The performance of James Rodríguez with the Colombian National Team in the 2026 World Cup It was not the best nor what was expected, and the driver received criticism from all sides. Some even dare to say that his retirement is near.
There are former soccer players who have supported him, but, if you take stock, there is more criticism than praise for his performance in the Colombian games.
James Rodríguez is still in the eye of the hurricane after his bad World Cup: savage criticism from one of his former coaches
The former Scottish striker Duncan Ferguson who shared a dressing room with the Colombian during his time in the Evertonwas one of those who questioned him the most with his opinions.
Today, Ferguson is a commentator for the British media ITV Sport and nothing was held back when analyzing the midfielder’s present.
James Rodriguez Photo:EFE
“It’s incredible that James is still playing. “I couldn’t run, but technically I was up there with the best, without a doubt,” said the former player.
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Duncan Ferguson and James agreed on the Everton, when the Scot was the Italian’s technical assistant Carlo Ancelotti, one of the coaches who most supported the Colombian during his career.
Ferguson experienced up close the contrast between James’ football genius and his reluctance to engage in intense physical display, the newspaper said. Brand.
James Rodriguez Photo:Getty Images via AFP
The Scot relived with grace (and some spice) what was his first training session with the Colombian on a hot summer day, he said.
“I did practice and James was walking around doing nothing, not running. I stopped the session and said to him in my Scottish: ‘Are you going to run?’ And he didn’t understand me at all,” Ferguson said.
The newspaper said that, to solve the communication problem, the Briton had to resort to basic phrases in Spanish such as “come, come, quickly, quickly.”
James Rodriguez Photo:EFE
According to him, the strategy worked: James began to pass the ball first, move better and dazzle everyone.
“He was not fast of speed, but fast of mind; he had a wand on his left foot,” The former assistant admitted, acknowledging that, at 54 years old, he feels that he still runs more than the Cucuteño.
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James Rodríguez’s numbers in the 2026 World Cup
The Cucuteño midfielder was the ninth Colombian National Team player with the greatest distance traveled, registering a total of 35.87 kilometers throughout the five games played, for an average of close to 7.2 kilometers per encounter.
Marca warns that James’ weak point in this tournament was not in the distance traveled, but in his offensive deployment and his influence on the game. Unlike his memorable performances in Brazil 2014 or Russia 2018, In this edition the midfielder recorded his lowest rating in the world championships, with a discreet contribution in attack, where his only notable number was his passing accuracy, which reached a notable 87 percent.
James Rodriguez Photo:AFP
Finally, the newspaper warns that, with the World Cup over for the coffee team, doubts about James Rodríguez’s professional future are once again gaining strength. At 34 years old, the Colombian captain has preferred to remain silent and he has not yet commented on what the next step in his career will be or if this tournament marked his final farewell to World Cup events. The only thing that is certain is that, with or without speed, his talent continues to give something to talk about on microphones around the world.
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