BOGOTÁ (AP) — With captain James Rodríguez present, Colombia’s national team announced on Monday the 26 players named to the World Cup roster in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
This will be James Rodríguez’s third World Cup with the Cafeteros, who will be appearing for the seventh time after missing the Qatar 2022 edition.
“James is doing well, he has trained a lot and he’s in good shape,” said head coach Néstor Lorenzo during his remarks at the headquarters of the Colombian Football Federation in Bogotá.
After appearing in only six matches since arriving at Minnesota United this year, Rodríguez, 34, was among the first to report to the training camp that began last week in Guarne, about 25 kilometers from Medellín, at the Atlético Nacional sports complex.
In addition to James, who was the top scorer in Brazil 2014 when he helped Colombia reach the quarterfinals, standout winger Luis Díaz, a Bayern Munich figure who won the Bundesliga double and the German Cup this season, stands out.
Colombia will debut in Group K on June 17 against Uzbekistan in Mexico City. They will then face the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the 23 in Guadalajara and will close the group stage on the 27 against Portugal in Miami.
In the Colombia squad is goalkeeper David Ospina, who at 37 will be competing in his third World Cup and is the player with the most international caps, with 130, six more than James Rodríguez.
The other goalkeepers named are Camilo Vargas, who defended the net in 15 matches in the qualifiers, and Álvaro Montero.
Vargas, like the left-back Santiago Arias, were also included for the third time in a World Cup squad.
“All decisions are complex,” Lorenzo acknowledged. “For the final squad we considered the leagues they play in and the level they are at.”
“All the hard work has paid off,” Jhon Arias wrote on his social media. “For me, playing in a World Cup is special.”
Another player who will debut in the World Cup is Jaminton Campaz.
“I dreamed of this moment my entire life,” the Rosario Central player wrote in a post, who received a reply from World Cup winner Argentina’s Ángel Di María: “Of course, kid, you deserve it.”
The list includes 10 midfielders, and Lorenzo justified his selection by the pace of competition at the World Cup.
“In a tournament like this, it’s important to have depth in midfield,” the Argentine coach who has led the Cafeteros since 2022 said. “In that area, we look for players who can deliver good functioning.”
Among the absentees are forward Rafael Santos Borré, who has played 44 matches with his national team, defenders Carlos Cuesta and Yerson Mosquera, as well as forwards Sebastián Villa and Jhon Jader Durán.
Colombia will continue its camp this week in Bogotá, where they will face Costa Rica in a friendly on June 1 before traveling to North America. The last warm-up match before the World Cup will be June 7 against Jordan in San Diego.
