Colombia National Team Announces Squad for South American Qualifiers for 2026 World Cup
On October 5th, Néstor Lorenzo, the technical director of the Colombia Senior National Team, officially announced the list of players called up for the upcoming double date of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. These qualifiers will be played in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The players called by the Argentine coach will be available for the game against Uruguay on October 12th, which will take place at the Metropolitan stadium in the city of Barranquilla. The match is scheduled for 3:30 pm local time.
Furthermore, the players will also be available to test their strength against the Ecuadorian team on October 17th. The game will kick off at 6:30 pm Ecuadorian time. These matches are crucial for the Colombian National Team’s journey to qualify for the World Cup.
The recent squad announcement made by Néstor Lorenzo has seen the omission of two notable players, a common occurrence for the Tricolor. Juan Fernando Quintero, who currently plays for Racing Club de Avellaneda, was not included due to technical reasons. Additionally, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, a current player for Inter Milan in Serie A, was not considered due to an ongoing injury.
Joining them in their absence is attacker Juan Camilo ‘Cucho’ Hernández, who plays for the Columbus Crew in the United States. Despite being chosen as the best player in the MLS for September and scoring eight goals during that month, his omission has raised eyebrows among Tricolor fans. It remains to be seen if the Colombian National Team will miss his contributions.
The squad announcement also brought several new faces to the team. Notable inclusions are goalkeeper Kevin Mier, defenders Willer Ditta, Yerson Mosquera, Cristian Borja, and Frank Fabra, midfielders Yaser Asprilla and Kevin Castaño, and the talented forward Diego Valoyes.
However, there were some surprising omissions as well. Radamel Falcao García, who recently found the net for Rayo Vallecano, was not called up for the South American Qualifiers. This decision possibly signals the end of his time with the Colombian National Team. On the other hand, goalkeeper David Ospina is in the final stages of his recovery process and is expected to be present in the coming days.
The full list of called-up players includes Alvaro Montero, Camilo Vargas, Carlos Cuesta, Cristian Borja, Daniel Muñoz, Dávinson Sánchez, Deiver Machado, Diego Valoyes, Frank Fabra, Jhon Arias, Jhon Jáder Durán, Jorge Carrascal, Kevin Castaño, Kevin Mier, Luis Díaz, Luis Sinisterra, Mateo Cassierra, Matheus Uribe, Rafael Santos Borré, Richard Ríos, Santiago Arias, Willer Ditta, Wilmar Barrios, Yáser Asprilla, and Yerson Mosquera.
These players will represent the Colombian National Team in their quest for World Cup qualification.