Conmebol has outlined the South American route to the 2026 World Cup, set to be hosted in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Colombia faces a fresh start after a disappointing run in the South American qualifiers, which left the team outside the direct qualification spots and ultimately led to elimination from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The setback prompted the departure of Reinaldo Rueda as head coach, and the arrival of Néstor Lorenzo aims to elevate the program for the 2026 cycle. In the interim, the team will continue to compete in a series of friendly matches as part of the transition.
Below is a comprehensive overview of the national team’s calendar across all competitions.
FRIENDLIES
With the clear understanding that World Cup qualification would not be possible in the immediate future and with Néstor Lorenzo appointed as the new sporting director, Colombia played a friendly against Saudi Arabia on the FIFA date in June. Under Héctor Cárdenas, the squad sought new ideas and varied approaches, ultimately earning a 1-0 victory behind Rafael Santos Borré’s goal in Murcia, Spain.
Lorenzo then marked his debut as head coach with a doubleheader in the United States, securing wins against Guatemala (4-1) and Mexico (3-2) to begin the new era on the right track, though acknowledging there was still work to be done.
Colombia closed 2023 with a confident 2-0 win over Paraguay in Fort Lauderdale and began 2024 with a goalless draw against the United States in California, continuing Lorenzo’s experiment and progression.
Recently, the federation confirmed two additional March friendlies, both on Asian soil against regional opponents. The Tricolor faced South Korea on 24 March in Ulsan, finishing 2-2 with goals from James and Carrascal after trailing 0-2 in the first half. The second match came against Japan on Tuesday, March 28 in Osaka at 05:20 local time in Colombia, as part of the ongoing evaluation of the squad.
2026 QUALIFIERS FOR THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO AND CANADA
The South American Confederation has maintained the same format and competition structure as the Qatar 2022 qualifiers for this cycle, which begins on the road to the 2026 World Cup. As in prior cycles, the national team will start at home against Venezuela in September 2023 and will finish the campaign against Vinotinto two years later, in September 2025.
The qualifying schedule features a total of 18 match dates, arranged to determine the six direct spots and the one additional position for a World Cup playoff. The cadence unfolds as follows:
- 2023: Two match days in September, two in October, and two in November.
- 2024: Two match days in September, two in October, and two in November.
- 2025: Two match days in March, two in June, and two in September.
The complete plan for Colombia in the qualifiers toward the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026 outlines a demanding schedule designed to measure the team’s growth and readiness for global competition.
COPA AMÉRICA 2024
The Copa América 2024 is confirmed to take place in the United States from June 13 to July 14. In addition to the ten CONMEBOL nations, six CONCACAF teams will participate, determined by the Confederation’s Nations League competition.
The full timetable for Colombia’s involvement in Copa América United States 2024 is still being finalized as the teams and matchups take shape.
All information reflects official announcements and ongoing scheduling developments.