Colombia name 26-man World Cup squad led by James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz ahead of North America 2026

Colombia are returning to the World Cup after missing out on Qatar 2022, and head coach Néstor Lorenzo has named a squad blending veteran experience with European-based talent for the tournament running from 11 June to 19 July. Captain James Rodríguez, the Golden Boot winner at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, will appear at his third finals despite a disrupted club season at Minnesota United, where he played only four games before departing in May. Luis Díaz enters the tournament after a stellar first season with Bayern Munich, having scored 26 goals and recorded 23 assists across all competitions as the club won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.

Squad composition and key selections

Half of Lorenzo's squad play their club football in Europe, with Crystal Palace duo Daniel Muñoz and Jefferson Lerma representing the Premier League. Goalkeeper David Ospina, the 37-year-old record cap holder with 130 appearances, is included alongside Camilo Vargas and Álvaro Montero. In attack, Sporting CP's Luis Suárez — the top scorer in the Portuguese league with 28 goals — and Real Betis forward Juan Camilo 'Cucho' Hernández provide support to Díaz. Notable omissions from the final list include central defender Yerson Mosquera of Wolverhampton, forward Rafael Santos Borré, and veteran Juan Cuadrado. Goalkeeper Kevin Mier also missed out, with Lorenzo opting for three experienced keepers. Winger Sebastián Villa was excluded after controversy over his inclusion in the preliminary list despite a gender violence conviction.

Rodríguez's fitness concerns

Rodríguez's selection comes after a season disrupted by illness. The 34-year-old was taken to hospital in March after showing signs of illness during Colombia's 3-1 defeat by France and spent three days under observation with severe dehydration. Social media rumours and reports in some US media sparked concerns he was suffering from rhabdomyolysis, a potentially life-threatening muscle-wasting condition, but his club firmly denied the claims. He started just two of Minnesota United's 15 Major League Soccer matches, playing 194 minutes overall.

Preparation and warm-up fixtures

Colombia will hold a training camp in Bogotá before playing friendly matches. According to multiple sources, they will face Costa Rica on 1 June and Jordan on 7 June, though one report also lists a fixture against the United States on 4 June. The team will be based in Guadalajara, Mexico during the tournament.

Group K campaign schedule

Colombia have been drawn in Group K alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan, and DR Congo. They will open their campaign against tournament debutants Uzbekistan on 17 June at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Their second match is against DR Congo on 23 June at the Estadio Chivas in Guadalajara (also reported as Zapopan). The group stage concludes against Portugal on 27 June at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Historical context

This marks Colombia's seventh appearance at the World Cup finals. Their best performance came in 2014 when they reached the quarter-finals, with Rodríguez winning the Golden Boot. Their most recent appearance was in 2018, where they reached the last 16 before failing to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.