James Rodríguez just turned back the clock by about 12 years. The Colombian playmaker delivered his finest World Cup performance since bursting onto the global stage in 2014, posting career highs in chances created, pass accuracy, and recoveries during a 2026 group-stage match against DR Congo.
For a player who won the Golden Boot in 2014 with six goals, then largely faded from the World Cup picture (Colombia didn’t qualify in 2022), this is the kind of statistical line that makes you double-check the birth certificate. Rodríguez is 34.
A record-setting afternoon
His chances created, passing accuracy, and ball recoveries all surpassed anything he’d produced in his previous nine World Cup appearances. That’s a data set spanning three tournaments: 2014, 2018, and now 2026.
The match marked his 10th World Cup cap, tying Carlos Valderrama for the most appearances by a Colombian player in World Cup history. Rodríguez entered the tournament carrying 36 career international assists, just four behind Valderrama’s all-time Colombia record.
