Colombia’s national team captain, James Rodriguez, spent three days in hospital with severe dehydration following a recent World Cup warm-up match against France, according to a statement from the Colombian Football Federation on Thursday.
The 34-year-old midfielder, known for his stints with Real Madrid and Everton, played 63 minutes in Sunday’s friendly in Landover, Maryland, before being substituted. Observers noted that Rodriguez looked sluggish and disconnected during the 3-1 defeat to France.
Following the match, Rodriguez was hospitalised in Minnesota—where he plays for Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United—for what the federation described as “preventive clinical monitoring and recovery.” The club confirmed that Rodriguez is currently recovering and said his availability for this weekend’s match against LA Galaxy will be determined on Friday.
Rodriguez joined Minnesota United in February but has seen limited playing time due to injury, logging just 39 minutes so far. The federation clarified that his recent hospitalisation was unrelated to those injuries.
His physical fitness remains in question ahead of Colombia’s World Cup campaign this summer, where the national team is set to face Uzbekistan, DR Congo, and Portugal in Group K. Rodriguez, who was the top scorer at the 2014 World Cup, continues to play a crucial role for Colombia.
Head coach Nestor Lorenzo has faced criticism for fielding Rodriguez against France and in a previous friendly against Croatia despite the midfielder’s lack of match fitness. As the tournament approaches, Rodriguez’s recovery and fitness will be closely monitored by both club and country.
