The elimination of Colombia in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup left a strong impact within Colombian football. After the penalty defeat against Switzerland, Radamel Falcao García analyzed the match and took the opportunity to make a profound criticism of the structure of Colombian football.
During the ESPN broadcast, where he serves as a commentator, the all-time top scorer of the Tricolor lamented the defeat and focused on the structural problems of football in his country, calling for fundamental changes to enhance the development of new players. "We need to work on our football, on our clubs, on the national team. We need to pay a lot of attention because there are many disappointments. Our training programs need to improve, the emphasis, the attention, the infrastructure that must be given to the youth teams", he stated.
He then deepened his criticism of the organization of national competitions: “The same goes for the divisions of Colombian football, it cannot be that we do not have a Category C, it is a shame that our football lacks competitiveness and fosters mediocrity and laziness.”
Falcao also questioned the lack of investment from some clubs and the impact this has on the growth of local football. "Teams that do not invest because they know they will not be relegated and have first division budgets while paying players a pittance. The only thing this generates is mediocrity in an institution. Our football deserves more", he asserted.
