Colombia’s Road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup

August 4, 2025

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will blow past tradition and throw open its doors to a whopping 48 nations—a seismic shift that upends decades of qualifiers’ anguish. For Colombia, this is more than an expanded tournament: it’s a high-wire act with redemption glinting at the end. As six South American berths and a playoff beckon, the Cafeteros’ path to North America has been a tale of two campaigns, but they remain in the box seat with just two qualifiers remaining.

Back in 2014, the audacious flair of James Rodríguez lit up Brazil and took his nation to the quarterfinals for the first time ever. Four years later, the mercurial attacking midfielder was injured, but he watched on from the stands as his compatriots reached the last 16, losing a gripping penalty shootout to England in Moscow. However, that run of impressive campaigns came to a screeching halt as Colombia missed the greatest sporting event on earth altogether, back-to-back victories not enough to overturn a dismal start.

Now, all eyes are on next summer, and one outlet in particular will be shining the brightest lights on the World Cup than most. That, of course, is the upstart website LuckyRebel.la, which is poised to disrupt the sporting status quo. The fledgling website is set for launch in the coming weeks, and it promises to revolutionise how sports fans follow their favourite teams and players.

But what will the site write about Colombia and their World Cup efforts? With just two qualifiers remaining, their destiny is in their own hands. But what is the story so far, and what is about to be written?

Blistering Start

Colombia began their qualifying campaign with a run worthy of folklore. Eight matches, zero defeats. Barranquilla became a fortress.

The statement wins? Start with the masterpiece against Brazil. The world’s gaze fixed on Barranquilla as Luis Diaz sliced through the Selecao’s back line time and again. He netted twice late on to overturn a one goal deficit and send shockwaves through South America by handing his side a 2-1 win.

A year later – with a break in the middle of the qualifying to make space for the Copa America – the Colombians picked up where they left off. Argentina – the reigning champions and the team that beat Colombia in the final of said Copa America – headed to Barranquilla on the hunt for another win. Colombia, however, would have their redemption, with James Rodriguez’s second-half penalty enough to secure a 2-1 victory.

Bolivia’s Altitude Sees Colombia Come Undone

But in South America, tales of triumph are always tempered by adversity. No away fixture strikes fear like La Paz—3,600 meters that turn legs to sand and minds to fog. Colombia arrived as heavy favorites against a Bolivia side languishing. But the testing terrain would prove much for the visitors to handle.

From kick-off, the Cafeteros looked unrecognizable. Passing slowed, movements labored, and the door was open for an upset. On the hour mark, the opening goal duly came, and it was scored by the hosts as Miguel Terceros struck. Pouncing on a rebound, Terceros slammed home the goal that turned out to be the winner as La Paz quaked in celebration.

That single strike didn’t just shift the match; it recalibrated an entire campaign. Bolivia leapt back into contention; Colombia’s imperious aura was shattered in one 90-minute window. And it’s been a rocky road since.

Stuttering Into Dangerous Territory

Reeling, Colombia searched for an emphatic response and found it—temporarily. Against Chile, Luis Díaz hit the ignition, netting in a resounding 4-0 drubbing. But joy quickly turned to tension as the wheels began to wobble in quick succession.

The trip to Montevideo started brightly: Juan Fernando Quintero whipped a free-kick past Sergio Rochet for the opener, his celebration defiant. But Uruguay struck back, scoring twice to take the lead before the visitors thought they had claimed a point with Andrés Gómez’s 96th-minute equaliser. Then, as the clock ticked into the 103rd minute, Manuel Ugarte broke Colombian hearts with a stunning late strike to seal a 3-2 Uruguayan win.

Back in Bogotá, Ecuador delivered a lesson in discipline and patience, taking a seventh-minute lead before shutting out a Colombian attack now second-guessing itself. In São Paulo, Vinícius Júnior put Brazil ahead early, and the Seleção never looked back, as Borré and Díaz labored in vain.

The alarm bells were wailing: three consecutive losses. Needing to restore stability, Colombia stuttered—drawing both Paraguay and Chile at home, matches expected – required, really – to yield all six points. The attack looked static, inquiries began sharpening about Néstor Lorenzo’s tactics, and the analytics underscored a dire fact: Colombia’s goal differential—so robust early—now trended downward.

Destiny in Their Own Hands

Through the storm, a chance remained—a gladiatorial trip to Buenos Aires offered a shot at rebooting hopes. Luis Díaz—Colombia’s talisman throughout all campaign—recognised the opportunity and struck a brilliant solo goal in the first half to give his side the lead. The reigning world champions would find a stunning late equaliser through Thiago Almada, but the point did Cafeterosz the Cafeteros the world of good.

With rivals faltering and the expanded format keeping opportunity alive, Colombia had their fate back in their own hands. Now, one win is all that separates them from a return to the World Cup stage—a home clash against Bolivia followed by a finale in Venezuela.

Yet there’s a barb in the tale: Should Colombia fail to dispatch Bolivia in Barranquilla in the first of that double-header, then Diaz and Co. will travel to Caracas with everything on the line. Venezuela also have a slight hope of boarding the plane to North America, and victory for the hosts would likely be enough to secure their spot for the first time, at Colombia’s expense.