Colombiadefeated Argentina 2-1 in the CONMEBOL Qualifiers, with goals from James Rodriguez and Yerson Mosquera, while Nicolas Gonzalez scored for Lionel Scaloni’s team.
Argentina had the major absence of its captain and star player Lionel Messi, who is still recovering from the ankle injury he sustained in the final of the Copa America 2024, precisely against Colombia.
In a very physical match and with some controversial decisions by the referee, Nestor Lorenzo’s team won and remains unbeaten in these South American qualifiers.
Despite the loss, Lionel Scaloni reached 79 matches in charge of the Argentine National Team, the same number as Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo. The only one who surpasses the three of them is Guillermo Stábile, who coached 124 matches in two stages and was Copa America champion on six occasions.
Below you can find all the goals and highlights of the match.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Colombia defeated Argentina in a great game!
That's all for today!
Colombia defeated Argentina 2-1 in an exciting game and you lived every moment here, on Bolavip.
Thanks for staying with us, see you next time!
FULL TIME! (Colombia 2-1 Argentina)
Colombia won the match with goals from Yerson Mosquera and James Rodriguez, while Nicolas Gonzalez scored for Argentina.
92' - Substitution in Colombia (2-1)
Juan Portilla replaces James Rodriguez.
91' - Otamendi misses the equalizer! (2-1)
Nicolas Otamendi misses headed equalizer for Argentina.
89' - Yellow card for Vargas (2-1)
Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas recieves yellow card for deliberate time wasting.
Advertisement
Advertisement
88' - Substitution in Colombia
Juan Cabal replaces Yerson Mosquera in Colombia.
84' - Last substitution for Argentina (2-1)
Paulo Dybala gets in the field to replace Enzo Fernandez.
79' - Substitutions for Colombia (2-1)
Kevin Castaño and Jhon Cordoba replace Jhon Duran and Jhon Arias.
74' - More substitutions for Argentina (2-1)
Giovani Lo Celso replaces Rodrigo De Paul.
71' - Argentina try to find an equalizer (2-1)
Argentina try to look for the equalizer but Colombia's defensive work has been very good.
Advertisement
Advertisement
64' - Substitutions in Argentina! (2-1)
Lisandro Martinez and Leandro Paredes are replaced by Alexis MacAllister and Marcos Acuña.
60' - James Rodriguez converts from the penalty spot! (2-1)
James Rodriguez converts a penalty kick after Otamendi's foul to put Colombia ahead on the scoreboard.
Gonzalo Montiel recieves the first yellow card of the match.
17' - Rodrigo De Paul misses! (0-0)
Rodrigo De Paul had a great shot that went over the goal defended by Vargas.
13' - Cristian Romero is on the floor (0-0)
Cristian Romero is on the ground after suffering groin pain.
Advertisement
Advertisement
12' - Alvarez had the first chance! (0-0)
Alvarez snatched the ball from goalkeeper Vargas and almost scored Argentina's first goal
10' - Camilo Vargas clash with Julian Alvarez (0-0)
Colombian goalkeeper clashed with Julian Alvarez and the argentinian forward is in the floor. The referee gave free kick for Colombia
6' - First free kick for Colombia (0-0)
After a handball by De Paul, Colombia had the first free kick, but could not take advantage from it.
5' - A hard-fought start (0-0)
The match started off very tight and both teams have yet to make a difference.
0' - GAME ON! (0-0)
Colombia and Argentina are already playing for Matchday 8 of the 2026 CONMBEOL Qualifiers!
Advertisement
Advertisement
Colombia still undefeated in Qualifiers
Colombia, head coached by Nestor Lorenzo, are the only undefeated team in the CONMEBOL Qualifiers, and they want to keep it that way. They managed to win three games and draw four.
Colombia's lineup confirmed!
Nestor Lorenzo’s lineup confirmed: Camilo Vargas; Daniel Muñoz, Jhon Lucumi, Carlos Cuesta, Johan Mojica; Jefferson Lerma, Richard Rios, James Rodríguez; Jhon Arias, Jhon Córdoba and Luis Díaz.
James Rodriguez will be Colombia's captain.
Argentina are warming up on the field!
Argentina are already performing warm-up drills at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez.
Kick-off in almost 30 minutes!
Very high temperature is expected for the match
For today's game is expected a very high temperature and Lionel Scaloni addressed the challenging heat conditions expected for the match. “The timing of the game affects both teams equally,” he said. “I don’t think it gives one side an advantage, but it’s true that the heat isn’t ideal for a good match.”
The attacking options for Argentina are: Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, Valentin Castellanos, Matias Soule, Alejandro Garnacho and Giuliano Simeone.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Track record between Colombia and Argentina
It will be the 42nd match in the history between the two with Argentine dominance: 21 wins and 9 defeats, in addition to 11 ties. The last time they met in Barranquilla was on June 8, 2021, where they drew 2-2.
At this stadium Colombia and Argentina met seven times, with the home team winning the first two games (1989 and 1993) and Argentina going 5 games unbeaten with a balance of 3 wins and 2 draws.
Today's stage
Located in Barranquilla, Colombia; Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez has been home of JuniorClub since it opened in 1986.
In its history as host, it hosted six matches of the 2001 Copa America, several CONMEBOL qualifying matches as well and hosted the U-20 World Cup in 2011. It currently has a capacity for 46,600 spectators.
General view inside the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez
Argentina's line up confirmed!
Lionel Scaloni's confirmed lineup:
Emiliano Martinez; Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez; Nicolas Gonzalez, Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez.
Nicolas Otamendi will be the captain today against Colombia.
Argentina are at the top of the standings
The team coached by Lionel Scaloni comes after defeating Chile 3-0 and leads the standings with 18 points (six wins and one loss), while Colombia are coming from a 1-1 draw with Peru and are third with 13 points (three wins and four draws).
Today's referee
Chilean referee Piero Maza will officiate today's clash between Colombia and Argentina.
The last match that Maza officiated involving Argentina was in the Copa America 2024 semifinal, where the national team defeated Canada 2-0 in New Jersey.
The full officiating team for Colombia vs. Argentina:
Referee: Piero Maza (CHI) Assistant 1: Jose Retamal (CHI) Assistant 2: Miguel Rocha (CHI) Fourth official: Cristian Garay (CHI) VAR: Juan Lara (CHI) AVAR: Benjami Saravia (CHI)
Advertisement
Advertisement
Kick-off time and how to watch
The clash between Colombia and Argentina for the Matchday 8 of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will kick off at 4:30 PM (ET).
Colombia host Argentina for Matchday 8 of World Cup Qualifiers
Welcome to our live blog of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers match between Colombia and Argentina!
The two teams will face each other at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia. It’s the first clash between both teams since the Copa America final.
Stay with us so you don't miss a single thing with minute by minute updates!
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, specializing in soccer, the NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he made his initial strides as a writer. Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like Roland Garros. His ability to report on real-time events and write under pressure has established him as a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, where he covers a wide range of sports, including European soccer, MLS, and the NBA. Gianni earned his degree in Communication from Deportea in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
