Colombia

James Rodríguez won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup with six goals, and Colombia went out in the quarter-finals. He wore the armband at the recent major tournaments, and the captaincy is now vacant.

Rodríguez's most recent final ended in a 1–0 defeat to Argentina after extra time, in the 2024 Copa América. Argentina are Colombia's main rival, and the meetings have not all gone one way: in 1993 Colombia beat them 5–0. Néstor Lorenzo, appointed head coach on 2 June 2022, was in charge for that 2024 run. Colombia had also lost the 1975 final, and they have finished third five times, most recently in 2021.

The 1994 World Cup is remembered for a death rather than a result. Defender Andrés Escobar was murdered after scoring an own goal against the USA.

Colombia's first official international was on 17 February 1926 in Barranquilla, a 4–1 win over Costa Rica. Barranquilla is still the base: the team plays at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, which holds 46,788. The kit is yellow shirts, blue shorts and red socks, and the team is known as Los Cafeteros, the Coffee Growers. The other nickname is La Tricolor. Radamel Falcao is the leading scorer with 36 goals. Carlos Valderrama and René Higuita are the best-known of the earlier generation.

The only Copa América title came in 2001, on home soil. Colombia won all six matches and did not concede a goal.