James Rodriguez’s Colombian coach Lorenzo makes something clear on controversy over 7-substitution rule
A controversial moment arose during the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup Qualifier between Brazil and Colombia, as the hosts made seven substitutions—two more than the five initially allowed. Following this situation, James Rodriguez‘s coach, Nestor Lorenzo, provided clarification regarding the rule.
Colombia traveled to Brazil with the aim of securing a spot near the top of the CONMEBOL standings, but alarms were raised in the 71st minute after a clash between Colombia’s Davinson Sanchez and Brazil goalkeeper Alisson. The two players collided head-to-head after a cross from Jhon Arias, leaving them both unconscious on the ground.
After being attended to by medical staff, both players were able to recover and walk off the pitch. Sanchez was substituted for Carlos Cuesta, while Bento replaced Alisson. However, the number of substitutions sparked controversy, especially given the unusual total of seven substitutions made by Brazil compared to Colombia’s four.
The increased number of changes raised questions from fans, who wondered whether Brazil had violated the rules or whether coach Nestor Lorenzo was unaware of the number of substitutions permitted.
What did Lorenzo say?
Colombia’s fourth substitution occurred in the 90+6 minute when James Rodriguez was replaced by Kevin Castaño in a defensive move to preserve the 1-1 scoreline. After the match, Lorenzo was asked about Brazil’s seven substitutions and clarified his stance:
“Head injuries allow both your team and the other team to make another substitution. Since there were two changes due to head injuries, both teams were allowed to make two additional substitutions—one for Davinson’s injury, and one for Alisson, who also went out due to dizziness,” the coach explained in the post-match press conference.
With this statement, Lorenzo acknowledged Brazil’s decision while raising questions about his own approach in not taking advantage of the extra substitutions allowed. He also dismissed any claims from the Colombian Football Federation regarding the situation.
Finally, Lorenzo provided an update on Sanchez’s condition, bringing relief to the fans and his family: “Davinson is fine, he is recovering. He had a dizzy spell, and that’s why the doctor decided, as a precaution, to take him out, but he is already recovered.”