Argentina vs Colombia Prediction: Diaz to dazzle on Los Cafeteros return

Argentina secured top spot in their 2026 World Cup qualification group last Friday with a 1-0 win in Chile. Next up for La Albiceleste is a visit from Colombia, who are looking to get their campaign back on track after a five-game winless run that has seen Los Cafeteros drop to sixth, just three points ahead of seventh-place Venezuela.

Below are my Argentina vs Colombia predictions, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Monumental on Wednesday (01:00, Premier Sports 1).

Team News

As expected, Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) started on the bench against Chile last Friday, appearing as a 57th-minute substitute in Santiago. The 37-year-old is expected to earn a promotion to Lionel Scaloni's starting XI on Wednesday, perhaps joined by Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) and Leandro Paredes (AS Roma), all of whom were suspended for last week's trip to the Chilean capital.

Football Odds

Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) will be looking for minutes after remaining rooted to the bench last Friday, while 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono (River Plate) could earn a second cap after making his national team debut in Santiago.

Colombia are bolstered by the return of the talismanic Luis Diaz (Liverpool), who was suspended for last Friday's goalless draw with Peru in Barranquilla. The 28-year-old is the joint-top scorer in qualifying alongside Messi (both six goals), and he is expected to replace Cucho Hernandez (Real Betis) on the left-hand side of Los Cafeteros' attack in Buenos Aires.

Jhon Duran (Al Nassr) could also drop out of the starting XI after being taken off at half-time against Peru, with Luis Suarez (Almeria), his replacement in that 0-0 stalemate, looking to take his spot.

Argentina vs Colombia Odds

Argentina have won their last four qualifiers, and six of their seven at home this campaign, and unsurprisingly, they are 3/5 favourites to triumph on Wednesday, implying a 62.5% probability of success. Colombia, meanwhile, have lost their last three away games and are 9/2, or an 18.2% chance, to win a first away qualifier since November 2023.

The draw is priced at 12/5, both teams to score at 6/5, and over 2.5 total goals at 5/4.

Messi (5/4) is favourite to score anytime, with Diaz (4/1) first up in the market for the visitors.

Price Boost - Both Teams to Score, Lionel Messi (ARG) 1+ Shots on Target & Luis Diaz (COL) 1+ Shots on Target @ 5/2 3/1

Both teams to score landed in the reverse fixture in Barranquilla last September as Colombia beat the reigning World Cup and Copa America champions 2-1 at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez. Yerson Mosquera (Wolverhampton Wanderers) opened the scoring for Los Cafeteros in the 25th minute before Nicolas Gonzalez (Juventus) equalised three minutes after the interval, only for a James Rodriguez (Club Leon) penalty to put the hosts back in front on the hour mark.

Three of Colombia's following six qualifiers have seen both teams score, including two of their three away games, while half (three) of Argentina's have also seen at least one goal on either side, including their last home match, a 4-1 thrashing of rivals Brazil in March.

Argentina aren't breached often on home soil, highlighted by their five clean sheets from seven qualifiers, but their three goals conceded (one to Brazil, two to Uruguay in a 2-0 defeat) have come against a couple of the supposed 'big four' in South America, of which Colombia can also claim to be a part of.

Colombia initially struggled for goals on their travels, blanking in back-to-back 0-0 draws with Chile and Ecuador, but they've struck in four of their last five away games, including twice against Uruguay in Montevideo last November and once against Brazil in Brasilia in March.

The motivation to win is all with Colombia on Wednesday, as Nestor Lorenzo's side are in danger of being caught up on points by Venezuela, who kick off a winnable match against Uruguay an hour before they start against Argentina. As a result, I expect Los Cafeteros to be looking to score in Buenos Aires, even with the game goalless.

The hosts, meanwhile, will be looking to score in an 11th consecutive qualifier and put on a show in front of their supporters, even if they have already qualified for next year's World Cup and secured top spot in the group. I think the conditions are there for a fairly open contest, which should help to land the first selection of this price boost.

Messi and Diaz, meanwhile, will each be looking for a seventh goal of this qualification campaign, and both players should be fit and firing for this game.

The Argentina captain was only introduced in the second half against Chile last Friday, but still managed to force a save from a free-kick in the 78th minute, while Diaz was forced to sit out his country's goalless draw against Peru.

The Liverpool winger is averaging 1.1 shots on target per game in this qualifying campaign, with Messi averaging 1.6 per game, so both look good for one on Wednesday.

Anytime Goalscorer - Luis Diaz (COL) @ 4/1

I'll go one step further here and back Diaz to get on the scoresheet in Buenos Aires, as he looks to inspire his nation to a first win since October 15. You can back Messi and Diaz to both score at 9/1 in one of Betfred's 'Featured Bet Builders' on the main page of Argentina v Colombia, but my slight concern with that is the potential for the Argentine star to be withdrawn at any point, given he has a big match for Inter Miami in the USA at the Fifa Club World Cup on Sunday.

Diaz, however, should play the full 90 minutes at the Estadio Monumental, giving him every chance to grab a seventh goal of the campaign for Colombia.

The former FC Porto ace has scored in his last two internationals and has a goal to his name already against Argentina, netting Los Cafeteros' equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the 2020 Copa America semi-finals in July 2021, with La Albiceleste progressing to the final on penalties.

Diaz has proven himself as a big-game player for club and country, scoring against Brazil, Arsenal, Manchester United (x2) and Bayer Leverkusen (x3) this season, and he can add Argentina to his list of victims on Wednesday.

Offers

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