In a thrilling encounter in Baranquilla, Colombia continued their impressive start to the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Argentina. This win served as sweet revenge for Colombia, who had suffered a defeat to Argentina in the Copa America 2024 final earlier in the summer.
The first half saw Colombia take the lead in the 25th minute. A swift combination between captain James Rodriguez and Jhon Arias following a corner resulted in Rodriguez finding Yerson Mosquera at the far post, who slotted the ball past the Argentine goalkeeper. However, Argentina, the reigning world champions and top-ranked team globally, fought back early in the second half. Nico Gonzalez capitalized on a misplaced pass from Rodriguez, surging past the Colombian defense and deftly sending the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper to level the score.
The match took a dramatic turn twelve minutes later when Daniel Munoz was brought down inside the penalty area. Although the on-field referee initially waved away the penalty claim, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened, awarding Colombia a spot-kick. Captain Rodriguez stepped up to the challenge, coolly sending the ball into the top right corner, restoring Colombia’s lead against the formidable opposition.
Colombia created several opportunities to seal the victory in the closing stages, including a chance for Jhon Duran, whose shot after a clever pass from the left was ultimately saved by his club teammate, Emiliano Martinez.
The win propelled Colombia into second place in the qualifying table with 16 points from eight games, trailing only Argentina by two points. Colombia will next travel to Bolivia, while Argentina will face Venezuela away from home in their upcoming qualifiers.
