TThere is no doubt that excitement is already building for the World Cup, which begins in Mexico City on June 11th. After the group stage draw is completed, one of the most anticipated matches will be the Group K showdown, where James Rodriguez’s Colombia will take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
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The game will be held in Miami, Florida on June 26th and will be one of the most talked about games since the schedule was announced. Another notable match is Uruguay vs. Spain in Guadalajara, Jalisco. In fact, the excitement for Colombia vs. Portugal is so high that the cheapest tickets on resale are around USD 2,500.
This will be an unprecedented matchup as Colombia and Portugal have never faced each other in a competitive match or friendly. Moreover, barring a surprise from Uzbekistan or the play-off qualifiers, which include Jamaica, New Caledonia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this match could decide who advances to the top of Group K.
James Rodriguez faces great uncertainty
The Colombian national team has experienced great moments in terms of results and talent and is considered a potential “dark horse” for the upcoming World Cup. But their biggest star, the experienced James Rodriguez, is going through a complicated period. There are six months left until the World Cup, but he doesn’t have a club.
Over the past year, James Rodriguez has been playing for Club Ren in Liga MX, finally finding the consistency he hasn’t had in recent years. However, after one season he parted ways with the club and just when it looked like he might continue playing in Mexico, Pumas UNAM closed the door on him.
There have been rumors of a relationship between James and Pumas in recent weeks, but John Sutcliffe, a journalist known for his NFL coverage, especially Monday Night Football, has reported that the Colombian player will not be joining the Mexico City club, saying: “James Rodriguez will not come to Pumas. Yes, there were conversations, but what Pumas wants and what Efran Giures wants are different. They are looking for a ‘killer’ (striker), they need a number nine and they are targeting two players. “James, the goal scorer, probably a South American player, will not come to Pumas,” he posted on his X account.
It would have been exciting to see James play for Pumas UNAM – especially since one of his closest friends, Keylor Navas, will be there. We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but one thing is for sure: With six months to go until the World Cup, James Rodriguez still doesn’t have a team.
