Colombia just made it into the tournament, with James Rodriguez providing the spark.
Colombia World Cup Fixtures, Squad, Group, Guide
Since making their World Cup quarter-finals debut in 2014, Colombia have been consistently disappointing, and their qualification campaign for Russia was a laboured, uninspired affair with few high points from a group of players who would seem to be capable of better.
Key Moments in Qualifying
Nov 2015
Abandoning midfield elaboration for a more direct game plan by playing straight up to the front three, a 1-1 draw in Chile sees the hosts drop points for the first time.
Mar 2016
After taking just four points from their first four games, Colombia let slip a two-goal lead before finding a late winner to triumph 3-2 away to Bolivia – a notoriously difficult fixture in which Uruguay were the only other team to have left with all three points.
Nov 2016
With seven changes to the side, Colombia suffer a huge blow to their confidence with a 3-0 thrashing in Argentina.
Oct 2017
Two late Paraguay goals in a 2-1 defeat almost derail Colombia’s qualification hopes, but they salvage things with a 1-1 draw in Peru five days later.
Abandoning midfield elaboration for a more direct game plan by playing straight up to the front three, a 1-1 draw in Chile sees the hosts drop points for the first time.
Mar 2016
After taking just four points from their first four games, Colombia let slip a two-goal lead before finding a late winner to triumph 3-2 away to Bolivia – a notoriously difficult fixture in which Uruguay were the only other team to have left with all three points.
Nov 2016
With seven changes to the side, Colombia suffer a huge blow to their confidence with a 3-0 thrashing in Argentina.
Oct 2017
Two late Paraguay goals in a 2-1 defeat almost derail Colombia’s qualification hopes, but they salvage things with a 1-1 draw in Peru five days later.
Colombia World Cup Group
Colombia World Cup Friendlies
On the 23rd of March Colombia came back from 2-0 to win 3-2 against France. Four days later they drew 0-0 to Australia and that was their final World Cup warm-up game.
Colombia World Cup Fixtures
Colombia play against Japan on the 19th of June, followed by a potentially pivotal match against Poland. Finally Senegal are on the 28th.
The Coach
Jose Pekerman, age 68 (03.09.49)
Appointed at the start of 2012, he made his name as a highly successful coach of the national under-20s in his native Argentina at the turn of the century, and then took the senior side to the 2006 World Cup.
Appointed at the start of 2012, he made his name as a highly successful coach of the national under-20s in his native Argentina at the turn of the century, and then took the senior side to the 2006 World Cup.
Success: Pekerman was an immensely successful under-20’s coach (Getty Images)
The Players
Stars
The big star of 2014, James Rodriguez has had an uneasy time at club level since his golden tournament, but he clearly relishes being important to the national team and was the team’s top scorer in qualifying.
Stalwarts
Defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez is a man-marking specialist whose positional sense and timing in the tackle balance out the side.
Debuts
Gifted but wayward attacking midfielder Edwin Cardona was the most important member of the post-2014 intake, alongside Yerry Mina, the giant centre-half who came into the team for the second half of the campaign and adds pace on the ground to an aerial dominance.
Stars
The big star of 2014, James Rodriguez has had an uneasy time at club level since his golden tournament, but he clearly relishes being important to the national team and was the team’s top scorer in qualifying.
Stalwarts
Defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez is a man-marking specialist whose positional sense and timing in the tackle balance out the side.
Debuts
Gifted but wayward attacking midfielder Edwin Cardona was the most important member of the post-2014 intake, alongside Yerry Mina, the giant centre-half who came into the team for the second half of the campaign and adds pace on the ground to an aerial dominance.
Colombia World Cup Squad
Final 23-man squad –
GOALKEEPERS: David Ospina (Arsenal), Camilo Vargas (Deportivo Cali), Jose Fernando Cuadrado (Once Caldas).
DEFENDERS: Cristian Zapata (Milan), Davinson Sanchez (Tottenham), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Oscar Murillo (Pachuca), Frank Fabra (Boca Juniors), Johan Mojica (Girona), Yerry Mina (Barcelona).
MIDFIELDERS: Wílmar Barrios (Boca Juniors), Carlos Sanchez (Espanyol), Jefferson Lerma (Levante), Jose Izquierdo (Brighton), James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich), Abel Aguilar (Deportivo Cali), Mateus Uribe (America), Juan Fernando Quintero (River Plate), Juan Cuadrado (Juventus).
FORWARDS: Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Miguel Borja (Palmeiras), Carlos Bacca (Villarreal), Luis Fernando Muriel (Sevilla).
Colombia World Cup Injuries
We will update you with all the injuries here.
Spark: Rodriguez had a stellar tournament in 2014, can he do the same in Russia? (Getty Images)
The Unanswered Questions
Can they trust David Ospina?
With the exception of a meaningless Copa Centenario group game, it is more than six years since anyone but Ospina has started a competitive match in goal for Colombia. But inactivity at Arsenal may have taken its toll and he ended the campaign in calamitous fashion. Two candidates to replace him were blooded in November, so will he still get the nod?
With the exception of a meaningless Copa Centenario group game, it is more than six years since anyone but Ospina has started a competitive match in goal for Colombia. But inactivity at Arsenal may have taken its toll and he ended the campaign in calamitous fashion. Two candidates to replace him were blooded in November, so will he still get the nod?
Usage: Pekerman has not really worked out how to use Falcao properly yet (Getty Images)
How will Radamel Falcao be used?
Pekerman has rarely trusted Falcao to play up front on his own, with Duvan Zapata playing alongside him in the final qualifier. If they are to play two up front, a creative midfielder will be sacrificed.
Pekerman has rarely trusted Falcao to play up front on his own, with Duvan Zapata playing alongside him in the final qualifier. If they are to play two up front, a creative midfielder will be sacrificed.
Will past experience help them?
Several of the squad played their way through to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals, the 2015 Copa America quarter-finals and the 2016 Copa Centenario semi-finals. Experience might just help them hang in there and grind out results.
Several of the squad played their way through to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals, the 2015 Copa America quarter-finals and the 2016 Copa Centenario semi-finals. Experience might just help them hang in there and grind out results.
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