Copa America Semi-Final: Colombia vs. UruguayCopa America Semi-Final: Colombia vs. Uruguay Background: Colombia and Uruguay, underdogs for the 2024 Copa America, have impressed with their performances in the tournament. Both teams have solid qualifying records and have showcased their abilities in the group stage and quarter-finals. Matchup: Uruguay is the favorite according to moneyline odds, but Colombia has gone 27 games without a loss. The last time these teams met, Uruguay managed a draw with a late penalty. Analysis: Despite Uruguay’s favoritism, Colombia has several advantages. They are the fresher team, having had an easier quarter-final, and they have a strong leader in James Rodriguez, who has been in excellent form. Prediction: Given Colombia’s recent performances and Uruguay’s potential weaknesses, an upset is possible. Best Bet: Colombia moneyline (+220) offers a tempting value for the underdog team. Additional Information: * The match will be played without extra time, going straight to penalties if the score is level after 90 minutes. * Colombia and Uruguay have a history of physical matches, so expect a competitive battle. * Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission for sign-ups through links in this article.
Two of the trendiest outsiders for the 2024 Copa America, Colombia and Uruguay, will face Argentina on Wednesday night in Sunday’s Copa America final.
Uruguay, which recorded a 4-1-1 mark in CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup last fall, and Colombia, which was also solid in qualifying with a 3-3-0 mark, have lived up to the high expectations for this tournament.
Uruguay effortlessly won Group C, winning three games by a combined score of 9-1. Colombia also impressed in a tougher Group D, beating Paraguay and Costa Rica 5-1 before facing Brazil in their final game of the group stage.
While Uruguay needed penalties to advance at the expense of Brazil after a 0-0 draw in the quarter-finals, Colombia defeated Panama 5-0 last Saturday evening.
Uruguay are the favourites for Wednesday night’s match, with the moneyline odds shifting in favour of Darwin Nunez and Co. before kick-off. Colombia enter the Copa America semi-finals on a remarkable run of 27 consecutive games without a defeat (21 wins, six draws).
The last time these teams met was on October 12, 2023 in Barranquilla, Colombia. The game ended in a 2-2 draw when Nunez scored a penalty in the 91st minute to give Uruguay a point.
Note that the Copa America quarter-finals and semi-finals do not feature extra time. This means that if Colombia and Uruguay are level after 90 minutes plus injury time, they will go straight to penalties, which have decided three of the four quarter-finals in this competition.
Colombia vs. Uruguay starts at 8:00 PM (ET) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on FS1.
Colombia vs Uruguay Moneyline Odds
The triple moneyline odds below apply to the outcome after 90 minutes, plus injury time.
| BettingMGM | FanDuel | DesignKings | ESPN BET | bet365 | |
| Colombia | +200 | +220 | +220 | +210 | +220 |
| To draw | +170 | +170 | +170 | +170 | +170 |
| Uruguay | +180 | +170 | +175 | +170 | +170 |
In matches with direct elimination, such as Colombia vs Uruguay, anyone who only wants to predict the winner can look at the odds to improve the market.
Colombia vs Uruguay chances to advance
| BettingMGM | FanDuel | DesignKings | ESPN BET | bet365 | |
| Colombia | -110 | +100 | +100 | +100 | +100 |
| Uruguay | -120 | -122 | -125 | -125 | -125 |
Colombia vs Uruguay Betting Analysis
It is hard to blame anyone for expecting another Copa America match to be decided on penalties. Uruguay were one of three teams (the other two were Argentina and Canada) to reach this stage on penalties.
At full strength, Colombia-Uruguay looks a bit of a doubt, especially given Colombia’s excellent play not only in this tournament but also since the appointment of manager Nestor Lorenzo on June 22. (Colombia even has a chance on Wednesday night to extend the 27-game unbeaten streak that actually began before Lorenzo was named head coach.)
But Uruguay are not yet at 100%, as neither right-back Nahitan Nandez (suspended) nor Barcelona central defender Ronald Araujo (injured) are available against Los Cafeteros.
Uruguay have the luxury of a proven veteran in Atletico Madrid’s Jose Maria Gimenez to replace Araujo. But Nandez’s likely replacement, 31-year-old Guillermo Varela of Brazilian club Flamengo, has played just 43 minutes in the Copa America.
James Rodriguez leads red-hot Colombia
One of the standout players of the 2014 World Cup has enjoyed a huge resurgence in recent weeks. The Colombia captain has been dominant, with five assists and a goal, and he is now two wins away from cementing his place as one of the greatest Colombian players of all time.
Rodriguez’s passing is one of the highlights of this tournament, and with a great performance against Uruguay he would go into the final against Argentina as one of the biggest stories in a match between Lionel Messi and the reigning champions.
Don’t be surprised if Uruguay’s physical team tries to intimidate Rodriguez, but the 32-year-old former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich star has a good chance of making Uruguay pay for set-pieces if that happens.
Colombia vs Uruguay Prediction, Best Bets
Besides how well Colombia has played during their long unbeaten run, the way these teams have fared in their quarter-finals is another reason to appreciate the underdogs, especially at odds as tempting as +220.
While Los Cafeteros enjoyed a lighthearted 5-0 win over Panama, Uruguay had to survive a bloodbath against Brazil. In addition to the red card that ruled Nandez out of Wednesday’s semi-final, Uruguay-Brazil featured four other yellow cards and an incredible 41 (!) fouls (26 by Uruguay, 15 by Brazil).
So, to call Colombia the fresher side on Wednesday night would be an understatement. They will likely have a bit of a “home field advantage” in Charlotte, too, as Colombian fans have filled stadiums across the country for their games in this tournament.
It all comes down to a hard-fought upset for Colombia, which seems the most likely outcome. The question is whether we should put Rodriguez and co. on the moneyline or move on. Given that Colombia had won their 2026 qualifier against Uruguay before a late red card allowed Nunez to equalize with a late penalty, let’s go with the underdogs to win this game in 90 minutes.
Prediction: Colombia 2, Uruguay 1
Best guess: Colombia moneyline (+220 at FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365)
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