The Colombian wounds are still fresh from the defeat at the hands of Argentina in the Copa America final in July. But they will have a chance at getting back at the defending World Cup champions during the CONMEBOL Qualifiers for the 2026 showpiece event. Both teams have had solid qualifying campaigns and the clash at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez will go a long way in ensuring their passage to the tri-nation-hosted FIFA World Cup in two years time.

Even though Argentina are thankful to their talisman Lionel Messi for the success in recent years, he was not available for selection in the team’s last outing against Chile, where they ran out 3-0 winners. With that win, Lionel Scaloni’s side is at the top of the table in the qualifying table with 18 points from seven games.

The clash on September 10, will also see an impressive Colombia team take the field. Despite a draw in their previous game against bottom-placed Peru, Los Cafeteros still occupy the third spot in the table behind their opponents this week and Uruguay. They have earned 13 points from seven games and notably are unbeaten in the qualifiers so far. Thus, the result would be far from a foregone conclusion.

This fixture also has extra spice given how Argentina and Lautaro Martinez broke Colombia’s hearts in the Copa America final, with an extra-time goal at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

But the rematch in the sweltering conditions of Barranquilla could be an entirely different affair. With that said, let’s take a look at the team news ahead of this interesting clash.

Colombia vs Argentina CONMEBOL Qualifiers

Team news

Argentina: 

The La Albiceleste will have some injury concerns ahead of the match. The team will be without Lionel Messi, who continues to nurse an ankle injury. Messi hasn’t featured for the national team since he suffered the injury during the Copa America final. Likewise, Nicolas Tagliafico, Leonardo Balerdi, and Exequiel Palacios will also miss the game due to injuries.

Angel Di Maria retired after Copa America, and the right wing is a position to be filled with a new and upcoming player. Matias Soule could come in to fill the void left by Di Maria. His performances for Juventus last year helped him to earn a name in the squad.

Colombia: 

The Colombian side also misses some crucial players in their squad. Their veteran goalkeeper, David Ospina, is out with an injury and Vargas would fill in for the goalkeeper. Likewise, Davinson Sánchez is sidelined from the team with an injury, and Jhon Lucumí replaced him at the heart of the defense against Peru.

On the other hand, Copa America’s star player James Rodriguez started on the bench against Peru and is still regaining his fitness. But, he could start the match against Argentina. Other than that, Colombia have a fit squad to chose from. One of the key players to watch will be Luis Diaz after his sensational start for Liverpool.

He scored three goals and created one assist in the last three Premier League Games for Liverpool. Hence, Diaz will be keen to take his form to Colombia and defeat Argentina.

Expected Lineups:

Colombia:

Vargas; Munoz, Lucumi, Mina, Mojica; Lerma, Rios, Arias; Diaz, James, Duran,

Argentina:

E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, L Martinez; De Paul, Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Lo Celso; Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez

Head-to-head stats and prediction

Total matches: 43

Won by Argentina: 26

Won by Colombia: 9

Drawn: 8

Last Match: Copa America Final: Argentina vs Colombia – 1-0

Watch Argentina vs Colombia on TV channel and live stream

Argentina vs Colombia will kick off at 16:30. Fans in the United States can catch the action live on Fox Sports. Meanwhile, the live stream is available on Fubo TV.

The CONMEBOL qualifying consists of 10 teams fighting for the top six places on the table that earn qualification. An extra place will be awarded to the group. This team will feature in a play-off tournament to determine their progress into the next round. Thus the stakes of this match would be pretty high and might be an indicator of how Argentina will cope without Messi going forward.