Juan Cuadrado Misses Colombia's 26-Man 2026 World Cup Squad
juan cuadrado will not be part of Colombia's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, a selection blow that ends his immediate tournament involvement before the team’s opener. The omission came after an injury-hit 2025/26 season with Pisa Sporting Club, where his minutes were sharply reduced.
Colombia Leaves Out Cuadrado
Nestor Lorenzo left Cuadrado out of the final roster as he leaned toward in-form alternatives for Group K. Colombia entered the tournament with Portugal, DR Congo and Uzbekistan in its path, and the first match came against Uzbekistan at Mexico City Stadium.
Cuadrado was 38 years old and still had not officially retired from international soccer, so the omission landed as a selection call rather than a farewell. For Colombia, it also removed one of its most recognizable veteran wing-backs from a squad built to start the World Cup without him.
Pisa Season Cut Short
The 2025/26 season never gave him a full run. Ongoing fitness issues sidelined him for more than 20 games, and he finished with 19 league matches, one goal and 491 total minutes for Pisa.
Those numbers explain why the squad decision went the way it did. Cuadrado’s availability never stabilized enough to make him a reliable option through the club season, and Lorenzo used the final roster spot on players who were producing more consistently.
For now, Colombia moves into Group K without him. Cuadrado is 38, not retired, and still in the frame for future national team selections if he recovers from the persistent thigh injury that has shaped this season. The World Cup starts without him, but his international future has not been closed off.
