Colombia heads toward the 2026 World Cup with a clear sense of purpose. Missing out on Qatar 2022 was a painful blow for Los Cafeteros. Now they have a squad that may be even more competitive than the one from four years ago. In 2024, they reached the Copa América final. Luis Díaz, Richard Ríos, Luis Suárez and Daniel Muñoz are among the standout names in Néstor Lorenzo’s team.

The big question mark surrounds James Rodríguez, who has spent more than a decade as the team’s central figure but is now going through a difficult stretch and dealing with a physical issue that worsened in recent days. After the friendly against France, he spent three days hospitalized with dehydration, and when the mystery deepened this Saturday, his team, Minnesota United, confirmed he would miss the game against the LA Galaxy, adding to the concern.

Minnesota reported that the attacker was ruled out with a “serious” physical condition, a description that has triggered all kinds of speculation in the absence of any further details.

The World Cup is two months away

The Colombian captain is not going through his best moment on the field. The latest friendlies made it clear that James is still far from the physical level required to play in a World Cup. Colombia played two games during the last international break, against top-level opponents in Croatia and France. In both games, James played 63 minutes before being substituted by his coach. Fitness and performance are inseparable in sports. If a player is not physically sharp enough for the level of competition demanded of him, he cannot truly shine or show his full range of qualities.

No one doubts the individual quality James Rodríguez possesses. He emerged as a generational talent in Colombian soccer. He played for Porto, and his performances at the 2014 World Cup earned him a move to Real Madrid. Over the years, he has become a true icon in Colombia. The best way for him to improve both physically and competitively is by playing minutes in MLS. He joined Minnesota United last February. Since then, he has played a total of 41 minutes across two games. He now has the chance to play 10 more before the season ends, a possible maximum of 900 minutes. That is more than enough to put himself in the best possible shape for the World Cup.

The 2024 Copa América is the clearest example of what James Rodríguez still represents as a player. He was a São Paulo midfielder when he played in the continental tournament for Colombia. Colombia’s No. 10 was the best player on the team. He did not win the final, but he was named the tournament’s MVP. In the months beforehand, his preparation in Brazil was crucial. His final games with the club allowed him to arrive at the tournament in outstanding form. Now he must follow the same path again if he wants to shine once more, and if Colombia is to dream again at the World Cup with James Rodríguez leading the way.

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