James praises Cristiano Ronaldo and explains hug: "It's an example for everyone"
The match between Portugal and Colombia on Saturday night (27) marked the reunion of two players who are references in the sport in their respective countries. Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodríguez, who played together at Real Madrid, were seen chatting before the clash.
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Colombia confirmed the leadership of Group K of the 2026 World Cup by drawing 0-0 with Portugal, this Friday (26), at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami - FIFA via Getty Images
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Colombia confirmed the leadership of Group K of the 2026 World Cup by drawing 0-0 with Portugal, this Friday (26), at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami - FIFA via Getty Images
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Colombia confirmed the leadership of Group K of the 2026 World Cup by drawing 0-0 with Portugal, this Friday (26), at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami - FIFA via Getty Images
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Colombia confirmed the leadership of Group K of the 2026 World Cup by drawing 0-0 with Portugal, this Friday (26), at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami - FIFA via Getty Images
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In an interview with ESPN, the Colombian midfielder spoke about the reunion and praised the star of the Portuguese national team.
"He's a great friend from his Real Madrid days and also a great person. We became great friends. I always went to his house. He's an incredible person and an example for everyone. Look at the physique he has at 41 years old, what he does. He's a great athlete. He's someone I admire a lot and have a lot of affection for."
In the confrontation between the two stars, the score remained unchanged, and with a discreet performance from Cristiano Ronaldo, while James created good plays for Colombia. On the other hand, Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa took the lead, who made several interventions during the match and secured the point for Portugal.
Both teams are classified for the round of 16 phase. The Portuguese return to the pitch on Thursday (2), at 8pm, against Croatia, at BMO Field, in Toronto, Canada. Colombia has Ghana as its next opponent on Friday (03), at 10:30 pm, at Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas, in the United States.
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Source: CNN