Argentina faced a blast from the past as James Rodriguez scored the winner for Colombia in their latest World Cup qualifier outing.
The 33-year-old inflicted a rare defeat on the back-to-back Copa America champions, scoring from the penalty spot.
Former Real Madrid and Everton midfielder Rodriguez avenged the final loss at this summer’s tournament, where Lionel Scaloni’s side came out on top.
He also provided the assist for Yerson Mosquera’s initial opener, before Colombia were pegged back by Nicolas Gonzalez.
Speaking after the game, he said: “I don’t think I’ve ever scored against them – there’s a first time for everything.
“We want to get used to playing finals. Today was just another game, but against a team that has won everything – this victory tastes even better.”
Colombia defeat Argentina 2-1 in World Cup qualifying and get Copa América revenge 💪 pic.twitter.com/ni68c22Cau
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 10, 2024
Despite Argentina’s loss, they remain top of the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup.
But Colombia closed the gap to just two points and will look to overtake their rivals next month.
Six of the top 10 teams in the group qualify after 18 matches, while the seventh-placed side will go into a play-off against a team from one of the other confederations.
