Colombia have managed to surprise at the 2026 World Cup, securing a victory against Uzbekistan. Now, they face one of their toughest challenges, as they go up against DR Congo and their strong defense. However, they arrive in excellent form, even climbing positions in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking. Following their surprise absence from Qatar 2022, Colombia have managed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, arriving as a team capable of causing upsets. Demonstrating their strength, they secured a victory against Uzbekistan, performing in impressive fashion. As a result, they have climbed the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, arriving in strong form ahead of their clash against DR Congo.
According to the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, Colombia are ranked 12th with 1712.60 points. After their victory over Uzbekistan, they have climbed one spot in the ranking, nearing the top 10. In recent years, they have managed to regain their consistency, compared to their 49th position in June 2011. However, they have yet to match their highest-ever ranking, which was 3rd in July–August 2018.
Despite their upgrade in the FIFA ranking spots, Colombia are not the highest-ranked national team in their group at the 2026 World Cup. Portugal currently hold the 7th spot with 1766.74 points. Then, DR Congo are ranked 43rd spot with 1487.18 points. Finally, Uzbekistan rank as the lowest-ranked national team in the group, holding the 58th spot with 1432.84 points.
After having secured a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, Colombia face an ideal opportunity in today’s game: Securing their Round of 32 spot. Facing DR Congo’s impressive defense, they would need to rely on their possession game and their wing-backs’ offensive approach. Nonetheless, head coach Néstor Lorenzo may opt for a change in the striker position, seeking a strong presence in 1v1 duels.
Daniel Munoz #2 of Colombia celebrates a goal.
Colombia’s defensive problems may prove costly vs DR Congo
Over the last few years, Colombia have proven to be one of the best attacking teams in CONMEBOL. However, they tend to shine against teams that propose an attacking style of play, as they exploit space and their dribbling on the wings gives them a major advantage. Therefore,their match against DR Congo could be quite difficult. In addition, the defensive problems of James Rodríguez’s team could hurt them considerably.
Both Johan Mojica and Daniel Muñoz tend to be very attacking full-backs for Colombia. Therefore, they often leave numerous spaces behind them, something DR Congo can take advantage of effectively. In addition, Davinson Sánchez often makes some defensive errors in the build-up phase. As a result, head coach Néstor Lorenzo could decide to opt for Yerry Mina, looking to counteract the opponent’s aerial game.