The players of the Colombia team who may not make it to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

To be left out of the Qatar 2022 World Cup for the Colombia national team is painful because it also closes a generation that achieved the best participation in a World Cup (Quarterfinals, Brazil 2014) and that, although it did not achieve titles, marked important milestones such as the top scorer of a world cup or the historical top scorer of the 'tricolor'.

The World Cup that will be played on the Asian continent for many was their last chance to play an event of such magnitude. This is the case of Radamel Falcao who at 36 years old is difficult to see him wearing the shirt of the national team for the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026, by this date he will be 40 years old and it is utopian to see him compete at an elite level.

On the other hand, there are goalkeepers David Ospina and Camilo Vargas who will be 37 years old by 2026. However, they could be a special case because it is common for goalkeepers to have a longer professional life compared to other positions on the pitch. Therefore, their presence could be in case the incoming coach of the national team so decides.

Another case to take into account will be that of James Rodriguez, although he is barely 30 years old, he has stated that between 35 and 36 years old would be his ideal age to retire. This, in addition to the fact that he abandoned elite football and that it is unknown if he continues his career in Qatari football, the future in the Colombian national team of the wheel is a real unknown.

Speaking of referents in the national team, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado is another case of the players who could reach the 2026 World Cup later in the year and close to retirement. The Juventus player and captain is currently 33 years old and his recent performance in the national team has been severely questioned.

Finally, there is a large group of players aged 31 who would reach the World Cup when they were 35 years old. These are William Tesillo, Matheus Uribe, Frank Fabra and Duvan Zapata. These cases make it urgent for the replacement to take place in the call for the Colombian national team led by talents such as Luis Díaz, Carlos Cuesta, Daniel Muñóz and Rafael Santos Borré.

These are the players who should no longer return to the Colombia national team, according to Carlos Antonio Vélez

Carlos Antonio Vélez, in the broadcast of the program 'Planeta Fútbol', of Win Sports, assured that this elimination has to serve the Colombian national team to right the course and, incidentally, end the contribution of several footballers: “Several cycles were closed and not only that of Reinaldo Rueda, but also that of many others who look like former players and we just saw them in a 'picadito', rather boring, Latvian, heavy. Colombia won with very little to a modest Venezuela, full of good players, but nothing to see”.

Following this, the sports journalist said that he had a “list of the players who have already met and I hope they will not return to the Colombia national team”. It shows several of the references of the current generation of the 'Tricolor'.

“For me the cycle of Cuadrado, Falcao, James Rodríguez, Muriel, Davinson Sánchez, Tesillo ended, unless they put him in the center, Roger Martínez, Lerma, the unnamable Sebastián Villa, who fortunately have not called him but you have to close the blind because with what he did, either; Barrios and Fabra”.

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