James Rodríguez delivers sharp four-word message to Mexico players during Colombia’s 4-0 win

During the 4-0 win over Mexico, Colombia star James Rodríguez delivered a sharp four-word message to the El Tri players.

Mexico suffered a crushing 4-0 defeat to Colombia in its first friendly of the October international break, leaving a poor impression ahead of the 2026 World Cup. One of the game’s key moments saw James Rodríguez take center stage, delivering a sharp message to the Mexico players in the middle of the match.

Fans from both nations packed AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for a game that quickly tilted in Colombia’s favor. In the 16th minute, Jhon Lucumí connected a cross from Rodríguez to open the scoring, setting the tone for what would become a dominant performance from Los Cafeteros. However, as Mexico pushed for an equalizer, controversy struck.

Late in the first half, with Colombia still leading 1-0, several Mexico players, including Santiago Giménez, Diego Lainez, César Montes, and Jorge Sánchez, surrounded referee Ismail Elfath to protest a possible penalty. Despite the heated appeals, VAR ultimately ruled against El Tri, prompting a reaction from Rodríguez.

As the situation settled, James Rodríguez, who was nearby during the dispute, approached the referee to express his frustration with Mexico’s attitude. Cameras clearly caught the Colombian star saying, “They talk too much,” in reference to the Mexican players’ persistent complaints over the decision.

The exchange ended there, but in the second half, Rodríguez and Colombia shifted into another gear. Mexico struggled to threaten David Ospina’s goal, and the match ended in a lopsided 4-0 scoreline. In the end, James’ comment seemed to capture more about Mexico’s mindset than their play on the field.

An upsetting defeat for Mexico

Following their 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup triumph over the USMNT, Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre sought to schedule high-level friendlies as preparation for the 2026 World Cup. But after back-to-back draws against Japan and South Korea in September, the heavy loss to Colombia marked a major setback.

At the post-match press conference, Aguirre offered a blunt self-assessment: “From our performance, there are some things we can take away — in terms of our play with the ball. I think all four goals were avoidable. We need to learn how to compete better; we can’t be so uncompetitive in certain phases of the game.“

Without naming names, the veteran coach also sent a clear message to his players. “I’m the main one responsible, and I accept that, but there are some things I’ll address privately with certain players because we can’t stop competing. Over the course of 90 minutes, there were players who didn’t live up to the standard. The only thing that matters is the result,” he stated.