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By Jonathan Lewis | 16 Apr 2024
Colombia’s sole Copa America win in 2001 was truly special, and one that has been found very difficult to replicate for any other team that has participated.
For anyone unaware, Los Cafeteros were the hosts of that edition of the tournament, and were able to go on and win it by being victorious in each game they played. To make things more impressive, they managed to do so without conceding a single goal.
In the group stage, they defeated Venezuela, Ecuador, and Chile, before defeating Peru in the quarter-finals, Honduras (who eliminated Brazil) in the semi-finals, and Mexico in the final.
It’s possible to argue that it wasn’t the toughest route to the final for the hosts, while the strength of the competition wasn’t as strong as it would usually be. However, the Colombians will not care one iota and continue to reveal in that success.
Since then, though, they have struggled to compete in the Copa America and recapture the magic of winning the competition. Since their maiden title, they have finished third on two occasions (2016 and 2021).
Can Colombia return to their glory days in 2024?
The 2024 edition of the Copa America will be held across the United States this year. It was expected to be held in Ecuador, but they later declined to host it.
If Colombia are to challenge for honors this summer – with the tournament running between June 20 and July 14 – they are going to have to be at their very best in their group.
They have been placed in Group D alongside Brazil, Paraguay, and Costa Rica. They will begin their quest against Paraguay before meeting Costa Rica. Their chance of qualifying for the next stage of the Copa America could come down to their final group game, which is against Brazil. According to the odds provided by Unibet’s Canadian betting site, the Selecao are the favorites to win Group D at -250, whereas Colombia are valued at +270.
With this in mind, it could be something that they will want to avoid. They will need to make the most of playing against Paraguay and Costa Rica and take a maximum of six points if they are to maximize their chance of qualifying for the latter stages of the tournament.
Can Colombia win the 2024 Copa America?
Although anything can happen in football, it would be difficult to feel Colombia are in contention to win the 2024 Copa America. They have been made the fourth favorites by the same bookmaker to be the champions, priced at +1,200. They are behind Argentina (+175), Brazil (+225), and Uruguay (+500) in the list of likely candidates.
Of course, the results of Group C can potentially provide Los Cafeteros with a route that may be similar to the one that they experienced over two decades ago. If they finish as runners-up (which is expected), they will likely face either Uruguay or the USA. The South Americans will likely be the bigger challenge, but they won’t be impossible to get past.
If they progress, they will be in the semi-final, where they will likely meet Brazil once again. There’s every chance that in a game of the magnitude a semi-final brings, that they may learn from their first meeting and use it to their advantage. However, a place in the final would appear unlikely if we were to judge things on paper.
Which players will be key for Colombia?
One of the best things about Colombia is perhaps the quality of players that they have available to call upon for a tournament like the Copa America. They feature several class players playing their football worldwide.
The likes of Luis Diaz, Wilmar Barrios, Juan Cuadrado, Davinson Sánchez, Yerry Mina, James Rodríguez and David Ospina are likely to all be required to be at their very best if called upon, as they each have experience of playing in the biggest tournaments at club level, as well as at the international level.
A mixture of youth and experience may be the best course of action for the Colombians this summer, but it will be very interesting to see what Néstor Lorenzo decides to do when he names his squad.
