James Rodríguez’s Colombia struggled to capitalize on their chances, ending in a goalless stalemate against Peru at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla during the2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
Led by head coach Néstor Lorenzo, Colombia pressed relentlessly in search of a winning goal, but Peru adopted a defensive approach throughout the second half, successfully holding off the home side’s attacks.
The draw was a missed opportunity for Colombia to climb into the upper spots of the standings. Now in sixth place with 21 points, their path to a direct qualification spot remains uncertain.
Peru, on the other hand, created few scoring opportunities and gained little from the draw. With this result, Óscar Ibáñez‘s team moves just one point clear of Chile at the bottom of the table, sitting on 11 points. Their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup are fading fast.
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END OF THE GAME! (0-0)
The match between Colombia and Peru ended in a goalless draw.
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Colombia and Peru tied goalless at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and you lived every moment of this game here.
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87'- Colombia push for a late goal (0-0)
The home team is pressing hard to break the deadlock, while Peru remain focused solely on defense. If this pattern continues, the match in Barranquilla is likely to end without goals.
86'- Substitution in Peru (0-0)
Carlos Zambrano leaves the field to make way for Luis Abram.
77'- Substitution in Peru (0-0)
Andy Polo leaves the field to make way for Oliver Sonne
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68'- Peru nearly break the deadlock!
After a poor clearance by goalkeeper Mier, Renato Tapia took a shot from outside the box that narrowly missed the post, marking the closest chance of the match so far!
61'- Two substitutions in Colombia (0-0)
Jaminton Campaz and Marino Hinestroza enter the field to replace Camilo Hernandez and Jhon Arias.
53'- Substitution in Peru (0-0)
Erick Noriega enters the field to replace injured Pedro Aquino.
46'- Changes in both sides (0-0)
In Colombia, Jhon Duran leaves the field to make way for Luis Suarez.
While in Peru, Paolo Guerrero and Bryan Reyna are out of the match, replaced by Cesar Inga and Luis Ramos.
Second half underway! (0-0)
The game is on again!
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Why is Luis Diaz not playing for Colombia?
Many may wonder why Colombian star Luis Diaz is not playing for his national team today. The reason why Diaz is absent today is because he is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
HALFTIME (0-0)
The game goes to halftime goalless.
44'- Peru miss a huge chance! (0-0)
Edison Flores fired a left-footed shot from the center of the box after an assist from Paolo Guerrero, but Mier made an excellent save to keep the ball out.
43'- Second yellow card of the game (0-0)
Jhon Duran of Colombia receives the second yellow card of the match.
38'- Still even in Barranquilla
After a strong start from Colombia, Peru managed to regroup, and both teams remain evenly matched in this tightly contested game.
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18'- Peru miss their first chance! (0-0)
After a corner kick, Luis Advíncula fired a shot from outside the box, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
10'- First chance for Colombia! (0-0)
Camilo Hernández had the first opportunity of the match with a well-placed header, but Pedro Gallese made a seamless save to deny the chance.
3'- First yellow card of the game! (0-0)
Renzo Garces from Peru received the first yellow card of the game.
GAME ON! (0-0)
Colombia and Peru have kicked off the Matchday 15 of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers!
Both teams are doing warm-up activities!
Colombia and Peru are doing warm-up activities on the field. In a few minutes the game will begin!
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Last meeting between Colombia and Peru
The most recent clash between these two teams took place on September 6, 2024, during the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with goals scored by Alexander Callens for Peru and Luis Díaz for Colombia.
Track record between Colombia and Peru
Throughout the history of World Cup Qualifiers, Colombia and Peru have faced each other 61 times. Colombia have emerged victorious in 21 of those encounters, while Peru have claimed 17 wins. Additionally, the teams have drawn 23 times, highlighting the closely contested nature of this rivalry.
Confirmed lineups for today’s game
These are the confirmed lineups for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers game between Colombia and Peru.
Colombia: Kevin Mier; Daniel Muñoz, Davinson Sánchez, Yerry Mina, Cristian Borja; Jefferson Lerma, Kevin Castaño, Jhon Arias; James Rodríguez; Juan Camilo Hernandez and Jhon Durán.
Peru: Pedro Gallese, Luis Advíncula, Carlos Zambrano, Renzo Garcés, Marcos López, Renato Tapia, Pedro Aquino, Edison Flores, Andy Polo, Bryan Reyna and Paolo Guerrero.
Today’s stage
Located in Barranquilla, Colombia; Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez has been home of Junior Club since it opened in 1986.
In its history as host, it hosted six matches of the 2001 Copa America and several CONMEBOL qualifying matches as well. It currently has a capacity for 46,600 spectators.
General view inside the Estadio Metropolitano. (Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images)
Today’s referee
Wilton Sampaio from Brazil has been assigned as the referee for the crucial Colombia vs. Peru matchup. This will mark the second time Sampaio officiates a game between these two teams. The previous encounter took place during the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, where Colombia secured a dominant 3-0 victory as visitors in Lima.
The full officiating team for today's game:
Referee: WiltonSampaio (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: BrunoPires (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
Fourth Official: Bruno Arleu (BRA)
VAR: Wagner Reway (BRA)
Assistant VAR (AVAR): DiegoLópezPombo (BRA)
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Kick off time and how to watch
The clash between Colombia and Peru for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will kick off at 4:30 PM (ET).
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, the NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, where he now covers a wide range of sports, including European soccer, MLS, and the NBA.