Colombia open their World Cup campaign against Uzbekistan National Bank late Wednesday night into Thursday at 5:00 a.m., with James Rodriguez leading the team for the third time at a World Cup. The 2014 breakout star, who played this season for Minnesota in MLS and is now looking for a club, is portrayed as a tournament player rather than a league player: a player who shines in short bursts, not over a long season. His club career stalled at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but his international form has repeatedly revived his reputation, including at the 2024 Copa America, where he won best player honors and led Colombia to the final.
The article says Rodriguez has always been a star who needs a national team setup that protects him defensively and lets him focus on decisive moments. In club football, that has usually not worked over 40-game seasons, but in tournaments, where emotion and individual brilliance matter more, Colombia can build around him. The piece notes that after every move since the 2014 World Cup, he was welcomed with excitement, started well, and then faded after five or six matches. "Give him the yellow shirt with the Colombian flag," it says, and he will repay the investment over a five- or six-match tournament.
One of the marquee matches of the group stage is England against Croatia, set for Wednesday at 11:00 p.m. in Group 12. Thomas Tuchel had the option of calling up Cole Palmer or Phil Foden at the last minute, but a late injury to right back Tino Livramento instead brought Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah into the squad. All eyes are on Harry Kane, described here as perhaps the world’s best-form player, while Croatia arrive as a proven World Cup side led, as always, by Luka Modric, now 40.
The other Group 12 match is Ghana against Panama, kicking off between Wednesday and Thursday at 2:00 a.m. Ghana, led by the exciting Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City, is seen as having its best chance to win in the group and move closer to the round of 32. Panama is described as one of the weakest teams in the tournament, possibly the weakest, even including Curacao.
