The Colombian Football Federation has just revealed its preliminary squad for the upcoming 2024 Copa America in the United States. Nestor Lorenzo has chosen to rely on a combination of seasoned expertise and youthful energy in the midfield. Beyond Lorenzo’s Colombia squad Copa America 2024, six of them hail from English teams.
Following the disappointment of not making the 2022 World Cup qualifying round, Colombia has shown remarkable resilience by going over 20 matches without a loss. Even facing formidable opponents like Spain, Brazil, and Germany, they have managed to go on a winning run. For the 2024 Copa America, for instance, Los Cafeteros are now thought of as dark horses.
Los Cafeteros has won the tournament only once in their history, back in 2001. They made it to the final on one other occasion, in 1975. Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Brazil are the opponents that lie ahead in the group stages of the Copa America. However, it seems likely that they are confident in their ability to advance to the knockout rounds with relative ease.
Colombia squad Copa America 2024
Goalkeepers:
- Guillermo Viscarra (The Strongest)
- Carlos Lampe (Bolivar)
- Gustavo Almada (Universitario de Vinto)
Defenders:
- Diego Medina (Always Ready)
- Pablo Vaca (Always Ready)
- Hector Cuellar (Always Ready)
- Marcelo Suarez (Always Ready)
- Yomar Rocha (Bolivar)
- Jesus Sagredo (Bolivar)
- Jose Sagredo (Bolivar)
- Jairo Quinteros (Bolivar)
- Adrian Jusino (The Strongest)
- Luis Haquin (Atletico Ponte Preta)
- Efrain Morales (Atlanta United FC)
- Roberto Carlos Fernandez (Baltika Kaliningrad)
Midfielders:
- Lucas Chavez (Bolivar)
- Leonel Justiniano (Bolivar)
- Fernando Saucedo (Bolivar)
- Ramiro Vaca (Bolivar)
- Robson Matheus (Always Ready)
- Adalid Terrazas (Always Ready)
- Rodrigo Ramallo (The Strongest)
- Boris Cespedes (Yverdon Sport FC)
- Jaume Cuellar (Barcelona B)
- Gabriel Villamil (Liga de Quito)
- Miguel Terceros (Santos)
Forwards:
- Cesar Menacho (Blooming)
- Carmelo Algaranaz (Bolivar)
- Bruno Miranda (The Strongest)
Manager
Nestor Lorenzo gained experience as the assistant manager of Colombia from 2012 to 2019. He later proved his managerial skills during an 18-month tenure leading the Peruvian team Melgar. Lorenzo’s impressive record caught Colombia’s attention, leading them to appoint him as their new first-team boss in June 2022. Since then, he has continued to excel in his role. In fact, the 58-year-old has maintained an undefeated record since assuming the role. As he gears up for his inaugural international tournament as manager, his past involvement in competitive Copa America and World Cup events with Colombia could be of enormous benefit.
Key Player
Even though James Rodriguez, Colombia’s World Cup 2014 hero, is still part of the national team, Luis Diaz has surpassed him as the team’s most valuable player. The Liverpool attacker will need to be in great form if Colombia is to have any chance of winning in the US. His teammates will be left seeking him because of his pinpoint passing and sharp runs. Also, with the exception of Rodriguez and David Ospina, the rest of the team is quite young, so Diaz will need to show leadership both with and without the ball.
Colombia Copa America 2024 Fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 24 | 6 p.m. | Colombia vs Paraguay | NRG Stadium, TX |
| June 28 | 6 p.m. | Colombia vs Costa Rica | State Farm Stadium, AZ |
| July 2 | 9 p.m. | Brazil vs Colombia | Levi’s Stadium, CA |
