James in, Falcao out: Colombia reveal 2024 Copa America roster
Colombia have produced an incredible recovery after the heartbreak of failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, going on an undefeated run of more than 20 matches.
They have been on a winning run that includes matches against strong teams like Germany, Brazil, and Spain. Thus, Los Cafeteros are now considered dark horses for the 2024 Copa America.
June 20 will mark the beginning of the event, and four days later, Colombia will face off against the reigning winners, Argentina. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida will host the championship game on July 14. This is the city where Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi plays soccer at the moment.
Only once before, in 2001, did Colombia triumph in the Copa America. Meanwhile, their only previous appearance in the final was in 1975. Regardless of this background, head coach Nestor Lorenzo has put together a team that can pull off huge surprises.
Who did Nestor Lorenzo call up for Copa America 2024?
Veterans and up-and-coming young stars alike make up Colombia’s national team. Among the prominent names are James Rodriguez, a former Real Madrid playmaker, and Luis Diaz, a star for Liverpool.
With his stellar play, Diaz has cemented his spot in the Reds’ starting lineup and is now in the prime of his career. After being left out of the 2021 Copa America team, James will return to the national setup.
Among Lorenzo’s 28-man preliminary roster, six players are from English teams. But the coach will have to reduce the roster to 26 players before the Paraguay opener.
Premier League players are Yaser Asprilla of Watford, Jhon Duran of Aston Villa, Luis Sinisterra of Bournemouth, Jefferson Lerma, and Daniel Munoz of Crystal Palace. Also making significant appearances are veterans Yerry Mina, Juan Fernando Quintero, and David Ospina, who plays in goal.
In addition, La Tricolor has a trio of trustworthy goalkeepers. In addition to Ospina, Camilo Vargas of Club Atlas will aim to continue his stellar play from Liga MX. He will be accompanied by Millonarios’ seasoned Alvaro Montero.
Radamel Falcao struggled to get regular playing time for Rayo Vallecano this season. thus, the national team coach left hm out of the roster.
The veteran is Colombia’s all-time top scorer with 36 goals in 104 international games. However, the 38-year-old has only scored four goals in 25 appearances for the Spanish club this season.
When do Colombia start 2024 Copa America?
As a warmup for the tournament, Colombia will play two friendly matches; one against the US on June 8 in Washington, and another against Bolivia on June 15 in Connecticut.
The match versus Paraguay will kick off their Copa America campaign on June 24. Four days later, on June 28, they’ll face Costa Rica, and finally, on July 2, they will play against Brazil.
With wins against top-tier opponents and an undefeated run of 21 matches dating back to February 2022, the team’s current status is superb. Colombia has a balanced roster and is currently on a roll, so they have a good shot at winning the Copa America after finishing third the previous time around.
Colombian roster for 2024 Copa America
Goalkeepers: Álvaro Montero (Millonarios), Camilo Vargas (Atlas), David Ospina (Al Nassr)
Defenders: Carlos Cuesta (Genk), Jhon Lucumí (Bologna), Santiago Arias (Bahia), Yerson Mosquera (Villareal), Johan Mojica (CA Osasuna), Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace), Yerry Mina (Cagliari Calcio), Davinson Sanchez (Galatasaray S.K.), Deiver Machado (R.C. Lens)
Midfielders: Kevin Castaño (Krasnodar), Richard Ríos (Palmeiras), Jorge Carrascal (Dynamo Moscow), James Rodríguez (São Paulo), Jhon Arias (Fluminense), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Juan Fernando Quintero (Racing), Yáser Asprilla (Watford), Mateus Uribe – (Al-Sadd S.C), Luis Sinisterra (A.F.C. Bournemouth)
Forwards: Luis Díaz (Liverpool), Jhon Córdoba (Krasnodar), Sebastian Gomez (Coritiba FootBall Club), Rafael Santos Borre (S.C. Internacional), Miguel Angel Borja (River Plate), Jhon Jader Duran (Aston Villa F.C.)
Photo credit: IMAGO / IPA Sport