Colombian President Gustavo Petro took aim at the beautiful game this week, blaming his national team’s World Cup elimination on “greed and lack of humility” while also pointing to racism and hatred as forces corrupting the tournament. The comments, delivered during what amounts to a farewell tour before his presidency ends in August, landed somewhere between sports commentary and political manifesto.

Colombia was knocked out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 8 after losing to Switzerland in a penalty shootout. It was a bitter exit for a country that had only qualified for the World Cup six times in its history, and Petro clearly had thoughts.

Football as political metaphor

Petro framed the losses of both Colombia and Argentina as symptoms of deeper moral failures, asking in a recent speech, “Why did Argentina and Colombia lose in football? Because of greed and lack of humility.”

He then pointed to Spain’s success in the tournament as proof that teamwork and collective spirit still matter.

Petro’s presidential term concludes in August 2026, following an election that resulted in a right-wing candidate taking power.

Colombian football’s deeper crisis

Colombian football legend Radamel Falcao has publicly called the state of the country’s football “a disgrace,” citing mediocrity and a chronic lack of investment as root causes.