Colombia is headed to World Cup 2026, set to compete in Group K, and the Copa America 2024 runners-up have their sights set on challenging for the World Cup title.
After missing the 2022 World Cup, their fans have high expectations and are hopeful that James Rodriguez can provide some magic in what is likely his final World Cup. Luis Diaz and a strong defense provide them the ability to compete with anybody, but can they clean up their wasteful finishing in front of goal?
Below, we’ll break down Colombia’s projected starting lineup, best players, group outlook, strengths and weaknesses, and top World Cup picks on PrizePicks.
Over on PrizePicks Team Picks, you can make a prediction on how national teams will perform in the 2026 World Cup, including tournament winner, group winner, and knockout-stage advancement markets.
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Colombia Projected Starting Lineup for World Cup 2026
Colombia enters World Cup 2026 with a goal-scoring problem. While they scored 28 goals in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying (second-most of any nation in the group), they also led the competition with 31 missed big chances.
That said, their possession-based 4-2-3-1 setup continues to generate plenty of opportunities so they’re never out of a match.
Projected Colombia Formation: 4-2-3-1
- Goalkeeper: Camilo Vargas
- Defense: Daniel Munoz, Davinson Sanchez, Jhon Lucumi, Johan Mojica
- Midfield: Jefferson Lerma, Richard Rios, James Rodriguez
- Forwards: Jhon Arias, Luis Suarez, Luis Diaz
The Colombia World Cup XI could change based on form, injuries, and matchup, but Colombia should be built around the playmaking of James Rodriguez and the lethal right foot of Luis Diaz on the wing.
How Colombia Qualified for World Cup 2026
Colombia finished third in CONMEBOL qualification, just a point behind Ecuador. Their 2-1 win over Argentina on Sept. 10, 2024, ended Argentina’s 13-match unbeaten run, handing them revenge for their loss in the Copa America 2024 final.
However, they needed to win their final two matches to earn qualification following a winless run of six matches.
Best Player for Colombia: Luis Diaz
When Diaz switched last summer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich, nobody saw him exploding the way he did. He scored 26 goals for the Bavarian side in 51 matches, after having just 41 goals in 148 outings for Liverpool.
Diaz also added 19 assists — after registering 20 over his previous five seasons combined — as part of one of the most lethal attacks in the world. Only Michael Olise had more progressive carries leading to a shot in the Bundesliga this season than Diaz, whose dribbles created 41 shots for his team.
That form has also been present in his national team performances. He scored or assisted in each of Colombia’s last five World Cup qualifiers and bagged a goal and an assist in a 3-1 friendly victory vs. Costa Rica last week.
Diaz led Colombia with 7 goals during qualification, and his 3 successful dribbles per match were by far the most of any player in the squad, per FotMob. He also missed six big chances, more than any other Colombian player.
On PrizePicks Team Picks, Diaz returns a 33.33x payout to win the Golden Boot and a 33.33x payout to win the tournament’s Golden Ball for best player.
What to Expect From Colombia at the World Cup
FIFA World Ranking: 13
Colombia’s Best World Cup Result: Quarterfinalists in 2014
Colombia’s squad is well balanced, with players operating in some of the top leagues in Europe. James Rodriguez will operate in the No. 10 role after regaining his fitness and some playing time with Minnesota United in MLS, and his playmaking ability is key to everything Colombia does in the final third.
The fullbacks are a key part of their attack as well. RB Daniel Munoz has been terrific the past two seasons for Crystal Palace, helping lead them to a UEFA Conference League crown, while LB Johan Mojica was a regular starter for Mallorca in La Liga.
Manager Nestor Lorenzo has participated in the World Cup either as a player or manager on four occasions and brings plenty of experience to the table. He sets his side up to control possession, which they held for 56.8% of the time in qualification, second only to Argentina and Brazil.
Colombia drew into a favorable situation in Group K. They’ll open with Uzbekistan and DR Congo before setting up a potential winner-takes-all showdown with Portugal on Matchday 3.
The outcome of that showdown could determine their fate. Winning Group K would send them into a nice knockout path, where their first major challenge could be Argentina in the quarterfinals.
Losing the group would see them potentially facing Croatia in the Round of 32, and then a probable match with favorites Spain in the Round of 16.
Needless to say, Colombia's hopes of making a deep run in the tournament may well hinge on the outcome of their June 27 match in Kansas City
Colombia Picks for 2026 World Cup
Here are some Colombia picks on PrizePicks for the 2026 World Cup. Check out more of our soccer picks and predictions on Playbook.
The World Cup payouts listed below indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry pays out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks. Payouts are live as of writing but are subject to change.
Colombia to Win 2026 World Cup
Yes 33.33x | No N/A
Colombia are longshots to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup in large part due to many people expecting them to finish second to Portugal in Group K, as well as the path that would send them on in the knockouts.
Were they to dispatch Portugal, their path would get considerably more favorable.
Pick Colombia to win the World Cup on PrizePicks.
Colombia to Win World Cup Group K
Yes 2.77x | No 1.14x
Taking 6 points from Uzbekistan (ranked 50th by FIFA) and DR Congo (ranked 46th) has to be Colombia’s priority entering Group K play. Failure to do so could deem the Portugal result irrelevant.
That said, Colombia’s defense would match up fairly well against the Portuguese midfield, and Diaz is the kind of player who can give the Portugal back line some problems.
Pick Colombia to win World Cup Group K now!
Colombia to Advance to World Cup Knockout Stage
Yes 1.05x | No 7.69x
Failure to advance out of the group would be crushing for the Colombian fanbase, given the talent disparity between their side and Uzbekistan and DR Congo.
Even if they were to slip up once, they very well could make it out of the group as a third-place qualifier.
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Make Colombia World Cup Picks on PrizePicks
Colombia will need Luis Diaz, James Rodriguez, and Luis Suarez to put away their chances if they hope to make a deep run at the 2026 World Cup. Winning Group K could be what allows them to reach the quarterfinals for just the second time in their history.
A potential matchup with Argentina in that round may instill them with confidence given their past meetings. Can they take care of business in the group stage to put themselves in that position?
You can make your Colombia and 2026 World Cup picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money on World Cup games. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats like shots or goals, and cash in if you’re correct.
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Stick around with the Playbook for continued World Cup predictions, picks, and analysis through the end of the tournament.
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