James Rodríguez Leads Colombia to Victory Over Argentina in World Cup Qualifier

James Rodríguez showcased a stellar performance by scoring a penalty and providing an assist, leading Colombia to a 2-1 victory over defending champion Argentina in a South American World Cup qualifier. Lionel Messi's absence was felt by Argentina, which now leads the qualifiers with 18 points, closely followed by Colombia.

James Rodríguez delivered a crucial performance, scoring from the penalty spot and providing an assist to help Colombia edge defending champion Argentina 2-1 in a South American World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

Argentina, missing star player Lionel Messi due to injury, saw Yerson Mosquera give Colombia an early lead in the 25th minute. The equalizer came from Nico González in the 48th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error. However, Rodríguez's 60th-minute penalty, awarded after a video review, sealed the win at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Rodríguez expressed satisfaction with the victory, noting, "It is a great win against an Argentina team that has won it all. The weather was tough, it was so hot, but we had an excellent match. It is a fair win." Argentina still leads the South American World Cup qualifying group, just two points ahead of Colombia. Other matches on Tuesday saw Bolivia upset Chile, Ecuador beat Peru, and Venezuela draw with Uruguay.

(With inputs from agencies.)