James Rodríguez has been included in Colombia’s 26-man squad for the World Cup in Mexico, United States, and Canada.
This will be James’ third World Cup. Colombia will participate for the seventh time after missing the Qatar event in 2022.
Lorenzo Confident in Rodriguez’s Condition
Néstor Lorenzo said, “James está bien, ha entrenado mucho y está en buena condición”.
Rodríguez, who has only played in six matches since joining Minnesota United this year, was one of the first to join the team. The team started training last week in Guarne, near Medellín.
Key Players Named in Colombia Squad
Luis Díaz, who won the Bundesliga and the German Cup with Bayern Munich this season, also made the squad.
David Ospina, with 130 international appearances, will participate in his third World Cup. Ospina has played six more games than James Rodríguez.
Camilo Vargas and Álvaro Montero were also named as goalkeepers.
Vargas and Santiago Arias were included in the World Cup squad for the third time.
Squad Selection Considerations
Lorenzo acknowledged the difficulty of making the final selections. He stated that the decisions were based on the leagues the players play in and their current level.
Jhon Arias posted on social media that playing in a World Cup is special for him. Jaminton Campaz, who also made the list, said he had dreamed of this moment his entire life.
Ángel Di María commented on Campaz’s post, saying, “Claro, jugador, te lo mereces”.
There are 10 midfielders in the squad. Lorenzo justified this selection by noting the importance of having options in the midfield due to the competitive nature of the World Cup.
He said that they were looking for players who could perform well in that area.
Colombia’s World Cup Schedule
Colombia will debut in Group K against Uzbekistan on 17 June in Mexico City. They will then face the Democratic Republic of Congo on 23 June in Guadalajara, and Portugal on 27 June in Miami.
Omissions from the Squad
Rafael Santos Borré, Carlos Cuesta, Yerson Mosquera, Sebastián Villa and Jhon Jader Durán were not included in the squad.
Colombia will continue their training this week in Bogotá, where they will play a friendly against Costa Rica on 1 June.