Colombia national football team

TheColombia national football team(Spanish:Selección de fútbol de Colombia), nicknamedLos Cafeteros,representsColombiain men's internationalfootballand is managed by theColombian Football Federation, the governing body forfootball in Colombia. They are a member ofCONMEBOLand are currently ranked 10th in theFIFA World Rankings.The team are nicknamedLos Cafeterosdue to thecoffee production in their country. The national team has been a symbol of nationalism, pride and passion for many Colombians worldwide. Colombia is known for having a passionate fan base, and the team's dances during goal celebrations have been symbolic.
The Colombian team has participated in sixWorld Cups:1962,1990,1994,1998,2014and2018. In the 2014 edition held in Brazil, the team achieved its best World Cup performance, reaching the quarter-finals and coming fifth in the final standings.
Its greatest international achievement is winning theCopa Américain2001as hosts, during which the team set a record by winning every match without conceding a single goal. Colombia also finished runner-up in1975and2024and finished third five times: in1987,1993,1995,2016, and2021.
Furthermore, the team managed to make outstanding appearances at the continental level, obtaining from theCentral American and Caribbean Gamesthe gold and bronze medals in1946and1938respectively,and in theBolivarian Gamesthe team obtained the gold medal in1951and the silver medal in1961,1973and1981.
The development of football in Colombia is debated by many. Most historians agree that theCaribbean Regionwas the place where football spread. It is believed that its origins go back to 1900, by English railway engineers from The Colombia Railways Company.It was not until 1924 that theColombian Football Federationwas formed, initially under the name Liga de Fútbol, that gained the affiliation withFIFAandCONMEBOLin 1936.Colombia played its first international match on 17 February 1926 againstCosta Ricaat theJulio Torres StadiuminBarranquilla, obtaining a 4–1 victory against the Central Americans.
In 1937, Colombia formed a national team for theJuegos del IV Centenario de Cali(Games of the IV Centenary of Cali).Colombia played four matches at the recently opened Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero: againstMexico(3–1),Argentina(1–3),Ecuador(5–0), andCuba(1–3). Despite becoming a FIFA member in 1936, Colombia withdrew from the1938 World CupinFrance. Instead, Colombia played at the1938 Central American and Caribbean Games. The Colombia national football team was composed mostly by all the players of theClub Juventud Bogotana(nowMillonarios).Alfonso Novoa was the manager of Colombia until 23 February. The first game was played on 10 February 1938 againstMexico. Colombia was defeated 1–3; Luis Argüelles,Luis de la FuenteandHoracio Casarínscored 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 theI Bolivarian GamesinBogotá, where they finished fourth with one win and three losses.Fernando Paternosterwas 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 theSouth American Championship, finishing in fifth place. This time, Colombia was composed by players ofJunior de Barranquillaexcept for Antonio de la Hoz (who played for Sporting de Barranquilla) andPedro Ricardo López(who played forBoca Juniors de Cali).Roberto Meléndezwas player and coach of Colombia throughout the tournament. Despite Colombia's debut at the tournament, the country withdrew from the1946edition. Instead, Colombia participated at the1946 Central American and Caribbean GamesinBarranquilla. There they won the gold medal-winning all six matches, scoring 20 goals and conceding 7 goals. The manager of Colombia during the year was the Peruvian José Arana Cruz.The following year, Colombia played at the1947 South American Championshipin Ecuador. The team was 8th, being the worst team of the tournament with just two draws obtained against Ecuador and Bolivia, and five defeats, scoring only 2 goals. The two goal scorers for Colombia at the tournament wereCarlos Arango, who scored in Colombia's 1–5 loss against Peru, and Rafael Granados who scored against Chile in Colombia's last fixture which they lost 1–4. The manager, Argentine Lino Taioli, was sacked just after the tournament ended.
Colombia's first match in the professional era was played on 6 April in the1949 South American Championship, a 3–0 defeat againstParaguay. Austrian coachFriedrich Donenfeldwas the manager of Colombia during the tournament; he had moved with his family to Colombia due toWorld War II, andAtlético Juniorwould be his first team as a coach.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. Colombia chose to not enter the qualification process for the1950 FIFA World Cupheld inBraziland also withdrew from theSouth American Championshipin 1953. For the following World Cup in1954, Colombia was banned from participating due to the controversialEl Doradoera which witnessed the Colombia football league's breaking away from FIFA. Colombia would also withdraw from the1955and1956editions of theSouth American Championship. For the1957 South American Championshipin Peru the manager wasPedro López, who was player of the national team between 1938 and 1945. Colombia was fifth, with two wins and four losses. In this tournament, Colombia suffered which is so far its biggest defeat, a 9–0 againstBrazil. The most outstanding players of Colombia during the tournament players were the goalkeeperEfraín Sánchezand the forwards Carlos Arango andDelio Gamboa, both with three goals scored. After a withdrawal in1938and getting banned in1954, Colombia participated for the first time in qualifying for the1958 FIFA World Cupin Sweden withRodolfo Orlandinias manager. Their first match was on 16 June 1957 againstUruguayin Bogotá, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Colombia lost their next matches, leaving them at the bottom of the group.
Under Argentine coachAdolfo Pedernera, Colombia qualified for the1962 World Cup, its first-everFIFA World Cupby eliminatingPeru. The first match was played in Bogotá and ended 1–0 in favour of Colombia with a goal fromEusebio Escobar. For the following game in Lima, Peru managed to tie on aggregate with the help of a penalty in the third minute of the match, however,Héctor Gonzálezscored in the 68th minute of the second half to help Colombia win  2–1 on aggregate.
At the 1962 World Cup, Colombia was drawn into a tough group containingUruguay,Soviet UnionandYugoslavia; both had achieved notable results comparing to Colombia. Colombia lost its first match, 2–1 against Uruguay.Luis Cubillaand Jorge Sasía scored for Uruguay at the 56th and 75th minute respectively, whileFrancisco Zuluagascored 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 the1960 European Nations' Cup. In this game, Colombia scored four goals against Soviet goalkeeperLev Yashin, widely considered the best goalkeeper in football history. Also in that game,América de CalimidfielderMarcos Collscored the onlyolympic goalin 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 28 years before they returned in the 1990 edition.
After withdrawing the two editions of the South American Championship inArgentinaandEcuador, Colombia participated in the1963 South American Championshipin Bolivia. Colombia finished last in the tournament with a draw and five defeats.Delio Gamboascored three goals for Colombia. For the1966 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Colombia was placed in a group againstEcuadorandChile. The team finished in the bottom of their group with two points, only a 2–0 win over Chile inBogotá. The following year, Colombia had to play qualifying for the1967 South American Championshipagainst Chile, but was eliminated with a 5–2 defeat inSantiagoand a 0–0 draw inBogotá.
Colombia participated for qualifying for the1970 FIFA World Cupin Group 2, withBrazil,ParaguayandVenezuela. The team finished third with one win, one draw and four defeats. In 1970, before the start of the World Cup in Mexico, England prepared a friendly against Colombia to prepare the team for the high altitudes of Mexico. England beat Colombia 4–0, but their victory was overshadowed by theBogotá Braceletincident. For the1974 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Colombia facedUruguayandEcuador. Colombia was able to obtain a win and three draws, tied on 5 points with Uruguay, but Uruguay would be the one who qualified to the next stage due to better goal difference.
At the1975 Copa America, the team was under the orders of former Colombia national team player Efraín Sánchez. Colombia was placed in Group C withParaguayandEcuador. Colombia won all four games with seven goals scored and one conceded, advancing to the semifinals againstUruguay. Colombia won 3–0 at home and lost 1–0 away, but the 3–1 aggregate score allowed them to advance to the final for the first time in their history, where they facedPeru. Colombia won at home 1–0, but lost 2–0 away, so that the champion was defined on neutral ground (in Caracas) where Peru beat Colombia with a 25th-minute goal fromHugo Sotil. ColombianErnesto Díaztied ArgentinianLeopoldo Luqueas the top goalscorer of the tournament with 4 goals.
YugoslavBlagoje Vidinić, who notably won the1974 African Cup of NationswithZaire(now known asDR Congo), was Colombia's coach during thequalification processfor the1978 FIFA World Cupin Argentina. Colombia shared Group 1 with Brazil and Paraguay and failed to qualify after finishing last with just two points.Eduardo Vilaretewas Colombia's sole goalscorer throughout the qualifiers with a goal against Paraguay. Although failing to qualify for the World Cup, Vidinić continued as coach as Colombia disputed the1979 Copa América, where they shared Group A withChileandVenezuela. Despite finishing with the same points as first-placed Chile, Colombia were knocked out of the tournament due to goal difference.
Prior to the 1980s, the Colombia national football team was widely recognized as a weak team, and lack of fans, due to neglected investment for the national team by the Colombian Football Federation, national tragedies likeLa Violencia, and widespread criminal activities that destabilized the country. Their lack of participation also added to this sporadic support, and despite having qualified for the 1962 FIFA World Cup, the national team remained underachieving, particularly when compared to Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay who were not as worthy perennial challengers as traditional powers Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina, either, in spite of their youth football successes.
During the1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Colombia was under the command of Argentine managerCarlos Bilardo, who later won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986. Colombia was drawn into Group 2 with Peru and Uruguay with the first-placed team earning direct qualification. Colombia started off their qualification campaign with a 1–1 draw at home against Peru. Colombia played away against Uruguay for the second match, where they suffered a 3–2 defeat. For their next match, Colombia's hopes of qualifying were diminished after suffering a 2–0 away defeat to Peru. Lastly, Colombia ended the qualification campaign with a 1–1 draw at home against Uruguay. Ultimately, Colombia finished last behind Uruguay and first-placed Peru with just 2 points. As a result, Bilardo was fired from his position as coach, eventually being replaced byEfraín Sánchez.
Former national team player Efraín Sánchez coached Colombia during the1983 Copa América. The team played in Group C with Peru and Bolivia and started the tournament with a 1–0 win against Bolivia with a goal from forwardAlex Valderrama, also known asDidi. Colombia would tie the following two games against Peru and Bolivia, respectively, thus failing to qualify to the next round after finishing second behind Peru with two less points. Didi was Colombia's top scorer at the tournament, scoring in both of Colombia's matches against Bolivia. Under the orders ofGabriel Ochoa Uribe, Colombia was drawn into Group 1 for the1986 FIFA World Cup qualifiersalong with Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela. The team began their qualification campaign with a 1–0 win against Peru with a goal fromMiguel Prince. However, Colombia suffered a 1–3 home defeat to Argentina for the following fixture. Despite tying with Peru in the third fixture, Colombia fell 1–0 away to Argentina. Notably, Colombia recovered with a 2–2 tie and a 2–0 win against Venezuela. Colombia ultimately qualified for the play-offs against Paraguay, however, the team failed to qualify after losing 2–4 on aggregate.
In anticipation for the1987 Copa América,Francisco Maturanawas hired as Colombia's coach. Placed in Group C with Bolivia and Paraguay, Colombia began their tournament with a 2–0 over Bolivia. Their next game against Paraguay ended 3–0 for Colombia, owing to a hat-trick fromArnoldo Iguarán. Colombia faced Chile in the semi-finals, a match which extended itself in extra-time following a 0–0 draw after regular time. Colombia would score in the 103rd minute following a penalty-kick goal fromBernardo Redín. However, Chile would ultimately score two goals to eliminate Colombia. Despite this, they won the third-place match against 1986 World Cup winners Argentina to finish in the top three for the first time in their history. Additionally, Iguarán won the tournament's top-scorer award with four goals andCarlos Valderramawon the best player award for his nifty performances throughout the tournament.
For the1990 World Cup qualifiers, South America was allocated three-and-a-half berths at the 1990 finals. The continent's nine remaining sides were split into three groups with the two automatic qualifying berths going to the two best group winners, in this instance Uruguay andBrazil. The group winner with the worst record would advance to theCONMEBOL–OFC play-off. Thus, Colombia had to take on the winners of the Oceania zone. This turned out to beIsrael, after they finished ahead ofAustraliaandNew Zealandin the final qualifying group. Colombia qualified for their first FIFA World Cup since 1962 after winning inBarranquilla1–0, and tying inRamat Gan0–0, with most of the players coming fromAtlético Nacional, who Maturana was also managing at the time.
At the1990 World Cup, Colombia was once again drawn with the Yugoslavs, alongsideUnited Arab Emiratesand powerhouseWest Germany. Colombia faced the United Arab Emirates at theStadio Renato Dall'ArainBologna, where they won 2–0 with goals from Bernardo Redín and Carlos Valderrama to achieve Colombia's first-ever win at the World Cup finals. Although losing their second game against Yugoslavia 1–0, Colombia achieved qualification to the round of 16 after a historic 1–1 draw with eventual champions West Germany, whereFreddy Rincónequalized the game for Colombia in the 93rd minute succeeding West Germany's initial goal in the 88th minute fromPierre Littbarski.Thus, Colombia finished the group-stage in third place with 3 points which managed to place them second amongst the third-placed teams. However, Colombia would be eliminated in their next match againstCameroonwith a 2–1 defeat in extra time, a match which is remembered for a mistake from Colombian goalkeeperRené Higuitaand Cameroonian starRoger Milla's iconicgoal celebrationwhich was a product of Higuita's mistake.Bernardo Redín led Colombia in goals scored with two goals against United Arab Emirates and Cameroon. Shortly after this defeat, Maturana left his post as Colombia manager. However, this World Cup appearance marked the rise of a generation known as the first Colombian golden generation.
For the1991 Copa América, coach Luis Augusto García took charge of the Colombian national team. The squad included a consistent foundation of players which included stars such asAndrés Escobar,Luis Carlos Perea,Leonel Álvarez, Freddy Rincón, René Higuita, and captain Carlos Valderrama, amongst others. The team was drawn into Group B, composed of Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, and Uruguay. The team started off with a 1–0 win against Ecuador with a goal fromAntony de Ávila. The following game, Colombia drew against Bolivia. Notably, the team triumphed over Brazil in a 2–0 win with goals from de Ávila and Iguarán, respectively. Despite losing their last game against Uruguay, Colombia topped the group with five points with a superior goal difference to Brazil and Uruguay, who shared the same amount of points. Despite an impressive run in the first round, Colombia ended last in the group for the final round after drawing once and losing twice. For this reason, Colombia finished fourth with de Ávila finishing as the team's top scorer at the tournament with three goals; Argentina were ultimately crowned as champions.
Shortly before the1993 Copa Américain Ecuador, Maturana returned for his second spell as Colombia manager; Colombia's captain during the tournament was Carlos Valderrama. Colombia began their tournament campaign by topping their group undefeated. In the first match, the team beat Mexico 2–1 with goals fromAdolfo ValenciaandVíctor Aristizábal. Colombia drew their next two games against Bolivia and Argentina. Despite sharing the same points as Argentina, Colombia finished first due to superior goal difference. In the quarter-finals, they beat Uruguay on penalties, and lost to eventual winners Argentina in the semi-finals on penalties, but won the third place match against Ecuador to finish third for the second time in their history. Freddy Rincón finished as Colombia's top scorer with two goals against Argentina in the first round and against Ecuador in the third-place match.
Along with achievingqualificationto the1994 World Cup, Colombia finished top of their qualifying group without having lost a match, which included a historic0–5victory over Argentina inBuenos Aires.Curiously, a few days before the crucial match,Diego Maradonalaunched a phrase during a television interview: while putting palms of the hands parallel to the ground at chest height, one above the other, said "You can't change history, history shouldn't be changed: Argentina up, Colombia down."
Expectations of the team were high, some even naming them as favorites to win the tournament, as they had only lost one official match over a two-year period from July 1992 going into the World Cup. Colombia was drawn inGroup Awith the hostsUnited States,Romania, andSwitzerland. During the tournament, theinternal conflict within Colombiaproved 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 group stage. The first match against Romania ended with a 3–1 defeat which notoriously angered Colombiandrug cartelswho had previously bet money on Colombia to win the match, which resulted in variousdeath threatsmade to relatives of the Colombian players and manager Maturana.During the match against the United States,Andrés Escobarscored an own goal, leading to Colombia's elimination as they lost 2–1. Escobar was later murdered in Colombia a few days after the own goal, and this incident would lead to the demise of Colombia's first golden generation.
Hernán Darío Gómezwas in charge of the national squad for the Copa América that followed in Uruguay in1995. As with the last tournament, Carlos Valderrama was appointed as captain for his country. In the opening match, Colombia drew 1–1 against Peru with goals fromFaustino Asprillaand PeruvianRoberto Palacios. Colombia won their following match against Ecuador with Rincón providing the sole goal. However, the team lost 3–0 against Brazil in the closing game. Despite the loss, Colombia qualified for the quarter-finals after finishing second behind Brazil. The team beat Paraguay in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out which ended 5–4 after a 1–1 draw; Colombia eventually fell against Uruguay in the semi-finals. Conclusively, the team achieved a third-place finish after beating the United States 4–1 for the third-place match.
Colombia were placed with in Group C with Brazil, Mexico, and Costa Rica for1997 Copa Américain Bolivia on the direction of coach Maturana. The squad lost against Mexico 1–2 to start the competition. In the subsequent game against Costa Rica, which Colombia won 4–1, they improved. Colombia qualified with a third-place finish despite losing their most recent game against Brazil. However, they were defeated by the host Bolivia in the quarterfinals, which brought their tournament to an end.Néider Morantesled Colombia in scoring during the competition with two goals against Costa Rica.
Under the command of Hernán Darío Gómez, Colombia ended with 28 points at the end of the qualifying round for the1998 FIFA World CupinFrance. Colombia finished in third position, two points behind Argentina, who had 30 points. Group G was given to Colombia,Tunisia,England, and once more, Romania. Similar to the 1994 version, Romania won the opening game 1–0 with a goal fromValenciaforwardAdrian Ilie. Furthermore,Léider Preciado's goal in the 82nd minute gave Colombia a 1–0 victory over Tunisia in the team's second game. In order to advance to the next round, Colombia needed to win their last game against England, however,The Three Lionsdefeated Colombia 2–0 with goals from midfielderDarren Andertonand a youngDavid Beckhamwho scored his first goal for England from afree kick, thus ending Colombia's tournament hopes.Ultimately, Colombia finished third in their group behind Romania and England, thus concluding their last World Cup appearance until the 2014 edition.
CoachJavier lvarez Arteagaoversaw Colombia's participation at the1999 Copa Américain Paraguay. The team was placed in a challenging group with Argentina, Uruguay, and Ecuador.Víctor Bonilla's lone goal gave his squad a 1–0 victory over Uruguay to kick off the competition. Colombia defeated Argentina 3–0 in their subsequent encounter thanks to goals fromIván Córdoba,Edwin Congo, andJohnnier Montaño. Argentine playerMartin Palermo's performance in the game, in which he notoriously missed three consecutive penalties, also left a lasting impression.For the last group-stage match against Ecuador, Néider Morantes andMiddlesbrough F.C.forwardHámilton Ricardprovided Colombia with two goals to beat Ecuador 2–1. The squad finished first in their group after winning all of their games. However, the team's tournament fell short after a 3–2 loss against Chile in the quarter-finals. This time, Colombia's top scorer at the tournament was Víctor Bonilla with two goals against Chile and Uruguay, respectively.
Prior to the Copa América to be hosted in Colombia in 2001, the national team was invited to participate in their first2000 CONCACAF Gold Cuphosted in theUnited States, with the team under the orders of manager Luis Augusto García, also known in Colombia as"El Chiqui". Furthermore, Colombia were put into Group A alongsideJamaicaand Honduras. Colombia began their tournament against Jamaica, achieving a 1–0 win against theReggae Boyzwith a goal fromGonzalo Martínez. Against Honduras, the team lost 2–0, however, Colombia still managed to qualify to the next round thanks to Honduras having beat Jamaica two days before. For the quarter-finals, Colombia squared up against Group B winner and host United States, who had won both of previous their games against Haiti and Peru, respectively. During the game, the United States would score first with a 20th-minute goal fromBrian McBride, but Colombia quickly tied four minutes later owing to Faustino Asprilla, thus concluding the first half. The United States would start off the second-half with an early goal fromChris Armas, and when things looked to be in favour for the U.S.,Gerardo Bedoyatied the game with nine minutes to spare. Following a draw in extra-time, Colombia eliminated the United States on penalties 2–1, after goalkeeperMiguel CalerodeniedBen Olsen's crucial penalty kick. For the semi-finals, the team beat Peru 2–1 and would match up againstCanadain the final, however, Colombia failed to lift the trophy after losing 2–0 with goals fromJason de VosandCarlo Corazzin.
Manager Fransico Maturna returned to the national team for the2001 Copa América, which was the first Copa América held in Colombia. Prior to the tournament, meetings were held byCONMEBOLauthorities who were concerned about potential security issues in Colombia, and the tournament was canceled on 1 July, just ten days before the opening match.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, soCosta Rica(aCONCACAFinvitee) was invited to the tournament. TheArgentine Football Association(AFA) decided to withdraw from the competition on July 10 despite Colombian authorities' proposal to take additional safety precautions.Supposedly, AFA had complained about the abrupt change and claimed that Argentine players had received death threats from terrorist groups. CONCACAF affiliatedHonduraswere invited, and they arrived on July 13 aboard an aeroplane provided by theColombian Air Force, after the tournament had already begun and just a few hours before its opening match, with hardly enough players.
For the group stage, Colombia shared Group A with Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela. On 11 July, Colombia began the tournament with a 2–0 victory against Venezuela in at the Estadio Metropolitano of Barranquilla, a location that would serve as Colombia's home field throughout the group stage;Freddy Grisalesand Víctor Aristizábal were the goal scorers for the home side. The following match against Ecuador ended in a 1–0 victory for Colombia, with Aristizábal providing the crucial goal. For their last fixture, Colombia defeated Chile 2–0 with goals from Aristizábal, andEudalio Arriaga. Thus, Colombia topped their group with a perfect win-rate with a plus five difference and no goals conceded. They eliminated Peru in the quarter-finals with a brace from Aristizábal and an additional goal fromGiovanni Hernández. For the semi-finals, Colombia faced the dark-horses of the tournament, Honduras, where Colombia prevailed 2–0 thanks to goals from Bedoya and another goal from Aristizábal, which marked his sixth and final goal of the tournament. Colombia won their first Copa América title by defeatingMexico, another CONCACAF invitee, inthe finalwith a goal from captainIván Córdobain the second half. The team also broke a Copa America record of not conceding any goals and winning every game.Additionally, Aristizábal finished as the tournament's top scorer, with six goals, and the team won the fair play award as well. Consequently, the title qualified the team for the2003 FIFA Confederations Cupin France. There were no terrorist incidents throughout the competition.
For the2002 World Cup, Colombia only managed to place sixth in thequalification round, tied with Uruguay but failing to qualify due to goal difference. This was the first time that Colombia had failed to qualify for a World Cup since 1986. As a result, Maturana left his post as Colombia manager which still remains as his last stint with Colombia. Despite failure, the team did end up playing an international FIFA tournament the following year as representatives of CONMEBOL at the Confederations Cup. Colombia hired managerReinaldo Ruedato overlook the team's participation. The team was put intoGroup AalongsideEuro 2000champions and hostsFrance,2000 AFC Asian CupchampionsJapan, and winners of the2002 OFC Nations Cup,New Zealand. In their opening game against France, Colombia lost 1–0 following a sole goal product of a penalty scored byThierry Henry. Colombia obtained a crucial victory against New Zealand, match in which Colombia was trailing 0–1 at half-time, but came back to win 3–1 in the second half. In Colombia's final Group A fixture, they beat Japan 1–0 with a 68th-minute goal from Giovanni Hernández, who had scored Colombia's final goal in their previous fixture against New Zealand. Subsequently, the team finished the group stage second behind France and qualified for the semi-finals, where they lost 1–0 against Cameroon. The team would end up disputing the third-place play-off againstTurkey, where they lost 1–2; Hernández scored Colombia's only goal. Overall, Colombia placed fourth at the tournament with Hernández leading Colombia in goals scored with three goals, one shy from the eventual Golden Boot winner and champion with France, Thierry Henry.
Although the Colombian Golden Generation was exhibiting its declining years for the Colombian squad, the country had an acceptable performance at the2004 Copa Américaunder Reinaldo Rueda, beginning by topping their group. The team eliminated Costa Rica in the quarter-finals and then lost to Argentina in the semi-finals. They ended up earning fourth place after losing the third place match. Colombia also participated in the2005 Gold Cup. The team performed poorly in the group stage, placing third with one win, and two losses. Even though it qualified to the next round as the best third-placed team and beat defending champions Mexico in the quarter-finals,the team was eventually eliminated byPanama, who Colombia had already lost to in the group stage.Prior to the tournament, expectations were high for Colombia, with the team considered as tournament favourites, which also marked a false reality after not making the final.
For the2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers,Reinaldo Ruedawould continue as manager. Colombia was ultimately unsuccessful in their campaign, missing out by a single point due to Uruguay's win over Argentina for the final fixture. Had Uruguay and Argentina drawn, Colombia would have qualified to the playoff spot with their 1–0 away win over Paraguay, and they had superior goal difference to Uruguay as well.
During this period the likes ofJuan Pablo ÁngelandTressor Morenoled the line.
Consequently, Rueda left the national team on 12 October, and was eventually replaced byJorge Luis Pintoon 1 January 2007. The following year, Colombia had one of its worst everCopa Américaperformances. The team finished third in the group with just one win against the United States and two losses, including a 5–0 loss to Paraguay, which wasn't enough to qualify for the knockout stages.Colombia ended the decade with an unsuccessful2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, where the team experienced a similar situation to their previous qualification campaign and failed to qualify by a point despite winning their final match against Paraguay. Thus, Colombia had failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time a row. These failures to qualify for the World Cup were mainly a result of constantly changing formations and a dysfunctional rotation of managers which saw Pinto replaced byEduardo Laraafter a 4–0 loss to Chile in September 2008,combined with the struggle to score goals in the last games of the qualification.
In June 2011, Colombia wereranked54th, its lowest ever. Despite this ranking, in the2011 Copa América, Colombia made a good run, topping their group and achieving a draw to the host nation Argentina. In the next round, Colombia would be eliminated in a 2–0 loss againstPeruin extra time.Los Cafeterosended 2011 at 36th in the FIFA rankings.
In September 2011, the Colombian side gainedLeonel Álvarezas the new coach following the resignation ofHernán Darío Gómez, but he was sacked after three games with disappointing results, which led to the hiring ofJosé Pékermanin January 2012.Pékerman's first match was a 2–0 win over Mexico inMiami, and his first official match was a 1–0 victory against Peru in June. In October 2012, Colombia moved back into the top 10 of the FIFA Rankings for the first time since July 2002, after the wins against Chile (3–1) and Uruguay (4–0). The team climbed to 9th place, up 13 places.At the end of the year, the team were in 5th.
Under Pékerman, the squad would break a personal qualifying best record by finishing in second with 30 points, and raise their FIFA ranking consistently into the top ten, which allowed them to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. The qualification was secured with a 3–3 draw against Chile, after having trailed 0–3 at the half.Although World Cup qualification was already secured, Colombia ended their qualifying campaign with a 2–1 victory against Paraguay inAsunción, with two goals from captain and defenderMario Yepes.Celebrations broke throughout the nation, as many neutrals hailed Colombia as a dark-horse towards being a World Cup contender.Often, Colombia were noted by many Colombian figures such asCarlos Valderramaas a team that could become the most successful Colombian squad in history.Throughout the qualification process, Colombia only conceded 12 goals, which was the second-best defensive record behind Argentina.
Even though the team's record goalscorerRadamel Falcaomissed the tournament through injury, Colombia topped off their return in the2014 World Cupafter a 16-year absence by defeatingGreece3–0.Colombia then edged a 2–1 victory over theIvory Coastto dispute Group C's top spot days later.On the same day,Japanand 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.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 win all three group stage games in World Cup history. The Japan match also saw goalkeeperFaryd 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.Colombia went on to defeat Uruguay 2–0 on 28 June in the round of 16, securing a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.They then fell to hostsBrazil2–1 in the quarter-finals.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.Colombia would then receive theFIFA Fair Play Trophyand haveJames RodríguezandJuan Cuadradoend as the World Cup's leading goal scorer and assist leader, respectively.
Colombia had a disappointing2015 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 byArgentinain the next round via a penalty shootout, ending their campaign with one win, two draws, and one loss. The following year, Colombia began their 2016Copa América Centenariocampaign with a 2–0 victory against hostsUnited States.They then sealed their qualification to the quarter-finals with a 2–1 victory against Paraguay, but finished their group campaign with a defeat to Costa Rica.On 17 June, they advanced to the semi-finals with a win against Peru on penalties.Colombia would then lose to eventual tournament winners Chile before winning the third place match against the hosts United States to seal their best result since winning the 2001 edition.
Colombia qualified for the2018 FIFA World Cupby finishing fourth in CONMEBOL.The team began their campaign with a 2–1 defeat toJapan.Colombia resurrected their hopes of advancing from the group with a 3–0 win over Poland.On 28 June, Colombia beatSenegalby a scoreline of 1–0,topping their groupand advancing into theround of 16.On 3 July in Moscow, Colombia were knocked out byEnglandin the round of 16; the game finished 1–1 after extra time, with England winning 4–3 on penalties.
Following the federation's choice to not renew Pekerman's contract, formerIranmanagerCarlos Queirozwas hired to coach the national team.
Starting off their2019 Copa Américacampaign, Colombia defeatedArgentinain a 2–0 win, marking their first victory over theLa Albicelestesince 2007.Days later, they would faceAsian Cup championsQatar, and would beat them 1–0 to advance to the next round before finishing the group with a 1–0 victory overParaguay, finishing with nine points with four goals scored and none conceded throughout the group stage.Colombia also became the only team since the2001 editionto advance out of the group stage with a 100% record.Despite this, Colombia were then eliminated by Chile in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals.
Colombia began the2022 World Cup qualifierswith wins against Venezuela and Chile. However, when matches resumed following theCOVID-19 pandemic, Colombia's performances declined; notably with their worst home loss in 82 years against Uruguay and a 6–1 defeat by Ecuador.This led to the end of Carlos Queiroz's tenure as Colombia's coach in December 2020.On 14 January 2021, theColombian Football FederationannouncedReinaldo Rueda's return to the national team.
In the2021 Copa América, Colombia won their opening match against Ecuador, before playing out a goalless draw with Venezuela.In their third match gainst Peru, Colombia lost 2–1.Next, Colombia lost to Brazil, leaving them in third position but meant they had qualified for the quarter-finals. They progressed to the semi-finals after a penalty shootout victory against Uruguay following a goalless draw.In the semi-finals, Colombia contested with Argentina, where they drew 1–1 before losing on penalties.Colombia managed to win the match for third place against Peru, with the score 3–2,where the last two goals that Luis Díaz scored along with one in the final 93rd minute of the game made him the top scorer of the Copa América, along withLionel Messi. The third-place victory for Colombia marks their best result since also winning third place in theCopa América Centenario.
After the Copa América, Colombia resumed their 2022 qualification campaign. During qualification, Colombia went seven matches without scoring, harming their chances of qualifying. They defeatedVenezuela1–0, but results elsewhere left Colombia in sixth position, missing out on the World Cup finals. Rueda left his post as the Colombian team manager shortly after.
TheColombian Football Federationannounced on 2 June 2022, that it had picked Néstor Lorenzo to replace Rueda as coach of the men's national team for the next four years.On 28 February 2023, the federation launched an innovative project called "Futbol con Futuro" (Football with a Future) with the support ofFIFA. The plan covers the 2022-25 period and aims to innovate as well as reinforce the modus operandi of all the country's national teams so they can achieve success. "To achieve results on the pitch and enable Colombia to win trophies," said Colombian Football Association (FCF) Development Director Ivan Novella, setting out the ambitious objectives of Futbol con Futuro.
Up until the Copa America final loss in extra time to Argentina on 14 July 2024, Colombia had gone 28 games undefeated under Lorenzo, which included wins over Germany, Brazil andSpain.
Colombia's main geopolitical rival has always beenVenezuela. However, the rivalry is historically very one-sided for Colombia. This state of affairs started to change from the late 1990s, when football slowly began replacingbaseballas Venezuela's main sport.
In 2001, Coach Luis Garcia was sacked for only managing a draw in an away game inSan Cristóbalwhich ended 2–2 when a victory had been taken for granted. This was just a sign of things to come. Four years later in the2006 World Cup qualifiers, 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."
During Jose Pekerman's coaching for the2014 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 the2015 Copa Americawhich were their only three points, although Colombia still managed to advance to the knockout stage while Venezuela ended last. Colombia would finally win inCiudad Guayanaduring 2022 World Cup qualifying which marked their first win in Venezuela since 1996. However, for a large segment of the population, 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 the1994 World Cupqualifiers, was the first time Argentina lost in its home stadiumEstadio Monumentalduring a qualifying match for a World Cup. Argentina had come to the qualifiers as a World Cup champion and finalist in the most recent editions (1986 and 1990). 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.
In the group stages of Copa America 1999, another notable match occurred when Colombia won 3-0 with Argentina's star strikerMartin Palermomissing three penalty kicks.After the wane of Valderrama's generation, the rivalry became one-sided again until recent years, when the majority of the games started resulting in draws.
Colombia and Argentina faced each other in ten matches during the past years, with Colombia winning once and Argentina twice, and 7 matches ending in draws. Tensions flourished again in 2021 after the semi-final match of the2021 Copa America, a match which ended in a defeat for Colombia after the penalty shootout whenEmiliano Martínez, the Argentinean goalkeeper, utilized provocative gestures and phrases to distract the Colombian players, which were broadcast on live television. The episode sparked much annoyance and anger from Colombia and Colombian supporters while it was praised from the Argentinian side, adding up to the already heated relationship of the teams.
Most recently in 2024, the two nations met in the final of theCopa Americawhich resulted in a 1-0 extra-time win for Argentina.
Colombia had a more hostile rivalry againstBrazildue to the2014 FIFA World Cupencounter, where Brazil defeated Colombia 2–1 overshadowed byNeymar's injury and referee's favoritism towards Brazil against Colombia.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 the2015 Copa América, where Neymar was sent off during a brawl after the final whistle after the Brazilian side suffered defeat, as well during the quarter-final match of the football tournament of the2016 Summer Olympicsbetween the two teams.
The rivalry would soon improve in a less hostile manner after the2016 Copa Sudamericana FinalswhenAtlético Nacionalasked CONMEBOL to award the trophy forAssociação Chapecoense de Futeboldue to theLaMia Flight 2933crash;Nonetheless, it remains a competitive rivalry between the two which often sparks heated episodes among players of both teams.
Although the head-to-head record showcases a one-sided advantage for Colombia, the increase of the footballing level in the neighboring nation ofEcuadorduring recent years has ended in close matches between the two teams. After Colombia was unable to obtain more than one point from six possible during the 2022 qualifiers (when the side often obtained four or six points from the encounters), including a historic 6–1 defeat against Ecuador in 2020, media began calling the match the new classic of the region, citing its potential for continuing to bring close matches with no clear favorites added to a new competitive atmosphere between both teams.
Colombia plays their qualifying matches and friendlies at theEstadio Metropolitano Roberto MeléndezinBarranquilla, which is the home stadium of the local football teamAtlético Junior. The stadium is named after former Colombia national team playerRoberto Meléndez, who is widely considered to be Colombia's best player during the Colombia's amateur era in the 1930s–1940s. Curiously, the stadium was used for all of Colombia's successful qualification campaigns for the World Cups inItaly (1990),United States (1994),France (1998). Additionally, the venue was used for the qualification process forGermany (2006), where Colombia were unsuccessful. However, it hosted the qualification matches for the2014and2018FIFA World Cups, where Colombia returned to the World Cup finals after a 16-year absence.
TheEstadio Nemesio Camacho El Campínin the capital city ofBogotáacts as the national team's alternative stadium. The stadium is the playing ground of local clubsMillonariosandSanta Fe. Notably, El Campín is remembered for hosting Colombia's2001 Copa Américafinal against Mexico, where the team achieved its first international trophy after winning the match 1–0.
Traditionally, Colombia's home colours are yellow shirts with navy trim and navy or white shorts and socks, with their away colours being normally navy shirts. They wore their first ever red kit at the2014 FIFA World Cup. Colombia used red as their home colours in the 20th century, although inCopa América Centenariothe team played in an all-white kit for the first time in their history, before reverting to the yellow and navy kit thereafter.
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
WinDrawLossFixture
The following 26 players were named in the squad for the2026 FIFA World Cup qualifyingmatches on 15 and 19 November 2024 againstUruguayandEcuador, respectively.
Caps and goals updated as of 19 November 2024, after the match againstEcuador.
The following players have also been called up in the last twelve months.
ChampionsRunners-upThird placeFourth place
Below is a result summary of all matches Colombia have played againstFIFArecognized teams.
Positive RecordNeutral RecordNegative Record