In 2000, Colombia participated in their first CONCACAF Gold Cup, hosted in the United States. Colombia also participated in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, with high expectations. Romania won the opening game 1-0, while Colombia sealed a 1-0 victory over Tunisia in the second game. Colombia faced the United Arab Emirates at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna, where they won 2-0 with goals from Bernardo Redín and Carlos Valderrama to achieve Colombia’s first-ever win at the World Cup finals. Carlos Valderrama stating that the team that could become the most successful Colombian squad in history. In its final group stage game, Colombia defeated Japan 4-1 to win Group C and become the third South American team (following Brazil and Argentina) to win all three group stage games in World Cup history. Colombia finished first in their 1994 World Cup qualifying group without having lost a match, which included a historic 5-0 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires. On 11 July, Colombia began the tournament with a 2-0 victory against Venezuela in at the Estadio Metropolitano of Barranquilla, a location that would serve as Colombia’s home field throughout the group stage. On 6 July, CONMEBOL decided to reinstate the tournament.
Colombia hosted their first Copa América in 2001. Prior to the tournament, meetings were held by CONMEBOL authorities who were concerned about potential security issues, and the tournament was canceled on 1 July, just ten days before the opening match. With Carlos Valderrama as captain during the 1993 Copa América, Colombia reached the semifinals, where they lost to Argentina on penalties. Following the federation’s choice to not renew Pekerman’s contract, former Iran manager Carlos Queiroz was hired to coach the national team. The Udinese couldn’t get a draw and in the end, lost the three points at home, 3-2. At the end of the match, Inter Milan coach Leonardo complained that his team’s intense schedule had affected its performance. Colombia finished third in 1998 World Cup qualifying with 28 points to qualify for the finals in France. Days later, they would face Asian Cup champions Qatar, and would beat them 1-0 to advance to the next round before finishing the group with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, finishing with nine points with four goals scored and none conceded throughout the group stage.
This was the first time that Colombia had failed to qualify for a World Cup since 1986. However, as the team won the 2001 Copa América, Colombia played in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, in Group A alongside Euro 2000 champions and hosts France, Japan, and New Zealand. Celaya won 4-0 on aggregate. They won the third place match against Ecuador to finish third for the second time in their history. Colombia went on to defeat Uruguay 2-0 on 28 June in the round of 16, securing a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. They then fell to hosts Brazil 2-1 in the quarter-finals. They then sealed their qualification to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory against Paraguay, heung min son jersey but finished their group campaign with a defeat to Costa Rica. Colombia finished first in their group at the 1999 Copa América after winning all of their matches; however, the team’s tournament fell short after a 3-2 loss against Chile in the quarter-finals. Despite this, Colombia were then eliminated by Chile in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals. Colombia would be eliminated by Argentina in the next round via a penalty shootout, ending their campaign with one win, two draws, and one loss.
In their opening game against France, Colombia lost 1-0 following a sole goal product of a penalty scored by Thierry Henry. Had Uruguay and Argentina drawn, Colombia would have qualified to the playoff spot with their 1-0 away win over Paraguay, as they had superior goal difference to Uruguay as well. Colombia then sealed a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast to clinch Group C’s top spot days later. The following match against Ecuador ended in a 1-0 victory for Colombia, who then defeated Chile in their last match 2-0 with goals from Aristizábal, and Eudalio Arriaga. The following year, Colombia began their 2016 Copa América Centenario campaign with a 2-0 victory against hosts United States. The team became the first to not concede a goal at the Copa América. Scores and results list Italy’s goal tally first. On the same day, Japan and Greece drew 0-0 and automatically qualified Colombia to the round of 16 for the first time in 24 years. Shortly after the defeat, Maturana left his post as Colombia manager.