00:05With their vibrant fans, bright shirts, and eye-catching players,
00:11Colombia's cultural impact on football far outstrips its performance on the field.
00:18Los Cafeteros have won only one Copa America,
00:22and their best performance at the World Cup is a solitary quarter-final.
00:28They failed to qualify for Qatar 2022, consistent with missing four of the previous six World Cups.
00:38But under the management of Néstor Lorenzo, expectations have been raised.
00:43The Argentine oversaw an unbeaten run stretching over two years from 2022 to 2024,
00:50including victories over Germany, Brazil, and Japan.
00:54This incredible effort only ended in extra time of the final of the Copa America to World Cup holders Argentina.
01:04Frustratingly, a run of World Cup qualification defeats followed,
01:08before a five-match unbeaten stretch sealed progress to North America.
01:18More than a relief that we were able to seal qualification that has been dragged out,
01:23because we weren't able to achieve the right results, even when we played well.
01:28Still, we knew that this was possible.
01:36I told the players that this was going to be an important game,
01:39because it could seal our place in the World Cup.
01:43But the points that we've picked up during this entire process,
01:47and the way that we went out and played like we did,
01:50wherever we needed to, and against whoever we faced,
01:53gave us the confidence that we could do it.
02:01So I'm very grateful, very grateful to everyone who supported us,
02:05and also to those who didn't support us,
02:07because they perhaps made us look at it a different way,
02:10from a critical point of view, and that helped us.
02:12So thanks to everyone.
02:22Leading the way for Colombia during this Renaissance
02:24has been the evergreen James Rodriguez.
02:27In 2024, the veteran was named Copa America Player of the Tournament
02:32for steering his side to the decider.
02:36While he was still a teenager,
02:38James had already lifted trophies in Argentina and Portugal.
02:41And by the age of 23,
02:43he had the 2014 World Cup golden boot in his collection.
02:49He went on to win silverware for fun at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
02:53But despite threatening,
02:55never managed to ascend to the heights of Lionel Messi
02:58or Cristiano Ronaldo.
03:00And by 30, they traded in Europe for Qatar.
03:06The man set to inherit James' mantle as Colombia's chief attacking force
03:11is Luis Diaz.
03:12The dazzling forward is now with Bayern Munich,
03:15after capturing the hearts of the fans of Liverpool.
03:21I'm living a dream.
03:24I'm living a dream.
03:26Things are going my way,
03:27and that's what we've always worked toward to achieve great things.
03:33Those goals that you always planned for in your head.
03:36You always dream of qualifying, of winning trophies,
03:39of all these great moments.
03:40But you never think that it's going to be like it is.
03:46But I'm very happy and very grateful to God
03:48for the opportunity to be able to qualify for a World Cup,
03:52to be able to qualify for my first World Cup.
03:55I'm very emotional, very happy for what the team did,
03:58because we deserved it.
04:00We've been working hard through these qualifiers,
04:02and this is our reward.
04:11David Ospina is the most capped player in Colombian history.
04:15But the veteran gloveman's place in the team
04:17now looks to have been taken by long-time understudy Camillo Vargas.
04:21Although sweeper-keeper Kevin Meyer has also impressed Lorenzo.
04:33Lorenzo's flat-back four is marshaled by centre-halves of the highest quality,
04:37Davinson Sanchez and John Lukumi,
04:40with the imposing Yeri Mina waiting in the wings.
04:46Midfield industry is provided by Richard Rios and Jefferson Lerma.
04:58That solid base allows Colombia the freedom to unleash the quality of James and Diaz,
05:03as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers schemer John Arias.
05:09What might be lacking is a focal point up front.
05:13Diaz was the team's leading goalscorer during qualifying,
05:16cutting in from the wing.
05:17While no individual scored more than two goals at the most recent Copa America.
05:25Sporting's Luis Suarez is emerging as a reliable all-round option.
05:30But John Cordoba is also likely to see plenty of action.
05:36Wildcard John Duran offers a thrilling option off the bench.
05:43Colombia have been ranked inside FIFA's top 20 for well over a decade.
05:48Their recent long unbeaten run and Copa America's silver medal
05:51demonstrates their potential to go deep at a major tournament.
05:55But for a few years,
05:55the current European Union was introduced to 1922
05:55to the Syria Union with the A&M.
05:55Cable is created by the U.S.
05:55You
