Colombia

🌍 World Cup Story

Colombia's golden era in football is associated with Carlos Valderrama's flowing blond hair, Faustino Asprilla's brilliance, and the tragic story of Andrés Escobar — murdered after scoring an own goal in the 1994 World Cup. That 1994 squad had been tipped to win the tournament; their first-round elimination shocked the world. Colombia bounced back: in 2014 in Brazil they had their best ever campaign — James Rodríguez won the Golden Boot with six goals (including a stunning volley against Uruguay that won FIFA's Goal of the Tournament), and they reached the quarterfinals. In 2018 they lost to England on penalties. In 2022 they failed to qualify. At Copa América 2024 they reached the final unbeaten through the group stage and knockouts, losing to Argentina 1-0. Luis Díaz (Liverpool) and Jhon Durán (Aston Villa) are world-class.