Colombia trains in Mexico ahead of World Cup debut against Uzbekistan

Colombia treated its last stretch before kickoff like a pressure test, not a ceremonial warmup. The Selección Colombia Masculina de Mayores worked at the Estadio Ciudad de México and then shifted its base to Guadalajara, where Néstor Lorenzo’s squad has tried to lock down details before facing Uzbekistan in its World Cup opener.

The Federation Colombiana de Fútbol said the team had been in Mexico since June 11, first settling in Mexico City before moving on to Guadalajara, which will serve as the camp during the group stage. The day’s first session in Guadalajara began at 10:00 a.m. and mixed football work with contact alongside fans and social groups, a sign the delegation was operating in a host-country environment that has already brought public scrutiny and elevated expectation.

On the field, Colombia concentrated on conditioning, ball circulation circuits, tactical possession and finishing. The shape of the session suggested a staff intent on sharpening both pace and decision-making, with the group also using a morning training block on June 11 and another adjustment session on June 14 to refine the team’s structure. Around 2:00 p.m., the delegation traveled to Guadalajara, and the federation reported that Willer Ditta, Juan Camilo Portilla and Jaminton Campaz spoke to the media before one of the work sessions.

The timing matters because Colombia opened its World Cup campaign only three days later, on June 17, against Uzbekistan in Group K at 9:00 p.m. Colombia time. The match carries extra weight: this is Colombia’s seventh World Cup, its first since missing Qatar 2022, and the team reached the tournament by finishing third in South American qualifying.

The larger frame is hard to miss. James Rodríguez, Colombia’s all-time top scorer in World Cup play, was set for his third tournament, while Luis Díaz arrived as one of the team’s central figures after a strong season with Bayern Munich. Colombia’s best World Cup run remains the quarterfinals in Brazil 2014, and the work in Mexico showed a squad trying to meet that standard with discipline rather than rhetoric.