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Colombia Extends Unbeaten Run: Colombia continued their strong start in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, remaining unbeaten after a 2-1 victory over Argentina in Barranquilla.
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James Rodriguez and Yerson Mosquera Shine: Goals from captain James Rodriguez and Yerson Mosquera were crucial in Colombia's win, with Rodriguez also converting a penalty that was awarded after a VAR review.
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Argentina Fights Back: Nico Gonzalez equalized for Argentina early in the second half after capitalizing on a mistake by Rodriguez, but it wasn't enough to secure a result.
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Controversial VAR Decision: The decisive moment came when VAR overturned the on-field referee’s decision and awarded a penalty to Colombia, which Rodriguez converted to put his team back in front.
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Colombia Moves Up in the Standings: With the win, Colombia climbed to second in the qualification table with 16 points from eight games, just two points behind Argentina, the current leaders.
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Next Matches: Colombia will face Bolivia in their next qualifier, while Argentina is set to play against Venezuela, looking to regain their momentum.
Image Source - Clarin
Colombia kept the unbeaten streak running in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers with a hard-won 2-1 victory against Argentina in Barranquilla on Tuesday. The win kept Colombia in pursuit of the number one position but also gained sweet revenge for their defeat at the hands of Argentina in the final of Copa America 2024 early in the year 2024.
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James Rodriguez and Yerson Mosquera Lead the Way
The match commenced at a very fierce tempo as Colombia tried to capitalize on home advantage. The Colombians got paid in the 25 minutes when captain James Rodriguez combined deftly with Jhon Arias off a quick corner. The cross of Rodriguez found Yerson Mosquera at the back post, who coolly finished to put Colombia ahead.
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Argentina Hits Back Quickly
In response, world number one Argentina finally came back into the game just after the break, as a misplaced pass by Rodriguez was latched onto by Nico Gonzalez, who made an incisive dart through the Colombian defense before slipping it underneath the goalkeeper to make it 1-1. The goal revitalized the Argentine attack, but Colombia continued to be stubborn.
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VAR Decides the Result
A little over twelve minutes into the second half, the big moment of controversy arrived. Daniel Munoz was brought down in the box, with the referee initially waving play on. That was until a VAR review handed Colombia a penalty. Captain Rodriguez, with nerves of steel, fired a powerful drive into the top right corner to restore the lead to the hosts.
Late Chances Go Begging
Colombia did have chances to get the goal that would seal it in the final stages, including one of the better ones when Jhon Duran's after a smart pass in from the left-hand side-came right at his club teammate Emiliano Martinez, who saved with ease.
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What's Next?
The result propels Colombia to second place in the qualification table with 16 points from eight matches, a couple behind leaders Argentina. Next, Colombia travels to Bolivia as Argentina seeks redemption when they travel away to Venezuela. Scented by this momentum, it is supposed to be a charge at extending their unbeaten run as the road to the 2026 World Cup goes on.
Inputs by Agencies
Image Source: Multiple Agencies
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