Colombia suffers first defeat in 2026 World Cup qualifiers, losing to Bolivia despite numerical advantage
Colombia was defeated by Bolivia in the ninth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament. The match took place at the Estadio Municipal in El Alto and concluded with a 1-0 victory for the hosts.
The only goal of the game was scored by midfielder Miguelito in the 58th minute. Notably, Bolivia played with ten men from the 21st minute after midfielder Hector Cuéllar received a straight red card.
Starting for Colombia were Rayo Vallecano's midfielder James Rodríguez and Liverpool's forward Luis Diaz, both of whom played the entire match but were unable to contribute any goals or assists.
This marks Colombia's first loss in the current World Cup qualifying campaign under coach Néstor Lorenzo. Previously, the team had secured four victories and four draws.
With this win, Bolivia now has 12 points, climbing to fifth place in the qualifying table, surpassing Brazil. Colombia holds the second position with 16 points.
In the next round of qualifiers, Colombia will host Chile, while Bolivia will travel to face Argentina. Both matches are scheduled for October 16.
