Colombia will host Costa Rica national football team at Estadio El Campín in their penultimate warm-up fixture before the World Cup, looking to return to winning ways after back-to-back friendly defeats against Croatia and France.
According to Ataque Futbolero on their official X handle, the third official squad of the Colombia national football team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been unveiled as preparations intensify ahead of the tournament.
Under Néstor Lorenzo, Colombia secured qualification for the tournament with a third-place finish in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, recording seven wins, seven draws and four defeats across 18 matches. After missing out on the 2022 World Cup, Los Cafeteros have successfully booked their return to football’s biggest stage.
The South Americans have been drawn into Group K, where they will face Uzbekistan national football team, DR Congo national football team and Portugal national football team.
Costa Rica, meanwhile, enter the contest after a disappointing qualifying campaign. La Tricolor failed to reach the 2026 World Cup after finishing third in their CONCACAF qualifying group, managing just one win from six matches.
With the World Cup fast approaching, Colombia will view the clash as an important opportunity to rebuild confidence and fine-tune preparations ahead of their return to the global stage.
Team News
David Ospina failed to feature in either of Colombia’s defeats in March, but the veteran goalkeeper could come back into the starting lineup here.
Further forward, captain James Rodriguez should feature behind the striker, with Luis Suarez likely to lead the line after a stunning season, scoring 36 goals in 49 matches for Sporting Lisbon.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica are likely to heavily rotate from the side that lost 5-0 to Iran in March.
Patrick Sequeira should retain his place, especially as the only capped goalkeeper in the squad, while changes are expected elsewhere.
Possible Lineups
Colombia possible starting lineup:
Ospina; Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica; Rios, Lerma; Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz; Suarez
Costa Rica possible starting lineup:
Sequeira; Mitchell, Salazar, Villalobos, Vargas, Araya; Mora, Galo, Soto; Zamora, Alcocer
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport |
| Live Stream | DSTV Stream |
| Kick-off Time | 00:00 (WAT) |
Match predictions
Softfooball predicts Colombia 2-0 Costa Rica
Colombia are in significantly stronger form heading into this meeting, and with the home crowd also supporting them, we expect a considerable home victory.
