Video: James Rodriguez shatters Colombia record after scoring vs. Bolivia in World Cup qualifiers
Colombia faced Bolivia at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Matchday 17 of the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Aiming to secure a ticket to the international tournament, star James Rodriguez scored the opening goal while also shattering a national team record.
Entering the match in 6th place with 22 points, Colombia needed a win against La Verde to stay on track for qualification to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. With the home fans behind them, captain James Rodriguez delivered the breakthrough with a precise finish.
With Bolivia sitting deep in their own half, Luis Diaz played wide to Santiago Arias, who delivered a powerful cross into the box. The ball found James Rodriguez, who calmly converted with his right foot in the 31st minute to give Colombia the lead.
The goal came at a crucial moment, helping Colombia solidify its push for World Cup qualification after missing out on Qatar 2022. In the process, James Rodriguez also became Colombia’s top scorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 14 goals, surpassing striker Radamel Falcao to set a new historic record.
El Tigre had been tied with Rodriguez at 13 goals, but the midfielder has now pulled ahead to claim the record outright. Rounding out Colombia’s all-time scoring list in World Cup qualifiers are Luis Diaz with 10 goals, Faustino Asprilla with 9, and Juan Pablo Angel and Teofilo Gutierrez, both with 8.
How far is James Rodríguez from becoming Colombia’s all-time top scorer?
Despite being a midfielder, James Rodriguez has built his legacy not only through creativity and vision but also with a remarkable scoring touch for both club and country. Now 34, the former Real Madrid star would need a strong final push in his international career to climb to the top of Colombia’s all-time scoring charts.
Rodriguez currently sits second on the list with 30 goals in 117 appearances for the national team across all competitions. The record is still held by Radamel Falcao, who netted 36 goals in 105 caps for Los Cafeteros. Behind them, Arnoldo Iguaran is third with 20 goals in 53 matches.
With Falcao now 39, without a club, and nearing retirement, his total is unlikely to increase. The closest active challenger behind James is Luis Diaz, who already has 19 international goals and stands in fourth place. That leaves Rodriguez six goals shy of Falcao’s record, a difficult but not impossible gap to close if he can maintain form and fitness.