With a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup at stake, Colombia must beat Switzerland to reach the next round, but they will have to do it without Jhon Córdoba.
The reason Córdoba isn’t playing against Switzerland is because he suffered a muscle injury against Ghana in the Round of 32 a few days ago. It was just the sixth minute when the forward felt pain that made him grab the back of his left leg.
It was the worst possible news for Colombia, as it was confirmed that he tore his left adductor, an injury that rules him out for the rest of the competition and usually requires around four weeks of recovery.
The replacement
While Colombia’s tournament is not over, Néstor Lorenzo confirmed in his press conference that the player will not return: “Córdoba won’t be able to play for the rest of the tournament. Unfortunately, he’s no longer available to us.”
Suarez earned the spot in the lineup (David Ramos/Getty Images)
There are not many doubts about who could replace Córdoba in the lineup, as he also missed the opening match against Uzbekistan and was not in the starting XI against DR Congo, with Colombia winning both matches.
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His replacement in those games was Luis Suárez, who delivered solid performances despite not scoring a goal. He also helped Colombia beat Ghana by providing the assist for Jhon Durán’s winner in the previous round.
Colombia’s campaign
One surprise of the first round was Colombia winning Group K. They opened with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, followed it with a 1-0 win against DR Congo, and then secured first place by drawing 0-0 with Portugal. Their next match was another solid performance as they beat Ghana 1-0.
