This article is part of the Guardian’s World Cup 2014 Experts’ Network, a co-operation between 32 of the best media organisations from the countries who have qualified for the finals in Brazil. theguardian.com is running previews from four countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 12 June.
Amaranto Perea
One of Colombia’s captains, a Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup winner with Boca Juniors, record foreign appearances holder with Atlético Madrid and now with Mexican side Cruz Azul, Perea was an ice-cream seller in his native Turbo before becoming a footballer. The central defender spent his youth pushing a small cart loaded with refreshments around the Caribbean port’s main square in order to make enough money to help his family.
Faryd Mondragón
If the veteran keeper, who up until May 2014 was playing for Deportivo Cali, features this summer he will become the oldest player to appear at a World Cup finals. Mondragón will turn 43 years old on 21 June and could beat Roger Milla, who played at USA 94 aged 42 years, one month and eight days, as the oldest World Cup participant.
Radamel Falcao
Colombia’s biggest name and a star at Porto, Atlético Madrid and now Monaco, but the 28-year-old has never played in Colombia’s first division. He does, however, hold the record of being the youngest player to have scored a goal in the Colombian league. It happened in 2000 when El Tigre was playing for second division Lanceros and he found the net in a 1-0 victory at just 14 years old. Soon after he left Colombia for River Plate, where his career took off.
Carlos Bacca
In 2006 when he was already 20 years old, the striker was struggling to break through the youth ranks of local side Junior. Bacca had shown he had talent but disciplinary problems had dogged the young striker so the Colombian top-flight side sent him out on loan to their feeder club, Barranquilla FC, to get some games under his belt. During this period he worked as a fish seller and later as a bus assistant in his local town, Puerto Colombia. However, another loan spell in Venezuela saw him make his mark and he was one of the stars for Minervan before returning to Junior and then seeing his life change for ever. He now plays for Sevilla in Spain’s La Liga and was a Europa League winner last month.
James Rodríguez
When Colombia’s No10 was 16 years old he was playing in the youth ranks for the then second division side Envigado. He got to know the goalkeeper David Ospina from their big Medellín rivals Atlético Nacional and the two young footballers became friends. It was through this friendship that James was introduced to Ospina’s sister Daniela who was then a volleyball player for the Antioquia region. Today not only is she his wife and mother of his daughter, but the two brother-in-laws are now first-choice members of the national side.
Alejandro Pino works for the Colombian broadcaster Caracol