Colombia Eyes Victory Against Chile and Bolivia | Colombia announce squad for October international break

 Colombia vs Chile & Bolivia in crucial World Cup qualifiers! Can James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz lead Los Cafeteros to the top spot in South America?

The Colombian national football team, known as Los Cafeteros, is preparing to battle with Chile and Bolivia in two important clashes for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign. 

These commitments are strategic for Colombia’s priorities of keeping and even enhancing their standing in the South American World Cup qualifiers. At present, Colombia stands in 3rd place with 16 points out of 8 matches played, which is two points lesser than the leaders, Argentina.

The next set of matches consists of a home fixture against Chile in Barranquilla and an away encounter against Bolivia in El Alto stadium. These are important fixtures for Colombia in maintaining their great form and even possibly surpassing Argentina in the rankings.

One of the first players of note to join the Colombian squad is Nelson Deossa, a 24-year-old midfielder from Pachuca of Liga MX, who has not yet played for the national team. Deossa has been doing quite well this season, 

with his displays impressing head coach Nestor Lorenzo, who has decided to include him in the national team. The midfielder's creativity and work rate are bound to come in handy, especially when Colombia hopes to be in authority over Chile and Bolivia.

Key Players to Watch: James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz

Colombia’s hope will once more be pinned on Rayo Vallecano’s star midfielder, James Rodriguez. Rodriguez is still one of the most important players for Colombians and is also known for his leadership and playmaking on the pitch. 

On the other hand, Luis Diaz, a Liverpool winger, will also be aiming to maintain the high standards, more so, after the Premier League’s triumphant start to the season. Another interesting young player to watch out for is the Aston Villa striker, Jhon Jader Duran, as he adds more speed and style with the ball to the Colombian squad.

Colombia's Strong Squad Selection

Colombia has assembled an impressive 29-man squad, packed with experienced players and rising stars. This includes Davinson Sanchez from Galatasaray, Jefferson Lerma from Crystal Palace, and Jhon Arias from Fluminense, all of whom are expected to play vital roles in the upcoming matches. Despite injuries to key players like Rafael Borre, Yerson Mosquera, and Carlos Cuesta, Colombia’s depth and versatility make them a formidable team.

Here is Colombia’s full squad for the October World Cup qualifiers:

• Goalkeepers: Álvaro Montero (Millonarios), Camilo Vargas (Atlas), Kevin Mier (Cruz Azul)
• Defenders: Cristian Borja (América), Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace), Davinson Sánchez (Galatasaray), John Lucumí (Bologna), Johan Mojica (Mallorca), Juan David Cabal (Juventus), Santiago Arias (Bahia), Willer Ditta (Cruz Azul), Yerry Mina (Cagliari)
• Midfielders: James Rodríguez (Rayo Vallecano), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Jhon Arias (Fluminense), Jorge Carrascal (Dynamo Moscow), Juan Portilo (Talleres), Juan Fernando Quintero (Racing Club), Kevin Castaño (FC Krasnodar), Matheus Uribe (Qatar Stars), Nelson Deossa (Pachuca), Richard Rios (Palmeiras), Yaser Asprilla (Girona)
• Forwards: Jhon Córdoba (Krasnodar), Jhon Jader Duran (Aston Villa), Juan Camilo Hernández (Columbus Crew), Luis Díaz (Liverpool), Luis Sinisterra (Bournemouth), Roger Martínez (Racing Club)

In the current World Cup qualifying campaign, Colombia has showcased remarkable performance, especially in beating Argentina 2-1 in September, thereby taking revenge for the loss suffered during the Copa America 2024 finals. This match not only proved Colombia's capabilities to take on the best of teams but also lifted their morale going into these essential fixtures.

Even though they were edged in the Copa America final by Argentina, Los Cafeteros have always bounced back to the challenges with grit, determination, and composure. The team felt it should be able to build on this before returning home and has a strategy to finish as the best team in the South American World Cup qualifying group.

The objective of Colombia is simple, gather as many points as possible in the forthcoming matches in order to overtake Argentinawith regard to the World Cup qualification. A convincing display against Chile and Bolivia perhaps would be the factor to motivate Colombia to give their best in the remaining qualifiers and be ready for the next FIFA World Cup in 2026.

To coach Nestor Lorenzo, these games serve a greater purpose in integrating his players and creating a fighting unit that is sculpted to bend iron in the most ruthless competitions. With some experienced stars and new young guns like Nelson Deossa included in the mix, Colombia has what it takes to become the dominant power in South America.