Brazil v Colombia – Lineup, Statistics, Preview
Match Brazil v Colombia preview
Two South American giants will meet on Thursday night as Brazil and Colombia face off.
The expansion of the World Cup has provided some relief to South American teams, especially Brazil. Brazil in particular could have faced serious risk of missingness if the tournament remained a 32-team competition.
Brazil is currently ranked fifth in the rankings. This is the position that in previous editions they only guaranteed a playoff spot.
With Paraguay being pursued closely, Selecao wants to strengthen its certification outlook.
With just 18 points from 36 points, the Brazilian campaign is overwhelming. Despite important victory over Peru and Chile in October, they were left in a precarious situation, unable to overcome Venezuela and Uruguay a month later.
Although the junior at the helm of Drival, given Brazil’s struggle in qualifying last year and the unfortunate Copa America campaign, questions remain as to whether he is still in charge when the World Cup begins.
Securing a victory here with a fierce encounter with Argentina next week will ease some pressure before heading to Buenos Aires.
Let’s go up! π§π·π₯
The Brazilian national team began preparing for Monday afternoon (17) for the conflict against Colombia for the first training of the 2026 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/7awguk9cur
-CBF Futebol (@cbf_futebol) March 18, 2025
Brazil will also closely monitor Bolivia and Venezuela, ensuring that neither of them constitutes a critical foundation.
Colombia made history in November 2023 when Luis Diaz’s double secured its first World Cup qualifying victory over Brazil.
However, despite an impressive 25-game unbeaten start under Nestor Lorenzo, Colombia has been defeated in the last seven games in four losses.
A dramatic loss to Uruguay also stifled morale as Colombia equalized in the 96th minute. Manuel Ugarte nets the final winner with an additional 11 minutes.
Columbia skated second to fourth in just two months, but with a six-point cushion in the top six, the eligibility outlook remains strong.
Brazil v Colombia team news
Brazil’s attack options have been changed following Neymar’s withdrawal due to injury. The forward was called after 17 months of absence, but Endric intervened as his replacement and forced him to pull out.
Lucas Paketa, Ederson and Igor Jesus were shocking omissions, but Lucas Moura and Oscar were also overlooked despite their return to Sao Paulo.
Defensive concerns continue as Eder Militao, Bremer and Danilo were all ruled out through injuries. Goalkeeper Edason Moraes and striker Richarrison also miss the fixtures due to fitness retreat.
In Columbia’s case, James Rodriguez is heading for Captain the Side.
Lewis Diaz endured a dip in form with Liverpool, but remains a key figure at Los Cafeteros. Meanwhile, John Duran’s recent move to Saudi Arabia has not affected his inclusion.
Crystal Palace duo Daniel Munoz and Jefferson Lerma spent the weekend for the EFL Cup final, but are well-rated and ready.
πΈπΈππ¨π¬π©π©π«ππ©ππ«ππ¦π¨π¬ππ₯! β½β½οΈ
ππ§π·#laseLenousunπ¨π΄ pic.twitter.com/krasv09vht
– Columbia national team (@FCFSELECCIONCOL) March 19, 2025
Brazil vs Colombia forecast lineup
Brazil: Allison; Vanderson, Markinhos, Gabriel, Alex Sandro; Gerson, Bruno Guimarès. Rodrigo, Rafina, Vinicius Jr. Wedge
Columbia: Vargas; Munoz, Lukumi, Sanchez, Mozica. Lerma, Rios; Arias, James, Diaz. Duran
How to watch Brazil v Colombia: TV channels, online streams
Brazil v Colombia will be kicked off at 00:45 on Friday morning and can be seen in Premier Sports 1.