Jhon Duran left out of Colombia's World Cup squad after 'drastic' decision made

Jhon Duran has been omitted from Colombia's squad for the 2026 World Cup, despite being named in Nestor Lorenzo's 55-man preliminary list.

The 22-year-old striker, who has made 17 appearances for his country, is currently on loan at Zenit Saint Petersburg from Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, but has struggled for much of the campaign.

After scoring just one goal in six league appearances for the Russian Premier League side, Duran was granted a leave of absence from the league leaders this month.

A short statement from Zenit read: "The club management and the Colombian striker have agreed on a leave of absence from the club due to personal circumstances. Details of his return date will be announced in the near future."

The circumstances of his leave of absence remain unclear.

Earlier on in the season, he was loaned to Turkish side Fenerbahce, where he suffered from osteoarthritis and clashed with then-manager Jose Mourinho after arriving late for the team's pre-season training camp in Portugal.

"It's disrespectful," said Mourinho. "There are clear rules here, and anyone who doesn't follow them will face consequences. We'll talk to him when he shows up, if he does."

Jhon Duran left out of Colombia's World Cup squad after 'drastic' decision made

Despite his unsuccessful loan at Zenit, Duran was named in Colombia's 55-man preliminary squad by head coach Nestor Lorenzo.

A report from Marca suggests the former Aston Villa forward was hoping to use their training camp in Colombia's capital Medellin to convince coaching staff that he deserved to be named in their final World Cup squad.

However, the publication suggests Duran trained away from the main group as they described a "rift" that goes "beyond the purely sporting realm".

The report says: "Nestor Lorenzo has made drastic decisions in Medellin, revealing a strained relationship with one of the most talented, yet also most controversial, prospects in Colombian professional football: Jhon Jader Durán."

It added: "This scheduling conflict is not a simple misunderstanding. Under Lorenzo's demanding disciplinary code, a player training on his own at a municipal facility while the core of the national team trains just a few kilometers away is interpreted as a complete disconnect from the group's priorities."

Jhon Duran has been left out of Colombia's World Cup squad. Image credit: Getty

Duran was left out of Monday's squad announcement, while the likes of James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz and Richard Rios were included.

Colombia's 26-man World Cup squad in full

Goalkeepers: Camilo Vargas (Atlas), Alvaro Montero (Velez Sarsfield), David Ospina (Atletico Nacional)

Defenders: Davinson Sanchez (Galatasaray), Jhon Lucumi (Bologna), Yerry Mina (Cagliari), Willer Ditta (Cruz Azul), Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace), Santiago Arias (Independiente), Johan Mojica (Mallorca), Deiver Machado (Nantes)

Midfielders: Richard Rios (Benfica), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Kevin Castano (River Plate), Juan Camilo Portilla (Athletico Paranaense), Gustavo Puerta (Racing de Santander), Jhon Arias (Palmeiras), Jorge Carrascal (Flamengo), Juan Fernando Quintero (River Plate), James Rodriguez (Minnesota United), Jaminton Campaz (Rosario Central)

Forwards: Juan Camilo Hernandez (Real Betis), Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich), Luis Suarez (Sporting), Carlos Andres Gomez (Vasco da Gama), Jhon Cordoba (Krasnodar)