Colombia’s triumphant return to the international scene

After a notable absence during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Colombia is in full resurgence and preparing to return to the heights of international football. Currently, second in the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, just a few points behind Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the “Tricolor“reconnects with its ambitions, driven by a new generation of talents and executives who are regaining their best level.

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The match against Chile, bottom of the group, this evening should confirm this positive trend. James Rodríguez, formerly of Monaco and Real Madrid, is today one of the figures of this revival. After a difficult period marked by injuries, he regained his form and influence on the pitch. At his side, Luis Díaz, Liverpool striker, brings his dynamism and his ability to destabilize opposing defenses.

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Néstor Lorenzo, the “unknown” at the helm

If on the field, most of the players are currently playing in the big names of European football, the leader of this glorious troupe is not that well known. Néstor Lorenzo, who arrived on the selection bench in July 2022, initially surprised many observers of local football when he was appointed. He was then criticized for his lack of experience.

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Indeed, his first, and only, real coaching experience was a season at Melgar in Peru, between 2021 and 2022, where he reached the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana. Lorenzo had previously been an assistant on the benches of Argentina, the Monterrey Tigers, but also Colombia (between 2012 and 2019). In the position of assistant, however, he will obtain solid experience of South American and international football, a criterion, it seems, essential to his appointment as number one among the Tricolors.

Two years after his arrival, Néstor Lorenzo no longer has the press and fans talking, quite the contrary. Colombia went on a crazy 28-game unbeaten run with him, a record for the country. Under his orders, the nation was able to win against important teams on the world stage, such as Germany, Brazil, Uruguay and Spain. The invincibility only ended in the final of the Copa América last July, after an overtime defeat against Argentina (1-0).

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Capitalize on the Copa América

The journey in this legendary competition is also one of the proofs of Colombian renewal. A competition, almost flawless, which propelled Colombia to the final. As a reminder, she had only reached the highest step twice, for a defeat in 1975 and a victory in 2001 against Mexico. “Today, Néstor Lorenzo has restored confidence in the national team and has established himself as a highly experienced coach. He arrived on the Colombian bench as an unknown and won the affection of the supporters», notes the Colombian daily The Time. Another symbol of the renewal of the selection, this Copa América will probably serve as a basis for Lorenzo’s future work.

«We have always tried to respect the style of Colombian football. I love good football, I was trained in a club that is known as one of the best training centers in the world, Argentinos Juniors, which is like Envigado here, has produced very talented players. It is also necessary to rely on» explained the tactician, providing some clues on the possible future of the selection. Enough to glimpse a bright future for the coming years.