James Rodríguez perfectly concluded his World Cup qualifiers home campaign by scoring a goal and surpassing Falcao; after the match, he sat alone in the center circle to bid farewell.

On the morning of September 5th (Beijing time), Argentina and Colombia each hosted their last home match of the current World Cup qualifiers. Argentina triumphed over Venezuela 3-0, with Messi netting a brace, perfectly closing their home campaign; Colombia won 3-0 against Bolivia, with James Rodríguez scoring a goal. Both South American passing maestros shared their final home appearances for their national teams on the same day.

Messi and James Rodríguez are perhaps iconic representatives of South American football stars from the 1980s generation. Messi’s status as a football legend is unquestioned, while James was the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner and scored a memorable stunning goal that many fans still recall vividly. After becoming a star, James’s decision to join Real Madrid was arguably the biggest mistake of his career; otherwise, his achievements might have been greater. At the national team level, James has always been Colombia’s number 10 and the undisputed team leader. The match against Bolivia was James’s last home game in World Cup qualifiers, where he scored a goal,bringing his total World Cup qualifying goals to 14, surpassing the Colombian legend Falcao’s 13 goals.This made him Colombia’s all-time top scorer in South American World Cup qualifiers. If all goes well, James will participate in the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup, by which time he will be 35 years old. Like Messi, both South American legends will likely have their final World Cup performances next year, making the summer of 2026 a farewell season for many stars.

Colombia’s 3-0 win over Bolivia saw 34-year-old James Rodríguez sitting alone at the center circle of the home pitch after the match, seemingly saying goodbye to the Colombian fans present. According to Colombian media, this match was James’s last official home game representing Colombia’s national team, signaling his retirement from international football after next year’s World Cup.