Cucho Hernández is back on the international stage.
Colombia manager Néstor Lorenzo has called the Columbus Crew's star forward for upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Peru (Sept. 6) and Argentina (Sept. 10).
Cucho has two goals in four caps for Colombia, last appearing in a December 2023 friendly vs. Mexico. Now, he joins stars James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz after they were Copa América runners-up this summer to Lionel Messi's Argentina.
Cucho's call-up comes shortly after helping Columbus win Leagues Cup 2024, tallying 2g/1a in the 3-1 Final win vs. LAFC. The 25-year-old was named Best Player of the tournament.
Last year, Cucho earned MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire honors and was named MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi. The latter award followed a 2-1 title win over LAFC.
This season, Cucho has 19 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions. He also helped Columbus reach the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Final in June, a run highlighted by series victories over LIGA MX powerhouse sides Tigres and Monterrey.
Since joining Columbus in June 2022 from England's Watford FC, the club-record signing has 52 goals in 82 matches across all competitions. Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy has called him the "best modern forward" in MLS.
As Cucho returns to Colombia, they're third in the Conmebol standings and on pace to qualify for North America 2026. La Tricolor are No. 9 in FIFA's latest world rankings.
