TheColombia national football team (Spanish:Selección de fútbol de Colombia), nicknamedLos Cafeteros, representsColombia in men's internationalfootball and is managed by theFederación Colombiana de Fútbol (English:Colombian Football Federation), the governing body forfootball in Colombia. They are a member ofCONMEBOL and are ranked 14th in theFIFA World Rankings as of April 2025.[8] The team are nicknamedLos Cafeteros due to thecoffee production in the 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.[9][10]
In the 2014 edition held in Brazil, the team achieved its best World Cup performance, reaching the quarter-finals and placing fifth in the final standings.[12] Its greatest international achievement is winning theCopa América in2001 as hosts, during which the team set a record by winning every match without conceding a single goal. Colombia also finished runner-up in1975 and2024 and 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 Games the gold and bronze medals in1946 and1938 respectively,[13]
The development of football in Colombia has long been the subject of scholarly debate. Most historians agree that theCaribbean Region served as the primary point of entry for the sport, which is widely believed to have been introduced around 1900 by English railway engineers employed by The Colombia Railways Company.[14][15]
Though Colombia withdrew from the1946 South American Championship, the team achieved its first significant international success later that year by winning the1946 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, defeating all six opponents and claiming the gold medal under Peruvian manager José Arana Cruz.[19]
Post-war reintegration and first World Cup (1947–1962)
Following their debut at the1945 South American Championship, Colombia’s presence on the international stage became sporadic in the immediate post-war period. Although the national federation gained affiliation withFIFA in 1936,[14] the team withdrew from several editions of theCopa América between 1947 and 1957, reflecting ongoing administrative instability and the broader social and economic challenges affecting the country during the mid-20th century.[20]
Colombia returned to the continental competition at the1957 South American Championship in Peru, marking their re-entry into South American football after more than a decade of absence. While results remained modest, the tournament signalled renewed institutional commitment to international participation and laid the groundwork for future competitive development.[21]
This gradual reintegration culminated in Colombia’s qualification for the1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, their first appearance at the finals since their international debut.[22] Coached byEfraín Sánchez, who also served as team captain, Colombia competed in Group 1 alongsideUruguay,the Soviet Union, andYugoslavia. Despite finishing bottom of the group, Colombia produced one of the most iconic moments in their football history in their match against the Soviet Union. Trailing 4–1, midfielderMarcos Coll scored directly from a corner kick in what remains the only "gol olímpico" (goal scored directly from a corner) in FIFA World Cup history, beating legendary goalkeeperLev Yashin in the process.[23] The tournament represented a symbolic turning point, reaffirming Colombia’s place within global football and setting the stage for more consistent international engagement in the decades that followed.
First Copa América final and unsuccessful World Cup qualification campaigns (1963–1979)
In qualification for the1966 FIFA World Cup, Colombia was grouped withEcuador andChile, but finished bottom of the section with two points, recording a solitary 2–0 home victory over Chile.[25] The following year, Colombia again faced Chile in qualification for the1967 South American Championship, but were eliminated after a 5–2 defeat inSantiago and a scoreless draw in Bogotá.[26]
Colombia next entered qualification for the1970 FIFA World Cup, drawn into Group 2 alongsideBrazil,Paraguay, andVenezuela. Despite competitive performances, the team finished third with one win, one draw, and four losses, missing out on qualification.[27] In preparation for the campaign, Colombia hosted theEngland national team in a pre-World Cup friendly that ended in a 4–0 defeat.[28] The match was overshadowed by the widely publicizedBogotá Bracelet incident involving England captainBobby Moore, which generated significant international attention.[29][30][31]
Colombia achieved its most significant international result of the era at the1975 Copa América. Drawn into Group C withParaguay andEcuador, the team won all four matches to advance to the semifinals againstUruguay. A 3–0 home victory and a 1–0 away defeat were sufficient to secure progression on aggregate, sending Colombia to the Copa América final for the first time in its history. In the final, Colombia facedPeru in a three-match series. After each team won its home fixture, the championship was decided by a playoff match held at a neutral venue inCaracas. Peru prevailed 1–0, withHugo Sotil scoring the decisive goal in the 25th minute, denying Colombia its first continental title.[32]
1980s: dawn of the Golden Generation and World Cup qualification
Prior to the 1980s, the Colombia national team was widely regarded as a struggling side, constrained by limited investment from theColombian Football Federation, inconsistent international participation, and the broader social and political instability affecting the country. Periods of national crisis, includingLa Violencia and the rise of organized crime, hindered the development of football infrastructure and delayed the emergence of a sustained footballing culture. Although Colombia had qualified for the1962 FIFA World Cup, the national team largely failed to build on that achievement, earning a reputation as perennial underachievers in international competition.[33]
Colombia in 1985
In the early 1980s, Colombia sought to re-establish itself competitively under Argentine managerCarlos Bilardo. The team entered the1982 World Cup qualifiers with renewed ambition but failed to secure qualification for thefinals, and subsequently exited in the first round of the1983 Copa América, underscoring the persistent gap between promise and results.
Colombia showed tangible progress during qualification for the1986 FIFA World Cup. Drawn intoGroup 1 alongsideArgentina,Peru, andVenezuela, the campaign began with a notable 1–0 victory over Peru, courtesy ofMiguel Prince. Despite suffering defeats to Argentina both at home and away, Colombia recovered with draws and victories against Venezuela to secure a place in the intercontinental play-offs againstParaguay. A 3–0 defeat in Asunción proved decisive, and although Colombia won the return leg 2–1, they were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate, narrowly missing qualification.
At the1987 Copa América, Colombia were drawn into Group C withBolivia andParaguay. The team advanced to the semi-finals, where they facedChile. Colombia briefly took the lead in extra time through a 103rd-minute penalty byBernardo Redín, but Chile responded with two late goals to eliminate Colombia in dramatic fashion. Colombia would go on to win the third-place match against Argentina.
South American qualification for the1990 FIFA World Cup saw the confederation allocated three-and-a-half places. WithArgentina qualifying automatically as reigning champions, the remaining teams were divided into three groups. Colombia emerged as one of the group winners but were required to contest theCONMEBOL–OFC play-off againstOceania representativesIsrael, who had finished ahead ofAustralia andNew Zealand. Colombia prevailed 1–0 on aggregate over two legs, securing qualification for their firstFIFA World Cup since 1962 and marking the definitive emergence of a new generation on the international stage.[34]
1990s: World Cup return, and the first Colombian Golden Era
At the1990 World Cup, Colombia was drawn withYugoslavia, alongsideUnited Arab Emirates and powerhouseWest Germany. Colombia faced the United Arab Emirates at theStadio Renato Dall'Ara inBologna, winning 2–0 with goals fromBernardo Redín andCarlos Valderrama to achieve Colombia's first-ever World Cup finals win. Despite losing the second game against Yugoslavia 1–0, Colombia advanced to the round of 16 after a historic 1–1 draw with eventual champions West Germany, whereFreddy Rincón equalized in the 93rd minute after West Germany's initial goal five minutes earlier.[35][36]
Colombia finished the group stage in third place, advancing as the second-best third-placed team. They were eliminated in the round of 16 byCameroon with a 2–1 defeat in extra time, after a mistake from Colombian goalkeeperRené Higuita.[37][38]
Francisco Maturana is Colombia's most prominent domestic manager, guiding the national team to the1990 and1994 World Cups, and leading them to their firstCopa América title in 2001.
Shortly after the tournament, Francisco Maturana left his post as manager. He was replaced byLuis Augusto García, who led the team in the1991 Copa América and interim matches. Maturana returned in 1993 to guide Colombia through the successful 1994 World Cup qualifying campaign.[39]
With Valderrama as captain, Colombia reached the semifinals of the1993 Copa América, losing toArgentina on penalties and finishing third after a 2–1 victory overEcuador.
Hernán Darío Gómez (El Bolillo) replaced Maturana in 1995. Under his management, Colombia finished third at the1995 Copa América after defeating the United States 4–1. Two years later, at the1997 Copa América, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by hostsBolivia.[44]
Colombia hosted the2001 tournament, which faced last-minute cancellations and withdrawals due to security concerns.[49] They opened with wins overVenezuela (2–0),Ecuador (1–0), andChile (2–0). Colombia then eliminatedPeru andHonduras in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively, and defeatedMexico 1–0 in the final with a goal from captainIván Córdoba. The team did not concede a single goal and earned the fair play award; goalkeeperÓscar Córdoba was named best goalkeeper.[50][51][52]
The decade ended with a poor2010 qualifying campaign, as constant formation changes and managerial instability, including the replacement of Pinto byEduardo Lara after a 4–0 loss toChile in September 2008, contributed to Colombia failing to qualify.[59][60]
The Pékerman Era: revival and a new Golden Generation (2011–2018)
In the2011 Copa América, Colombia topped their group but were eliminated 2–0 byPeru in the quarter-finals. The team ended the year ranked 36th in FIFA, up from 54th earlier in the year.[61]
After hiringJosé Pékerman in January 2012,[62] Colombia achieved a second-place finish in theFIFA World Cup qualification CONMEBOL stage with 30 points, qualifying for the2014 World Cup for the first time since 1998. The team conceded only 12 goals, the second-best defensive record behind Argentina.[63]
Without injuredRadamel Falcao, Colombia opened the 2014 World Cup with a 3–0 win overGreece, followed by a 2–1 victory overIvory Coast to top Group C. They defeatedUruguay 2–0 in the round of 16, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, before losing 2–1 to hostsBrazil. James Rodríguez won the Golden Boot and later thePuskás Award for his goal against Uruguay.[64][65]
Colombia finished fourth in CONMEBOL to qualify for the2018 World Cup. They lost 2–1 toJapan, then beatPoland 3–0 andSenegal 1–0 to top Group H. In the round of 16, Colombia drew 1–1 withEngland and were eliminated 4–3 on penalties.[67]
2022 World Cup cycle and the Néstor Lorenzo era (2019–present)
Following the federation's choice to not renew Pekerman's contract, formerIran managerCarlos Queiroz was hired to coach the national team.
Starting off their2019 Copa América campaign, Colombia defeatedArgentina 2–0, marking their first victory over theLa Albiceleste since 2007.[68] Days later, they facedQatar and won 1–0 to advance to the next round. They finished the group stage with a 1–0 victory overParaguay, ending with nine points, four goals scored, and none conceded.[69][70][71] Colombia also became the only team since the2001 edition to advance out of the group stage with a 100% record.[72] Despite this, Colombia were eliminated by Chile in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals.[73]
Colombia opened the2022 World Cup qualifiers with victories over Venezuela and Chile. However, following the resumption of matches after theCOVID-19 pandemic, the team’s form deteriorated, culminating in their heaviest home defeat in 82 years against Uruguay and a 6–1 loss to Ecuador. The downturn brought an end to Carlos Queiroz’s tenure in December 2020. On 14 January 2021, theColombian Football Federation announced the return ofReinaldo Rueda as head coach.[74][75]
GoalkeeperDavid Ospina became Colombia's most capped player in history during Colombia's quarter-final victory against Uruguay at the2021 Copa América, reaching 112 appearances.
In the2021 Copa América, Colombia won their opening match against Ecuador, then drew 0–0 with Venezuela.[76][77] They lost 2–1 to Peru in their third match. Next, Colombia lost to Brazil but progressed to the quarter-finals and then to the semi-finals after defeating Uruguay on penalties following a 0–0 draw.[78] In the semi-finals, Colombia drew 1–1 with Argentina before losing on penalties.[79] Colombia defeated Peru 3–2 in the third-place match, withLuis Díaz scoring twice, making him the top scorer alongsideLionel Messi.[80]
After the Copa América, Colombia resumed World Cup qualification. The team went seven matches without scoring, but defeated Venezuela 1–0 in their final match. Results elsewhere left Colombia in sixth place, missing out on the World Cup. Rueda left shortly after.[81]
On 28 February 2023, the federation launched "Futbol con Futuro" (Football with a Future), a project supported by FIFA covering 2022–2025, aiming to reinforce all national teams’ structures and achieve success on the pitch.[83]
Under Lorenzo, Colombia compiled a 28-match unbeaten run leading up to the2024 Copa América final, which they lost to Argentina in extra time on 14 July 2024. This run included victories over Germany, Brazil, andSpain.[84]
In September 2025, Colombia qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their seventh World Cup appearance, after finishing third in CONMEBOL qualifying.[85]
Colombia's main regional football rival has long been neighbouringVenezuela. Although Colombia has historically dominated head‑to‑head meetings—with more wins, goals and overall victories—the rivalry has seen notable moments that reflect the improving quality of Venezuelan football since the late 1990s, when the sport began to overtake baseball in popularity in Venezuela.[86][87] One of the most significant upsets occurred in the2006 World Cup qualifiers, when Venezuela defeated Colombia 1–0 in Barranquilla, a result widely regarded as a watershed moment for the Vinotinto.[88]
During the 2026 World Cup qualifying cycle, Colombia again asserted its superiority over Venezuela, first winning 1–0 in the early stages of the closing campaign,[89] and later securing a decisive 6–3 victory in Maturín that extinguished Venezuela’s hopes of reaching the intercontinental playoff, effectively eliminating them from contention for their first ever World Cup finals.[90]
Colombia and Argentina players dispute a play during a2022 World Cup qualifier on 1 February 2022.
The rivalry between Colombia and theArgentina is rooted in a long competitive history and significant matches, often drawing substantial attention in South America. Argentina holds the overall edge in head‑to‑head meetings, but Colombia has registered several memorable results.[91]
One of the most iconic matches in the rivalry took place on 5 September 1993, when Colombia defeated Argentina 5–0 in Buenos Aires during the1994 World Cup qualifiers, marking Argentina’s first home defeat in a World Cup qualifying match at theEstadio Monumental.[92] Colombia also beat Argentina 3–0 in the group stage of the1999 Copa América, a game remembered for Argentine strikerMartín Palermo missing three penalties.[93]
At the2021 Copa América, Argentina and Colombia met in the semi‑final inBrasília. After a 1–1 draw in regular time, the contest went to a penalty shootout, which Argentina won 3–2 to advance to the final. The shootout included a widely‑reported flurry of “gamesmanship” and taunting.Emiliano Martínez was heard attempting to distract Colombia’s takers before their kicks, and afterYerry Mina’s penalty was saved,Lionel Messi — who had played alongside Mina atFC Barcelona — was caught on camera shouting “¡bailá ahora!” (“Dance now!”) in Mina’s direction, a clear reference to Mina’s exuberant celebration after scoring in Colombia’s previous shootout win over Uruguay earlier in the tournament.[94][95][96]
In the2024 Copa América final, Argentina defeated Colombia 1–0 after extra time to win the championship, withLautaro Martínez scoring the decisive goal at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.[97] Following the match, Argentine players were widely reported to have sung and chanted references to “El Ritmo Que Nos Une” — a song associated with Colombia’s 2024 campaign — during their trophy celebrations, an incident that drew significant media coverage and reaction from fans of both teams.[98]
In June 2025, during a 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, the sides played out a 1–1 draw. During the match, a tense on‑field exchange occurred between Argentine captainLionel Messi and Colombian captainJames Rodríguez after a stoppage in play. Messi confronted Rodríguez about comments he had made earlier in the year regarding the2024 Copa América final, in which Argentina beat Colombia 1–0, accusing him of saying that the referees had helped Argentina in that match and saying “you talk too much”, to which Rodríguez replied that he “didn’t say anything”.[99][100] The confrontation highlighted lingering tensions from that tournament, as Rodríguez had publicly suggested that external factors, including refereeing decisions, played a role in Argentina’s victory in the final.[101]
Despite these intense moments, the Colombia–Argentina rivalry is often described in media and commentary as one based on competitive respect between two of South America’s most prominent footballing nations, with each meeting adding new layers to their shared history on the pitch.
Colombia plays their qualifying matches and friendlies at theEstadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez inBarranquilla, 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 Colombia's amateur era in the 1930s and 1940s. The stadium was used for all of Colombia's successful World Cup qualifying campaigns since 1990.
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 Centenario the 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 26 players were named in the squad for thefriendly matches on 15 and 18 November 2025 againstNew Zealand andAustralia, respectively.[102] Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2025, after the match againstAustralia.
^abcAndrés, Juan Pablo (18 July 2013)."Colombia – List of Champions and Runners-Up".Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Juan Pablo Andrés and RSSSF.Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved15 November 2013.
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