What Colombia Must Do to Qualify to 2026 World Cup

The Colombian national team is currently winless in four games for the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Still, thanks to the decision to expand the tournament to 48 teams by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Colombia has a very good chance of qualifying for the competition in the United States.

It is worth noting that the only South American team that secured its place in next year’s World Cup is Argentina. As it stands, the World Champions are leading the table, followed by Ecuador, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, and Colombia. Venezuela is provisionally qualifying for a playoff game against a team from Oceania for a chance to be at the tournament for the first time.

With four games to go, the question remains: what does Colombia need to do to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States?

Historical point averages suggest Colombia needs four points to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup

Historically, 24 points have been the magic number for World Cup qualification in the South American qualifiers. Indeed, Colombia would only need four more points to secure, at worst, the seventh position in the table, which is the position currently occupied by Venezuela. 25 points would be enough to directly qualify Colombia for the Mexico, Canada, and United States World Cup.

Colombia’s final four matches are relatively easy, as the national team will host an eliminated Peru in Barranquilla will visit world champions Argentina in Buenos Aires. The national team will finish the qualifiers by hosting Bolivia in Barranquilla and visiting Venezuela in the final match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Is Nestor Lorenzo’s job as Colombian head coach under scrutiny?

Earlier this week, Colombian Football journalist, Carlos Antonio Velez, said on his show, Palabras Mayores, that Colombian head coach, Nestor Lorenzo and the Colombian Football Federation would have an extraordinary meeting to discuss Colombia’s crisis.

The team that in recent months has severely underperformed in comparison to its performances at the 2024 Copa America has been heavily criticized by fans and analysts alike. The manager has seen increased criticism for not using substitutes that could be key for the team, and for overly trusting underperforming players like Richard Rios.

Still, the Colombian Football Federation denied that a meeting between them and Nestor Lorenzo took place, as, according to Colombia’s football governing body, the relationship between them is normal and stable. Crucially, however, the manager’s spot for the World Cup is not guaranteed, as his contract expires after the qualifiers finish and there is no automatic extension.