Lionel Messi’s teary eyes, Lautaro Martinez’s brilliant finish, Angel Di Maria’s farewell – 9 months have passed since the 2024 Copa America. Yet, football fans can still recall the memories of that final between Colombia and Argentina if they want.
Although Argentina won the 2024 tournament, James Rodriguez took all the spotlight. He made himself known as a comet in the 2014 World Cup. After that, he shone for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but he was not a regular in that sense. However, in the 2024 Copa America, James brought back that poor performance 10 years ago. He took the team to the final with a record 6 assists in the tournament’s history.
However, despite reaching the final, Colombia lost to Argentina in extra time. Almost 9 months after that final, James appeared before Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre with a formal complaint. He alleged that Colombia could not become the champion that day due to various issues outside the field. James also said that Argentina had more advantages throughout the tournament.
Regarding the loss to Argentina, James said, “We had a great Copa America. Personally, it was a great tournament. We really wanted to win the title, we came close, but due to some issues beyond our control, we couldn’t become champions of the Americas.”
The 33-year-old midfielder, who complained about the penalty not being awarded, said, “The referee did not award two penalties, one of which was very clear to me. The VAR recording has been shown in all the other matches, but not in the final. That was a bit strange.”
In addition, James also commented that the road to the final was difficult for Colombia compared to Argentina in the tournament, “On the side we were on, Brazil, Uruguay and other more difficult teams were there. And they (Argentina) were on the side of the weaker teams. Besides, we had to travel a lot. But these are not excuses.”
“We were in good form in that match, we played a great final. They conceded a goal with just three minutes left before the penalty. They won everything. I’m not saying they weren’t a team that deserved to win, but the truth is that some things had an impact and held us back. What happened, that’s the reality.”