Colombia’s stars are hitting their stride at the right time.
A year ago, few would have been particularly worried about the prospect of facing Colombia in the World Cup. Things change quickly in this sport.
On Tuesday, striker Luis Suárez — not that one — scored a brace as Sporting CP upset defending Champions League winners PSG in added time. Remarkably, he’s not even the first Colombian to do that this season: in November, Luis Díaz scored twice and was sent off in a 2-1 Bayern Munich win over the Parisiens.
Last season, Suárez was scoring frequently — but for UD Almería in Spain’s Segunda División, the second tier. In July, the nomadic striker earned a move to Sporting as the Viktor Gyökeres replacement and hasn’t looked back. Suárez currently has 22 goals and six assists after 30 games in all competitions. And then there’s Luis Díaz.
A year ago, the winger was a talented yet frustrating piece of Premier League champions Liverpool. Despite having a good year, he was overshadowed in a Mohamed Salah-centric Liverpool attack. Díaz’s lack of consistency, combined with his age, meant Liverpool snapped at Bayern’s reported €75 million offer in the summer.
At the time, it seemed like a panic buy from the Bavarians. The 29-year-old has erased all doubts, though, becoming a fan favorite and playing at an elite level for what is arguably the best team in the world.
The PSG game was just the tip of the iceberg, as Díaz currently has 25 goal contributions from 25 games in all competitions. His form extends to the national team, too — Díaz has seven goal contributions in his last eight Colombia games.
Colombia’s recent performances have been something of a mixed bag. After surprisingly missing the 2022 World Cup, Colombia went on a historic 28-game unbeaten streak, ultimately falling in the Copa América Final to Argentina. Then, in 2024, after the Copa América, Los Cafeteros won only two of six games to close the year.
Colombia then ended World Cup Qualifiers with a whimper, winning only two of its final six games. A final day thrashing of Venezuela masked an underperforming attack that otherwise averaged just over a goal per game. The national team could no longer consistently rely on James Rodríguez, while poor moves saw the careers of young stars Yáser Asprilla and Jhon Durán stall.
Not that it matters right now. There are few clear weaknesses in Colombia’s squad. Johan Mojica and Daniel Muñoz are a more than competent full-back pairing, and there are ample experienced center-back options. In midfield, Jefferson Lerma is a solid option next to Richard Ríos, one of the breakout stars in recent years.
Manager Néstor Lorenzo is truly spoiled for choice in attack.
Although he’s no longer at Aston Villa, Jhon Durán remains a lethal option up top. Suárez, meanwhile, can’t stop scoring in Portugal, while Cucho Hernández has quietly been having a strong season for Real Betis. That’s not even mentioning Jhon Córdoba, the Krasnodar striker who has been a regular since Lorenzo took over.
Díaz remains the star of this team, but there are other quality options on the wings, if not quite as menacing as the Bayern Munich man. And you can’t ever bet against James Rodríguez at an international tournament, although the now 34-year-old is currently without a club.
It’s not ideal that 36-year-old Camilo Vargas will likely be in goal, nor that Colombia will undoubtedly have one of the oldest teams in North America this summer. However, a group of Portugal, Uzbekistan, and what will in all likelihood be the winner of DR Congo vs. Jamaica is not the most difficult ask for a team of Colombia’s caliber. Their hopes shouldn’t stop there.
The fact is that the World Cup next summer truly is anyone’s game. The last time Colombia played a tournament in the United States, Los Cafeteros reached the final. With two forwards in world-class form and such a strong team, it would be foolish to write them off.
–
Image via sporting.pt.
