Twenty-one players will carry Colombia’s ambitions at the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, where the squad aims to surpass previous fourth-place finishes achieved in 2003 and 2009, AS Colombia reported.
The roster announcement arrives as preparations ramp up for the tournament, scheduled to run from November 19 to December 13, 2026. Head coach Fredy Hurtado finalized the selection, which blends domestic league talent with international representation.
Seventeen of the selected players compete within the Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, distributed across seven domestic clubs, according to Dimayor –. Atlético Nacional leads the domestic contingent by supplying five players to the national setup.
Martínez recorded three assists across six appearances during the South American Under-17 Championship in April, a performance that caught the attention of English club Liverpool, El Tiempo reported.
Martínez has an agreement in place to join Liverpool’s academy for the 2027–2028 season once he reaches the required transfer age, continuing his development in Colombia in the interim, El Tiempo noted. He is joined in the squad by Gorka Abascal, the lone player based outside of domestic competitions.
Abascal, born in Bilbao, Spain, on October 1, 2010, qualifies to represent Colombia through his maternal lineage. The midfielder developed in the youth ranks of Deusto, Danok Bat, and Athletic Club before moving to Real Madrid’s Juvenil B side.
Behind Atlético Nacional’s five selections, Independiente Medellín contributes four players to the delegation. Deportivo Cali and Envigado each add two players, while Barranquilla FC, Fortaleza, and other regional sides round out the roster.
The complete 21-player squad features goalkeepers Luigi Ortiz (Deportivo Cali), Samuel Martínez Córdoba (Envigado), and Camilo Blandón (C.D. Estudiantil). The defenders are Jhan Moreno (Atlético Nacional), Santiago Vallecilla (Deportivo Cali), Edwin Estrella (Belén La Nubia-Arco Zaragoza), Anderson Murillo (Independiente Medellín), Weiner Martínez (Envigado), and Juan Fori (C.D. Estudiantil).
The midfielders include Simón Rojas (Atlético Nacional), Eider Carrillo (Independiente Medellín), Gorka Abascal (Real Madrid), Samuel Martínez Valencia (Atlético Nacional), Jacky Muñoz (Barranquilla F.C.), Santiago Romaña (Fortaleza F.C.), Miguel Agámez (Barranquilla F.C.), Luis Maturana (Independiente Medellín), and José Escorcia (Atlético Nacional). Matías Caicedo, Adrián Mosquera, and Edwin Echeverría complete the forward line.
The Colombian delegation is scheduled to travel to Doha on November 16, 2026, to begin final preparations at the Aspire Zone complex. The team was drawn into Group L alongside Japan, Honduras, and Serbia, the Federación Colombiana de Fútbol announced.
The opening fixture places Colombia against Japan on Saturday, November 21, 2026. Colombia time. The team will subsequently face Honduras on Tuesday, November 24, before closing out the group stage against Serbia on Friday, November 27.
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