The 2022 Tricolor schedule continues with friendly matches in the United States.
The Colombian squad is starting a new chapter after a disappointing showing in the South American qualifiers, which left them outside the direct qualifying spots and ultimately out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
That result prompted the departure of Reinaldo Rueda as coach of the Tricolor. With the arrival of Néstor Lorenzo as his replacement, the plan is to push for substantial improvement on the path to the 2026 World Cup. In the meantime, the team will keep playing a slate of friendlies.
Below is a broad overview of the full national team calendar across all competitions.
FRIENDLY HIGH SCHOOLS
With the certainty that World Cup qualification is out of reach and following the official appointment of Néstor Lorenzo as head coach, Colombia played a friendly against Saudi Arabia during the FIFA date in June. Led by Héctor Cárdenas, the squad explored new ideas and tested fresh variants. The Tricolor secured a 1-0 victory in Murcia, Spain, thanks to Rafael Santos Borré’s goal.
Next came Lorenzo’s eagerly awaited debut, marked by a doubleheader in the United States against Guatemala and Mexico. The team prevailed 4-1 and 3-2 respectively, signaling the start of a promising process, even as work remained to be done.
Colombia finished 2023 with a convincing 2-0 win over Paraguay in Fort Lauderdale and began 2023 with a goalless draw against the United States in California, building on Lorenzo’s early assessment of the squad.
Now the federation has scheduled two additional friendlies in March, both in Asia against continental opponents. La Tricolor will face South Korea on Friday, March 24 in Ulsan at 6:00 a.m. Colombia time and Japan on Tuesday, March 28 in Osaka at 5:20 a.m. Colombia time.
QUALIFICATION ROAD TO QATAR 2022
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Although the expectation in South America was for the qualifying campaign to start after the Copa América in Brazil, a shift in plans was announced in October 2019. CONMEBOL confirmed that the Qatar 2022 qualifiers would resume in June, with dates 7 and 8 taking place before the Copa América. The earlier rounds, dates 5 and 6, were rescheduled for September, October, and November. Three match days were used to accommodate the schedule, and CONMEBOL requested FIFA for three extra days to ensure proper rest for players.
Regarding the February 2022 elimination, Argentina hosted Colombia in Córdoba at the Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium, with the venue confirmed by the AFA for the qualifier match, awaiting final confirmation.
Goal
Full Schedule for Colombia in Qatar 2022 Qualifiers:
AMERICA’S CUP 2021
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