Colombia

Colombia finished second at the 2024 Copa América, beating Brazil along the way. They come into this tournament with real momentum and a squad full of players performing at the highest level in Europe. They tend to get overlooked and then cause problems.

Luis Díaz from Liverpool is arguably their best player — one of the most direct and unpredictable wide players in the world. When he's on form he is genuinely unplayable. If Colombia do well, he'll be the reason.

James Rodríguez, now 33, is still involved and still the creative heartbeat. His partnership with younger players like Díaz gives Colombia genuine quality at both ends. He's the kind of player who can unlock tight games with one pass.

They're in Group K with Portugal, DR Congo and Uzbekistan. Portugal are heavy favourites to top the group, but Colombia are the team most capable of upsetting that expectation. Second place from this group is a realistic and valuable outcome.

Colombia's football culture is deep and passionate — the game is central to national identity in a way that's hard to overstate. Their fans travel in enormous numbers and are known for their noise. Worth knowing if you end up in a pub with Colombians.