Colombia and Venezuela will face off on Thursday in their first World Cup qualifying match at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia.
The South American teams are part of ten teams from the region who will be competing for a spot at the 2026 World Cup. Both teams have recorded good recent runs, with Colombia unbeaten in 11 matches and the visitors without a defeat in seven.
Colombia missed out on the recent World Cup held in Qatar, while Venezuela has never made it to a World Cup throughout their entire footballing history.
The match is expected to be a close one, but Colombia are the favorites. Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Colombia vs Venezuela kick-off time
| Date: | September 7, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7pm EDT |
| Venue: | Metropolitano Roberto Melendez |
The game between Colombia and Venezuela will be played at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez on Thursday. Kick-off is at 7pm EDT for fans in the US.
How to watch Colombia vs Venezuela online - TV channels & live streams
 | Fanatiz | Watch here |
The fixture will be shown live onFanatiz in the United States. Match highlights will be shown on the platform after the full-time whistle. Live updates can be accessed here on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Colombia team news
It's highly likely that Luis Diaz and Jefferson Lerma, both of whom play in the Premier League, will be featured in the starting lineup.
Newcomers Richard Rios and Jhon Cordoba are also in contention for their first appearances at the senior level.
Currently sidelined due to an injury, Colombia's regular captain David Ospina won't be guarding the net. In his absence, the leadership role is expected to be filled by Juan Cuadrado, while Camilo Vargas will serve as the goalie following his recent shutout against Germany.
Colombia predicted XI: Vargas; Munoz, Mina, Lucumi, Machado; Uribe, Lerma; Rodriguez, Cuadrado; Borre, Diaz
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Vargas, Montero, Vasquez |
| Defenders: | Sanchez, Arias, Mina, Mojica, Munoz, Lucumi, Cuesta, Machado |
| Midfielders: | Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Barrios, Uribe, Lerma, Quintero, Carrascal, Arias, Rios |
| Forwards: | Diaz, Borre, Sinisterra, Duran, Cassierra, Cordoba |
Venezuela team news
Veteran Tomas Rincon is poised to add to his 126 international caps when the team plays in Barranquilla, and Salomon Rondon, formerly of West Bromwich Albion, is just four games away from achieving a century of caps.
Jhon Murillo, who has 41 international appearances, is notably missing from the roster for the trip, and Ronald Hernandez didn't make the squad either.
Venezuela predicted XI: Graterol; Rosales, Villanueva, Osorio, Navarro; Savarino, Herrera, Casseres, Soteldo; Martinez, Rondon
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Baroja, Romo, Graterol |
| Defenders: | Rosales, Gonzalez, Chancellor, Villanueva, Angel, Osorio, Mago, Makoun, Navarro, Aramburu |
| Midfielders: | Rincon, Otero, Machis, Moreno, Soteldo, Savarino, Herrera, Martinez, Casseres, Bello, Sosa, Bueno |
| Forwards: | Rondon, Martinez, Cordova, Marques |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Venezuela 0 - 1 Colombia | World Cup Qualifier |
| June 2021 | Colombia 0 - 0 Venezuela | Copa America |
| October 2020 | Colombia 3 - 0 Venezuela | World Cup Qualifier |
| September 2019 | Colombia 0 - 0 Venezuela | Friendly |
| September 2018 | Venezuela 1 - 2 Colombia | Friendly |