COLOMBIA

Born in Amalfi, home of some of the biggest gold mines in Colombia, Muñoz was a late bloomer. He was a massive fan of Atlético Nacional and often went to watch their games. At 18, having been rejected by various clubs, Muñoz turned his back on football. He wanted to go to the United States to find a job but he couldn’t get a visa. Finally, the Total Soccer team opened their doors to him. “It wasn’t easy to come into a place and play with kids younger than you and knowing that some of your teammates were already professional,” Muñoz said. At the age of 21, he went pro with Águilas Doradas in Rionegro before attracting the interest of the club of his dreams, Atlético Nacional. From there he left for Genk in Belgium and was a major part of the Crystal Palace side that won the club’s first major trophy, the FA Cup, last year.

Anyone who watches the strong and combative Díaz play for Bayern would not think that he was once placed on a special diet in order to put on 10kg. That was at Barranquilla FC, a feeder club for Atlético Junior, where he came recommended by the legendary Carlos Valderrama. ‘El Pibe’ spotted him playing for Colombia at a Copa América for indigenous communities in 2015, where John Jairo Díaz was the coach. “Valderrama was practically my boss,” the coach said. “He would say: ‘That skinny kid is going to play, he’ll make it as a pro’. And look what happened.” Díaz’s father, Mane, was another key person in his career. Mane’s kidnapping by armed guerrillas on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and safe return, made headline news around the world in 2023 when Díaz was playing for Liverpool, where he won the Premier League, an FA Cup and two League Cups.

Not the first member of his family to play at the World Cup. His father was part of the Colombia squad at the Under-20 edition in 1985. After Wilson James and Pilar Rubio split up, it was Rodríguez’s stepfather, Juan Carlos Restrepo, who encouraged him to follow his dream. He came through at Envigado, one of the best academies in Colombia. “Juan Carlos is an obsessive; he took it upon himself to make James a star. He deserves a lot of credit,” said Silvio Sandri, Rodríguez’s first agent, in 2014, the year he won the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Brazil and sealed a blockbuster move to Real Madrid. The two-time Champions League winner is now playing in MLS at 35 after some globetrotting that took in Merseyside, Qatar, Greece, Brazil and Mexico. This will be his third World Cup.

Quibdó is, perhaps, the poorest capital city of Colombia’s 33 departamentos and that is where Arias’s journey towards professional football began. It wasn’t easy – and he had to move abroad to get a chance to shine. “I’m from a beautiful place, where there aren’t many opportunities; that’s where this kid with dreams was born,” he told El Colombiano. “All those experiences and difficulties that I had as a kid have given me the certainty that all that effort was worth it.” From Quibdó, Arias went to Cali and then to youth sides in Mexico. After being rejected by Tijuana he went through four clubs back in Colombia before his performances for Santa Fe in the 2021 Copa Libertadores earned him a move to Fluminense, where he won the continental title in 2023. After a spell in the Premier League with Wolves, the 28-year-old is back in Brazil with Palmeiras.

There are five professional football clubs in the departamento of Valle where Puerta was born, but he couldn’t force his way into any of them – despite impressing at football schools in the area. He sought his fortune in the capital with second-tier Bogotá FC, from where he made the massive jump to Europe with Bayer Leverkusen. Xabi Alonso was there waiting for him. “It’s a privilege to be around people of his ilk and this level of players. He was one of the best in his position. He has taught me a lot – he helps you explore your potential,” Puerta said. After a spell in the Championship with Hull, he has found a home in northern Spain with Racing, this season helping them reach La Liga for the first time in 14 years. The former Colombia Under-20 captain scored on his first senior cap against New Zealand last November.