Almería Striker Luis Suárez Called Up to Colombia National Team, Misses Promotion Play-Offs

Almería, Spain – June 2, 2025: Almería’s top scorer Luis Javier Suárez has been called up to the Colombia national team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, forcing him to miss his club’s decisive play-off matches against Real Oviedo for promotion to La Liga.

The Colombian Football Federation announced Suárez’s inclusion as a replacement for Rafael Santos Borré, who suffered an abdominal injury while playing for Internacional in Brazil. Suárez, 27, returns to the national squad after a two-year absence, having last played for Colombia in a friendly win over Saudi Arabia in June 2022. The call-up comes at a critical time for Almería, who finished sixth in Spain’s Segunda División and are set to face Real Oviedo in the play-off semifinals on June 7 and 11.

Suárez’s absence is a major blow for Almería’s promotion hopes. The striker has been instrumental this season, scoring 27 goals in the league and 31 across all competitions, making him the team’s key attacking threat. His performances have been pivotal in Almería’s push for a return to the top flight, and his commitment was evident as he managed to avoid a fifth yellow card to ensure his eligibility for the play-offs.

The news has sparked frustration among Almería fans and Spanish football commentators, who criticize the overlap between international fixtures and crucial club matches. Manu Carreño, director of El Larguero at La Cadena Ser, remarked, “The playoff is adulterated. Luis Suárez, the league’s top scorer, can’t play because Colombia has summoned him. Every party protects its own interests, but how can the club that pays Suárez lose their main striker when promotion to the top division is on the line?”

Colombia, currently sixth in the South American qualifying group, will face Peru in Barranquilla on June 7 and Argentina in Buenos Aires on June 11. The top six teams will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, with the seventh-placed side entering a playoff.

While Almería must now find a way to cope without their talisman, Suárez will be aiming to help Colombia secure a place at next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.