James Rodríguez scored a decisive penalty to secure Colombia’s 2-1 victory over reigning World Cup and Copa América champions Argentina in a South American World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The match took place in Barranquilla, with Argentina’s star player Lionel Messi sidelined due to injury. This encounter marked the first since the Copa América final.
Colombia took the lead in the 25th minute, thanks to Yerson Mosquera, but Argentina equalized shortly after halftime when Nico Gonzalez capitalized on a defensive error by Colombia. Rodríguez’s penalty in the 60th minute ultimately clinched the match at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Argentina, who won the Copa América title after defeating Colombia in July, had not lost to Colombia since 2019. Currently, Colombia remains unbeaten in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
With this victory, Argentina still tops the qualifying standings with 18 points from eight matches, holding a two-point advantage over Colombia. The top six teams in the South American qualifiers will earn automatic berths for the 2026 World Cup.
Rodríguez played a pivotal role, providing an assist for Mosquera’s goal, which tied Carlos Valderrama’s record for most assists in South American World Cup qualifying with 11. However, he was responsible for Argentina’s equalizer when González intercepted the ball and shot past Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Rodríguez redeemed himself by scoring the penalty, matching Falcao García’s record of 13 goals in World Cup qualifying. Meanwhile, Argentina’s attackers Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez struggled to replicate their typical performance without the creative influence of Messi.