Today's Talking Points
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1Colombia finished second at the 2024 Copa América, beating Brazil along the way — they're coming into this tournament with real momentum and a squad full of players performing at the highest level in Europe.
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2James Rodríguez, now 33, is still involved and remains the creative heartbeat of the team — his partnership with younger players like Luis Díaz of Liverpool gives Colombia genuine quality at both ends.
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3Luis Díaz is arguably their best player — the Liverpool winger had an exceptional Premier League season and has the kind of direct, unpredictable style that causes problems for any defence in the world.
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4They're in Group K with Portugal, DR Congo and Uzbekistan — Portugal are heavy favourites to top the group, but Colombia are a realistic second and the team most capable of causing an upset in this group.
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5Colombia haven't won a World Cup but their football culture is deep and passionate — the game is central to national identity in a way that few other countries match, and their fans travel in enormous numbers.
🍺 Top Thing To Say Down The Pub
Luis Díaz from Liverpool is arguably the most dangerous wide player in this tournament. Colombia get overlooked every time and then cause problems when people stop paying attention.
🚫 Avoid Saying
"Colombia are unpredictable" — they ran the Copa América for most of 2024 and were unlucky not to win it. They're not unpredictable, they're genuinely good.