Colombia vs France: Lineups for 2026 international friendly at Northwest Stadium in Landover

Colombia and France are set to clash in their second international friendly on U.S. soil as both sides ramp up preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

Momentum is split heading into this afternoon’s kickoff: Colombia are looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Croatia, while France arrive brimming with confidence following a dominant victory over Brazil.

All eyes would be on James Rodriguez. The Colombian captain remains the focal point of Nestor Lorenzo’s squad, despite a quiet outing against Croatia.

While critics have questioned his current form, Lorenzo remains steadfast in his veteran playmaker, trusting the legendary number 10 to orchestrate an upset against the French giants.

On the opposite side, France counters with arguably the best player in the world: Kylian Mbappe. The Real Madrid superstar was clinical against Brazil, opening the scoring and terrorizing the defense throughout. He enters today’s match in peak form, looking to lead Les Bleus to another statement win on North American soil.

Projected lineups for Colombia and France

In addition to the creativity of James and Luis Diaz, Lorenzo is expected to make a change between the posts. Alvaro Montero is tipped to replace Camilo Vargas, whose costly error led to Croatia’s second goal last match.

See also

Kylian Mbappe propels France past Brazil in international friendly (1-2): Highlights and goals

Colombia: Montero; Munoz, Sanchez, Mosquera, Machado; Lerma, Puerta; Arias, Rodriguez, Diaz; Suarez.

Didier Deschamps isn’t expected to tinker much with the XI that dismantled Brazil. The most likely change comes in defense, where Lucas Digne could step in for Lucas Hernandez. Up front, the explosive duo of Mbappe and Hugo Ekitike will spearhead the attack.

France: Maignan; Kalulu, Konate, Lacroix, Digne; Kante, Rabiot; Olise, Cherki, Ekitike; Mbappe.

H2H Colombia vs France

This marks the fourth friendly meeting between these two nations. France took the first two encounters with a narrow 1-0 win, but Colombia famously stunned the French at the Parc des Princes with a 3-2 comeback victory in their last meeting.