeiro
IT and media consultant Portugal Filipe Santos

Individual records

As of 17 November 2020[76]
Players in bold are still active with Colombia.

Most capped players

File:Valderrama colombia 1993.jpg
Carlos Valderrama is Colombia's most-capped player with 111 international appearances.
# Name Caps Goals Career
1 Carlos Valderrama 111 11 1985–1998
2 David Ospina 105 0 2007–
3 Mario Yepes 102 6 1999–2014
4 Leonel Álvarez 101 1 1985–1997
5 Juan Cuadrado 94 8 2010–
6 Radamel Falcao 91 35 2007–
7 Carlos Sánchez 88 0 2007–2018
8 Freddy Rincón 84 17 1990–2001
9 James Rodríguez 80 23 2011–
10 Luis Carlos Perea 78 2 1987–1994

Most-capped goalkeepers

# Name Caps Goals Career
1 David Ospina 105 0 2007–
2 Óscar Córdoba 73 0 1993–2006
3 René Higuita 68 3 1987–1999
4 Miguel Calero 51 0 1995–2009
Faryd Mondragón 51 0 1993–2014

Top scorers

Radamel Falcao is Colombia's all-time top scorer with 35 goals.
# Player Goals Caps Average Career
1 Radamel Falcao (list) 35 91 0.38 2007–
2 Arnoldo Iguarán 25 68 0.37 1979–1993
3 James Rodríguez 23 80 0.29 2011–
4 Faustino Asprilla 20 57 0.35 1993–2001
5 Freddy Rincón 17 84 0.2 1990–2001
6 Carlos Bacca 16 52 0.31 2010–
7 Teófilo Gutiérrez 15 51 0.29 2009–
Víctor Aristizábal 15 66 0.23 1993–2003
9 Adolfo Valencia 14 37 0.38 1992–1998
10 Iván Valenciano 13 29 0.45 1991–2000
Antony de Ávila 13 54 0.24 1983–1998

Honours

See also

References

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