Golden chance for Carrascal! Flamengo star seeks reset in Colombia | OneFootball

Colombian Jorge Carrascal ‘plays at home’ as he tries to impress his country on the eve of the World Cup

Jorge Carrascal shone for Flamengo in 2025, even scoring the goal that sent the team to the Libertadores final. Even so, the Colombian did not become a starter for the national team. This Thursday (07), playing at home against Independiente Medellín (COL), the attacking midfielder is trying not only to stamp Colombia’s place in the World Cup, but also to ‘apply pressure’ to become a starter in coach Néstor Lorenzo’s team.

Carrascal is from Cartagena, 700 km from Medellín, where Flamengo will face its fourth challenge in the 2026 Libertadores. However, the midfielder hopes to stand out in his home country, taking advantage of the ‘opening’ that emerged after injuries to Arrascaeta and Lucas Paquetá. Will that same opening appear in the national team?

WHAT ARE THE COLOMBIANS SAYING?

— Carrascal is an excellent player, with a lot of talent, composure, vision, a good shot, and a strong presence in attack. However, he still has not had a standout performance for the national team. In terms of goals and assists, his numbers for Colombia have only come in friendlies, not yet in important matches. In addition, the direct competition is at a good level. Jhon Arias is one of the starters in (coach) Néstor Lorenzo’s system and has been one of the best in the team’s collective functioning — said journalist Daniel Bello, from the website ‘El Espectador’, in contact with Coluna do Fla.

— Another competitor would be James Rodríguez, who usually performs better for the national team, even without consistency at club level — proof of that was his standout showing in the 2024 Copa América, even without regular playing time at São Paulo. Now, since James has had issues with match rhythm this year, Carrascal could get more minutes — the reporter added.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR CARRASCAL?

Now 27 years old, Carrascal has spent most of his career outside Colombia. The attacking midfielder has played in Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, and Spain. Ten seasons ago, the player left Millonarios (COL) to pursue his career abroad. So, there is great anticipation in the country for Thursday’s (07) match.

— Here in Colombia, we have very high expectations for what Jorge Carrascal can do. We haven’t been able to enjoy him much here as a player because he left very young (the country), except with the national team. He is a player who has been gaining a lot of rhythm and level, and nowadays at Flamengo he is practically a player making his case for the World Cup in Néstor Lorenzo’s national team — said Ómar Alfaro, from Colombia’s Win Sports channel, in contact with GE.

— It will be very good to have him again on Colombian football fields, where we expect not only creativity, but also that sacrifice (tracking back defensively) that he acquired in international football. Expectations are high for a player who has gained a lot of influence and is at such an important team on the continent — he pointed out.

WHEN IS FLAMENGO VS INDEPENDIENTE MEDELLÍN?

With Carrascal returning to Colombia, Flamengo and Independiente Medellín will face off starting at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), at Atanasio Girardot Stadium. If they win, Flamengo will secure early qualification for the Copa Libertadores round of 16.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.