There are only a little more than six months left until the start of the 2026 World Cup, the most important football tournament on the planet, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, with the participation of 48 participants, the largest number in the history of the tournament, and a total of 104 matches in the three countries.
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The Colombian national team is one of those classified, and its players are looking for minutes with their clubs, and some of them change teams to get more opportunities to be taken into consideration by coach Nestor Lorenzo, who takes advantage of friendly matches to search for alternatives in the squad.
The future of Dever Machado, the Colombian left-back for Lens, has received global attention due to the Italian club Genoa’s interest in signing him before the 2026 World Cup. The 32-year-old is currently under contract with the French club until mid-2026, but his continuity is uncertain on the eve of the European winter market, according to Italian journalist Rudi Galetti.
Machado’s name is among the options to strengthen the Italian teamWhich may directly affect his presence with the Tricolor, as he missed the last call-up for the two friendly matches against New Zealand and Australia, and lost his position with Alvaro Angulo.
Defer went through a complicated season marked by injuries and lack of participation. The defender has played just four games this season and is currently recovering from muscle pain, and is expected to return within a fortnight. Although Lens continues to rely on his services for the remainder of the season, the board is open to listening to offers for the Colombian.
Genoa’s interest intensified after the arrival of Diego Lopez to the Italian club’s sporting directorate. Lopez, who met Machado during his time at Lens as chief scout and then sporting director, knows the full-back’s abilities well.
Initial talks have already begun between the two clubs, and Machado’s profile fits into Genoa’s plans to strengthen its squad. Italian journalist Rudi Galetti confirmed that “Machado’s combination of experience, defensive solidity and attacking support on the wing makes him a very attractive target “For Genoa.”
On a personal level, Machado prioritized his continuation in European football, rejecting offers from Saudi Arabia last summer. This decision comes in response to his goal of remaining in a high-level competitive environment, with the aim of securing a place in the final roster of the Colombian national team for the 2026 World Cup.
For its part, the Colombian national team is preparing for the group draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held on December 5. The team led by Lorenzo reaches this stage without any defeat in nine matches, as a result of five matches in the South American qualifiers and four friendly matches.
The tricolor will occupy a place in pot 2, Which will allow them to avoid competitors such as Croatia, Morocco, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia in the group stage.
but, Pot 1 can face the powersincluding Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, in addition to host Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Potential competitors in Pots 3 and 4 include teams such as Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti and New Zealand, as well as teams entering through the qualifiers.