Colombia’s Path to Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup: How Many Points Do They Need to Secure Their Spot?
The Colombian National Team will resume its World Cup Qualifying journey with two key matches against Peru and Argentina, teams that will push Lorenzo’s squad to the limit at a crucial stage of the qualifiers. How many points does the South American runner-up need to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup?
La Tricolor is performing well in the qualifiers. They sit third and remain unbeaten with 12 points in 6 matches, just three points behind leaders Argentina. The team has successfully introduced new talent and built a squad with plenty of options to dream big under Néstor Lorenzo’s management.
With the qualifiers nearing their halfway point, the calculators are coming out, and the question remains: How much further does Colombia need to go to qualify?
The reality is they’re close, and the ghosts of Qatar 2022 are fading away from Colombian soil. The 12 points are a strong number for Lorenzo’s squad, which currently enjoys a 7-point advantage over the playoff position, currently held by Paraguay.
Based on the results of previous World Cups, there’s a figure that can be considered the ‘magic number’ to qualify for the tournament.
If a team secures 24 points out of 54 available (44%), they’ll have a clear chance to qualify directly and are almost guaranteed at least a playoff spot. With 27/54 points (50%), direct qualification becomes virtually assured.
With this in mind, Colombia would need to earn a total of 15 more points to reach that ‘magic number’ and secure a spot in the world’s most prestigious football tournament.
Colombia’s Qualifying Schedule
- Matchday 7: Peru vs. Colombia
- Matchday 8: Colombia vs. Argentina
- Matchday 9: Bolivia vs. Colombia
- Matchday 10: Colombia vs. Chile
- Matchday 11: Uruguay vs. Colombia
- Matchday 12: Colombia vs. Ecuador
- Matchday 13: Brazil vs. Colombia
- Matchday 14: Colombia vs. Paraguay
- Matchday 15: Colombia vs. Peru
- Matchday 16: Argentina vs. Colombia
- Matchday 17: Colombia vs. Bolivia
- Matchday 18: Venezuela vs. Colombia