Back in the day, James Rodriguez was one of the most fascinating players on Earth. Following a breakout performance at the 2014 World Cup with Colombia, he made a stunning move to Real Madrid.
However, those days are far behind him. At 31, James finds himself without a club after rescinding his contract with Olympiacos, where he spent less than a season. Even so, he’s still a pivotal member of the national team.
The former Everton star knows Los Cafeteros have plenty of work to do after missing the last World Cup. In a recent interview with Win Sports TV, James suggested Colombia should have qualified for Qatar 2022 as they were better than some teams who actually made the tournament.
James Rodriguez takes subtle shot at Peru, Australia
“There were teams that I couldn’t believe were going to the World Cup. I saw the Australia vs. Peru and thought, ‘how could these two go to a World Cup? With all due respect, Peru are a great team, but we are much better” he said.
“And we’re better than Australia as well. But these things happen, we did things wrong, it’s unacceptable that we haven’t scored in seven games with so many great players. We have to take responsibility and learn from it.”
James admitted his team didn’t do enough to deserve a World Cup spot, but his comments are still disrespectful for those who got the job done. Either way, the upcoming Conmebol qualifiers may be his last opportunity to play a final World Cup with Colombia.