Colombia boss confident ahead of clash with Ronaldo’s Portugal at Copa | OneFootball

The coach of Colombia, Néstor Lorenzo, said this Friday that he feels “confident” in his team for the 2026 World Cup match against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, “one of the best teams in the world.”

“We are calm,” Lorenzo told reporters after the World Cup draw in Washington, but acknowledged that the Portuguese team is an “impressive top seed.”

Colombia is in Group K, along with Portugal, Uzbekistan, and a team that will come from the intercontinental playoff in March between Jamaica, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and New Caledonia.

“It gives me confidence to see that the team is playing well,” said the Argentine coach, who led Colombia to the runner-up position at the 2024 Copa América.

Portugal is “one of the best teams in the world right now… We are happy to compete and face this level of team,” he stated. Colombia finished third in the South American Qualifiers with 28 points, behind Argentina and Ecuador.

The Colombian national team, which missed out on the 2022 Qatar World Cup, started its qualifying campaign well but lost momentum in the final stretch. However, Colombians have high expectations for next year’s tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, thanks to the strength of their squad.

They place their trust in their key players, such as Luis Díaz, who is currently shining at Bayern Munich, and captain James Rodríguez.

The number 10 was Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammate at Real Madrid, and now they will meet again in what will be the Portuguese star’s sixth World Cup.

“He’s a guy with a strong mentality. I think it will be great to play against him,” James told Caracol Televisión before the draw.

Lorenzo confirmed that the process of calling up players for the World Cup is still open. “There is healthy competition, there are players of the highest level.”

Although “a wonderful group has been assembled,” he acknowledged that it will be “difficult” for the players to arrive at the World Cup in their best form, because the tournament coincides with the end of the European club season.

“That’s what worries me the most,” he said.

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