WEBVTT 00:06.005 --> 00:08.049 [crowd cheering] 00:10.427 --> 00:14.556 [announcer 1] Crowds electric as always here at the Metropolitano in Barranquilla. 00:14.639 --> 00:16.141 Colombia and Bolivia! 00:16.224 --> 00:18.601 Rival teams will square off here today. 00:18.685 --> 00:20.687 Their World Cup futures hang in the balance. 00:20.770 --> 00:22.564 2025 - COLOMBIA VS BOLIVIA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS 00:22.647 --> 00:25.358 [announcer 2] Earning a victory, even by a single goal, 00:25.442 --> 00:28.820 would be enough for the Colombian team to qualify. 00:28.903 --> 00:31.156 [crowd cheering] 00:31.239 --> 00:34.743 There are naysayers who didn't want him playing for the national team. 00:34.826 --> 00:37.495 Some don't see him as worthy of playing in the next World Cup. 00:37.579 --> 00:38.872 [crowd cheering] 00:38.955 --> 00:41.207 [thoughtful music playing] 00:41.291 --> 00:44.002 [announcer 1] This game will likely come down… 00:44.085 --> 00:46.671 [James Rodríguez] Not qualifying for Qatar was hard, 00:46.755 --> 00:49.924 but you get used to losing when you play football. 00:50.800 --> 00:54.763 I've had more failures than triumphs, and they've taught me a lot. 00:55.346 --> 00:57.849 Character is built by adversity. 00:58.725 --> 01:00.810 [announcer 2] Today we chase glory! 01:00.894 --> 01:02.896 We need to qualify here and now 01:02.979 --> 01:08.401 so that we can turn our full attention towards preparing for the World Cup. 01:08.485 --> 01:10.403 [announcer 1] We're all behind you, Colombia! 01:10.487 --> 01:12.155 Let's beat Bolivia! 01:12.238 --> 01:15.909 [James] Right from kickoff, I wanted it. I wanted to come through and score. 01:15.992 --> 01:18.912 [announcer 1] The ball goes to James, James takes his shot… it goes long! 01:18.995 --> 01:21.706 The header comes in at the far post, Bacca finds it! 01:21.790 --> 01:23.291 He finds it at the last second! 01:23.374 --> 01:24.584 [James] If I wanna be here, 01:24.667 --> 01:27.295 I have to score if I wanna be part of the story. 01:27.378 --> 01:29.672 [announcer 1] Lucho's upfield, looking to cut inside. 01:29.756 --> 01:33.384 Down the flank. sends in the cross. Header on target, the keeper's there! 01:33.468 --> 01:36.346 [announcer 2] James' header is blocked. 01:36.429 --> 01:38.723 [announcer 1] Lucho has it again on the edge of the box. 01:38.807 --> 01:41.726 He holds, he waits, he fakes. Now Arias with a low cross. 01:41.810 --> 01:44.437 Who has it? The ball is in! 01:44.521 --> 01:46.106 [crowd cheering] 01:46.189 --> 01:49.818 [thoughtful music rising] 01:52.445 --> 01:55.657 [James] Making it to a third World Cup is a big deal for me… 01:56.157 --> 01:59.744 [announcer 1] Goal! 01:59.828 --> 02:04.707 …because it isn't easy to play at that level, to play for so long. 02:05.458 --> 02:09.879 It's, like, my way of saying, "Hey, I'm still here." You know? 02:09.963 --> 02:14.008 [sportscaster] James Rodriguez becomes the top scorer for the Colombian team 02:14.092 --> 02:17.971 in qualifiers scoring his fourteenth goal. 02:18.054 --> 02:22.183 He has so much love for his country. 02:22.267 --> 02:23.476 I admire him. I love him. 02:23.560 --> 02:25.478 [Luis Díaz] He's the gold standard. 02:25.562 --> 02:28.523 He's got the most assists, the most goals of any midfielder. 02:28.606 --> 02:30.483 [Radamiel Falcao] We've all seen it. 02:30.567 --> 02:33.987 Every time he puts on that yellow jersey, 02:34.070 --> 02:37.448 he knows he's playing with his entire heart. 02:38.032 --> 02:39.117 [announcer 2] A free kick… 02:39.200 --> 02:44.038 [James] With the team this time, I think that we're gonna do great things. 02:44.122 --> 02:46.249 -[crowd cheering] -[announcer 2] Corner back… 02:46.332 --> 02:48.042 And goal! 02:48.126 --> 02:52.672 [James] It was nice to see the guys so happy, 02:52.755 --> 02:55.717 especially after missing the last World Cup. 02:55.800 --> 03:00.013 [announcer 1] He cuts inside Quintero. Lines it up from outside the box… Goal! 03:00.096 --> 03:02.182 [James] I'm gonna be 35. 03:02.265 --> 03:07.478 What better way to wrap things up than with a shot in the World Cup? 03:07.562 --> 03:10.773 [announcer 1] Colombia is here to party! 03:10.857 --> 03:14.527 Through our spirit, through our heart, which is full again. 03:14.611 --> 03:16.905 We are on the road to the World Cup! 03:16.988 --> 03:19.198 -We're qualified! -Qualified! 03:19.282 --> 03:20.992 [reporter] Such joy for Colombia! 03:21.075 --> 03:23.620 Colombia is back in the World Cup! 03:23.703 --> 03:26.664 We qualified, and that's what matters. 03:27.248 --> 03:30.001 [James] I've had a beautiful career. 03:31.127 --> 03:33.880 I think that I've had more good than bad. 03:34.881 --> 03:38.384 And that's what I'll take with me. 03:40.511 --> 03:44.098 [atmospheric music playing] 03:52.941 --> 03:55.526 I've been thinking about everything I've done. 03:55.610 --> 03:57.737 My history with this jersey. 03:57.820 --> 04:00.156 [camera shutter clicking] 04:00.740 --> 04:03.952 And a lot of things stand out. 04:05.119 --> 04:09.874 [reporter 1] A man who will always be remembered by the Colombian people. 04:09.958 --> 04:10.917 [crowd cheering] 04:11.000 --> 04:12.877 [James] It hasn't all been easy. 04:12.961 --> 04:15.255 When you win, everybody's happy. 04:17.131 --> 04:20.510 But when you lose, you're all alone. 04:20.593 --> 04:24.180 [reporter 2] James growing arrogant, saying "I'm the star here." 04:24.264 --> 04:25.223 Too busy partying. 04:25.306 --> 04:27.475 [opening theme music playing] 04:27.558 --> 04:28.643 [James] My whole career, 04:28.726 --> 04:32.272 I've always dedicated my… my life to my jersey. Always. 04:32.355 --> 04:34.857 -[woman] James! -[man] We are Colombian! 04:34.941 --> 04:37.443 [squad] One, two, three! Colombia. Colombia, Colombia! 04:38.861 --> 04:42.865 [James] If this ends up being it for me, I can leave happy. 04:42.949 --> 04:46.494 But it feels like there's still a chapter missing. 04:46.577 --> 04:49.247 [music continues] 04:53.793 --> 04:56.754 [crowd cheering] 05:02.301 --> 05:04.637 [announcer] "Abelito" Aguilar passes the ball to James. 05:04.721 --> 05:08.349 Back to Abel, back to James. He turns, rebound, left foot! 05:08.433 --> 05:11.477 James! Oh, my God! 05:11.561 --> 05:14.647 My word, this boy's a star! Forget it! 05:14.731 --> 05:17.692 Brilliance! Just brilliance! 05:19.819 --> 05:22.697 [clapper loader] Interview nine. James. Take two. 05:25.491 --> 05:29.287 My grandmother, rest her soul, she once said to me, 05:29.370 --> 05:30.496 "Let them talk." 05:31.372 --> 05:34.751 "Good or bad, always give them something to talk about." 05:34.834 --> 05:35.752 [chuckles] 05:36.586 --> 05:39.839 EPISODE 1 JAMES VS LIFE 05:40.590 --> 05:44.552 Yeah, I've always known I wanted to play football. 05:45.762 --> 05:47.513 First, because I had the talent. 05:47.597 --> 05:49.432 Second, because I wanted to compete. 05:49.515 --> 05:52.602 Third, because I had the passion for playing football. 05:52.685 --> 05:55.021 -A big round of applause. -[cheering] 05:55.104 --> 05:59.525 [James] I've always had the mental strength and the drive to win. 05:59.609 --> 06:01.152 Ever since I was a kid. 06:02.153 --> 06:03.404 [camera shutter clicks] 06:03.488 --> 06:05.531 [lively music playing] 06:16.042 --> 06:18.461 My name is María del Pilar Rubio. 06:18.544 --> 06:21.547 I was born in Ibagué, then I moved to Bogotá. 06:21.631 --> 06:22.715 MOTHER 06:22.799 --> 06:24.759 And then I moved to Medellín, then to Argentina. 06:24.842 --> 06:26.427 I was always following my son. 06:26.511 --> 06:27.678 He's James Rodríguez. 06:31.808 --> 06:35.686 I had him pretty young, but I don't regret it at all. 06:35.770 --> 06:38.439 If I had to do it over, I wouldn't change a thing. 06:38.523 --> 06:40.066 [gentle music playing] 06:40.149 --> 06:43.569 I met James' dad when he was playing for Deportes Tolima. 06:43.653 --> 06:47.031 We got married really quickly, maybe two months after we started dating, 06:47.115 --> 06:49.200 because my parents wouldn't let me out on my own. 06:49.283 --> 06:51.035 I was really young, 18. 06:53.913 --> 06:57.458 I got to Cúcuta when I was eight months pregnant. 06:57.542 --> 06:59.669 And he had a nuchal cord. 07:00.253 --> 07:02.505 And the clinic didn't want to do a C-section. 07:02.588 --> 07:05.842 We couldn't afford the hospital. We didn't have much money. 07:07.260 --> 07:09.762 Imagine I got to the clinic at 7:00 in the morning, 07:09.846 --> 07:11.639 and he wasn't born until 9:00 at night. 07:12.306 --> 07:16.227 And my dad… This… this is what they've told me. 07:16.310 --> 07:19.814 He just picked me up, and took me to the registry office. 07:19.897 --> 07:22.191 And said, "His name is James David." 07:24.193 --> 07:26.070 He was supposed to be named Juan David. 07:26.154 --> 07:29.949 I mean, I was a child myself, and I just had a kid of my own. 07:30.032 --> 07:32.869 And he registers him with the wrong name. 07:33.828 --> 07:35.788 [James] We left right after I was born. 07:35.872 --> 07:38.082 I was 15 days old, and we moved to Tolima. 07:38.666 --> 07:44.297 [María] I went back to Ibagué right away, and then we kind of started our new life. 07:45.506 --> 07:46.507 [camera shutter clicks] 07:46.591 --> 07:49.677 We're his uncles, but we're just a few years older than he is. 07:49.760 --> 07:50.595 UNCLES 07:50.678 --> 07:54.223 So, when we were growing up, it was more like we were his brothers. 07:54.307 --> 07:56.476 There was always a ball bouncing around the house. 07:56.559 --> 07:58.561 He was always outside playing. 07:59.395 --> 08:01.564 [Andrés] And even when he was really little, 08:01.647 --> 08:04.233 he could play just as well as the rest of us, 08:04.317 --> 08:06.861 who were so much older and bigger. 08:06.944 --> 08:09.780 [announcer] A fifth goal for James Rodriguez! 08:09.864 --> 08:13.451 He's always been so competitive. Always. He could never stand losing. 08:16.370 --> 08:20.249 I'm not sure if he has any memory of his biological father, 08:21.000 --> 08:23.044 from when he was growing up. 08:23.628 --> 08:26.797 I think that must have been, um… 08:26.881 --> 08:28.508 That must have been hard. 08:29.383 --> 08:32.511 [María] And just at the start, he was there for his birth. 08:32.595 --> 08:35.681 But after that, he wasn't ever really around. 08:36.724 --> 08:39.810 His father would usually call around Christmas. 08:40.394 --> 08:41.604 We had no relationship. 08:43.731 --> 08:46.609 Thank God that I had my family, because without them, 08:46.692 --> 08:49.153 I have no idea how I would have done it. 08:49.237 --> 08:52.448 When you grow up surrounded by affection and love, 08:52.531 --> 08:55.409 I think everything just flows, doesn't it? 08:55.910 --> 08:58.371 I think his version of a father figure 08:58.454 --> 09:02.625 was very much influenced by the discipline from Juan Carlos. 09:02.708 --> 09:06.045 His stepfather, who I had his sister Juanita with, 09:06.128 --> 09:08.965 he was very present, but he could be very harsh. 09:09.674 --> 09:10.550 STEPFATHER 09:10.633 --> 09:14.470 A restless boy appeared, 3 years old, always with his ball tucked under his arm. 09:14.554 --> 09:16.681 As if he had been born with it. 09:17.890 --> 09:19.392 [James] My stepfather. 09:19.475 --> 09:23.104 I think my upbringing with him was very strict. 09:23.187 --> 09:24.397 "Work hard." 09:24.480 --> 09:25.606 "Never give up." 09:26.566 --> 09:27.858 "Never show up late." 09:28.442 --> 09:31.904 It was too strict, but it gave me a good foundation too. 09:33.281 --> 09:38.869 I tried out for two academies, and they told me that I sucked. 09:38.953 --> 09:41.539 They said, "No, teach this kid to play chess or something." 09:41.622 --> 09:42.999 "He's no good at this." Imagine. 09:43.082 --> 09:45.167 "This kid's no good." 09:45.251 --> 09:49.964 After that, I went to the third academy, Academia Tolimense. 09:50.047 --> 09:51.215 And that's where I ended up. 09:51.299 --> 09:53.801 [lively music playing] 09:58.681 --> 10:00.224 2004 PONY FÚTBOL FINAL MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA 10:00.308 --> 10:01.392 [announcer] Pony Fútbol. 10:01.475 --> 10:06.188 Teaching a new generation of Colombian citizens who play fair! 10:06.272 --> 10:09.066 This is the grand finale of Pony Fútbol. 10:09.900 --> 10:12.069 [James] My stepfather was essential 10:12.153 --> 10:15.031 in making it possible for me to play football. 10:15.114 --> 10:17.867 [María] He'd say, "James is great with his left." 10:17.950 --> 10:20.911 "He's left-footed, you know? He should go to an academy." 10:20.995 --> 10:23.122 And I didn't want to, because of James' father, 10:23.205 --> 10:24.957 who had an association with football. 10:25.082 --> 10:26.709 I completely demonized football. 10:26.792 --> 10:30.921 My mom thought I shouldn't play football because my dad was a football player too, 10:31.005 --> 10:33.090 and she had such a bad experience with him. 10:33.174 --> 10:35.551 When he was off the field, he wasn't great. 10:35.635 --> 10:37.720 [announcer] The ball will be taken from the corner. 10:37.803 --> 10:40.556 Forty minutes. Academia Tolimense takes it. 10:40.640 --> 10:42.892 Here it comes. Near post! 10:42.975 --> 10:45.603 Long live Pony Fútbol! 10:45.686 --> 10:49.899 James Rodríguez was there for the corner, the star of the team. 10:49.982 --> 10:51.734 Almost an Olímpico goal. 10:51.817 --> 10:56.030 Then he started playing in tournaments, and I saw that he was the best, and I… 10:56.113 --> 10:58.366 -[women laughing] -[James chuckles] 10:58.449 --> 11:02.119 I had been saying no, but I saw that, and knew it was right. 11:02.203 --> 11:05.915 [announcer] This is the star, the talent that needs no introduction. 11:05.998 --> 11:07.792 James Rodríguez! 11:07.875 --> 11:10.961 Back then, when… when he didn't want to come back inside, 11:11.045 --> 11:13.339 my mom could always get him to come back in. 11:13.422 --> 11:16.759 Every night, she'd tell him that Captain Tsubasa was about to start. 11:16.842 --> 11:20.179 [Captain Tsubasa music theme in Spanish playing] 11:20.262 --> 11:22.223 [James] I loved Captain Tsubasa. 11:22.807 --> 11:25.142 It was my favorite show when I was a kid. 11:25.226 --> 11:28.938 I even have a tattoo of baby Oliver Atom. 11:30.439 --> 11:32.733 He was number 10. He was the captain. 11:32.817 --> 11:34.402 I wanted to be Oliver. 11:34.485 --> 11:38.239 [upbeat music playing] 11:43.285 --> 11:44.453 [exhales] 11:46.122 --> 11:49.792 [announcer] A player who delivers on the pitch. His name is James Rodríguez. 11:49.875 --> 11:50.960 [cheering] 11:52.837 --> 11:53.754 Watch out! 11:53.838 --> 11:55.923 James Rodríguez steps up. 11:56.006 --> 11:56.841 He shoots. 11:56.924 --> 11:59.510 Goal! 11:59.593 --> 12:01.345 [crowd cheering] 12:01.429 --> 12:03.305 I guess my dream came true. 12:03.389 --> 12:05.933 [announcer] An Olímpico goal. The crowd loves it. 12:06.016 --> 12:07.518 I hope that everyone watching 12:07.601 --> 12:10.938 is enjoying the talent and class that this kid brings to the game. 12:11.021 --> 12:13.941 [upbeat music continues] 12:18.237 --> 12:19.655 [referee blows whistle] 12:19.738 --> 12:21.323 The referee calls time. 12:21.407 --> 12:25.536 They are the champions! They are the champions! 12:25.619 --> 12:27.913 [man] Is there anyone you'd like to recognize with this win? 12:27.997 --> 12:31.667 I think I wanna dedicate it to… to my mom and stepdad. 12:31.751 --> 12:34.044 [man] Tell us, what's your dream, James? 12:34.128 --> 12:36.797 My dream is, I wanna be a professional soccer player. 12:36.881 --> 12:38.507 -A professional. -With which team? 12:38.591 --> 12:41.218 I think I'll start with Tolima, and then whatever God wants. 12:41.302 --> 12:44.263 [María] He's feeling so many emotions, so much joy. 12:44.346 --> 12:46.724 This is the start of something amazing for him. 12:46.807 --> 12:48.642 He'll chase his goals, his dreams. 12:48.726 --> 12:50.478 We all know that we have to support him 12:50.561 --> 12:53.022 and stay with him for everything that happens. 12:53.105 --> 12:56.150 [pulsing music playing] 12:56.233 --> 13:02.781 [James] DIM bought 25% of my rights, and Envigado bought another 25%. 13:02.865 --> 13:06.243 [announcer] James Rodríguez is making his professional debut. 13:06.327 --> 13:09.830 The 14-year-old is wearing the number 25. 13:11.582 --> 13:16.212 I went into the locker room, and stayed and sort of hid by the door. 13:16.295 --> 13:19.840 He saw me and said, "Hey, hey, kid, what are you doing there?" 13:19.924 --> 13:21.926 "They called me up." 13:22.009 --> 13:23.677 I was shy. I was the youngest one there, 13:23.761 --> 13:27.515 so I didn't know what to expect or how I was supposed to act. 13:27.598 --> 13:29.600 [music continues] 13:32.895 --> 13:34.438 We've been helping him. 13:34.522 --> 13:38.067 My husband and I have always been a part of this with him. 13:38.150 --> 13:41.779 I was always there. At Envigado, they called me "coach." [laughs] 13:41.862 --> 13:43.072 I embarrassed him. 13:43.155 --> 13:46.492 I went to all of his practices, every morning and afternoon. 13:46.575 --> 13:49.620 I said, "I don't care, I'm going to be here for you." 13:49.703 --> 13:54.041 You'd see him practicing, and he was so committed, so professional. 13:54.124 --> 13:58.337 He made it look easy, but it wasn't. Traveling, meeting so many people. 13:58.420 --> 14:00.297 [James] My uncles were also with me a lot. 14:00.381 --> 14:03.884 While his mom was working, we would go to his practices. 14:03.968 --> 14:06.887 -We'd take him on the bus or out to eat. -[Mario] Or got a drink. 14:06.971 --> 14:08.055 [Andrés] Or got a drink. 14:08.138 --> 14:10.641 [James] "Okay, Uncle. Arepa or bus?" 14:10.724 --> 14:14.687 "Arepa or what, you jerk?" "Pedal, pedal!" 14:14.770 --> 14:17.898 -[Mario] I still think about those arepas… -[James laughs] 14:19.441 --> 14:22.695 [María] I did what I had to do. I had no other choice. 14:23.320 --> 14:26.323 [reporter] Today will go down in the history of Colombian football 14:26.407 --> 14:30.119 as the day James Rodríguez made his professional debut. 14:49.555 --> 14:52.808 [James] It's a different feeling when you play for your country. 14:52.891 --> 14:55.644 Every game I get to play for Colombia is a dream. 14:55.728 --> 14:58.314 When I'm out there, I think, "This is really happening." 15:00.733 --> 15:05.029 Each game, for me, I see as another opportunity… 15:05.112 --> 15:07.197 COLOMBIA NATIONAL TEAM TRAINING GROUND 15:07.281 --> 15:10.284 …to do something that will last forever. 15:12.202 --> 15:14.997 That's what I feel when I play for Colombia. 15:16.582 --> 15:19.835 [María] I remember the time the president of Envigado called me 15:19.919 --> 15:22.755 and said that the national team was gonna have… 15:22.838 --> 15:24.173 COLOMBIA U-17 NATIONAL TEAM 15:24.256 --> 15:25.799 …a trial with Eduardo Lara. 15:25.883 --> 15:28.761 He asked if James could go, and I told him, "Of course!" 15:28.844 --> 15:31.805 Next thing I heard, they told me to send him toothpaste and underwear 15:31.889 --> 15:33.098 because he'd been selected. 15:33.182 --> 15:35.059 [lively music playing] 15:35.142 --> 15:36.935 [Andrea Guerrero] He was on the national radar 15:37.019 --> 15:39.647 as soon as he started playing professionally with Envigado. 15:40.439 --> 15:41.273 JOURNALIST 15:41.357 --> 15:44.485 Often in Colombia, up-and-coming players will be rushed ahead of their age group. 15:44.568 --> 15:46.195 FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP, SOUTH KOREA 15:46.278 --> 15:49.114 James was lucky to play internationally in important age-group categories. 15:49.198 --> 15:52.409 He made it to the World Cup in Korea, the U-17 World Cup. 15:52.493 --> 15:54.286 [announcer] Rodriguez takes it. 15:54.370 --> 15:56.372 [crowd cheering] 15:57.957 --> 16:01.085 -[announcer 1] Best player on the pit. -[announcer 2] And an excellent header! 16:01.168 --> 16:04.088 [Guerrero] James has experienced many changes that people tend to forget. 16:04.171 --> 16:06.590 Like how he moved to Argentina at a very young age. 16:07.383 --> 16:09.885 ["Déjala Rodar" by Diamante Eléctrico playing] 16:20.521 --> 16:22.064 [Juan José Buscalia] Banfield was a club 16:22.147 --> 16:25.484 that traditionally played in lower divisions of Argentinian football. 16:25.567 --> 16:29.279 But since the '90s, they have been a fixture. 16:29.363 --> 16:31.865 A contender at the top level. 16:31.949 --> 16:35.411 Today, they're completely used to playing in the first division. 16:35.494 --> 16:38.080 [reporter] We continue with our coverage of Banfield. 16:38.163 --> 16:41.583 Today, I have with me a player who is very much in demand. 16:41.667 --> 16:44.795 James Rodríguez. He's making his debut with Banfield. 16:44.878 --> 16:47.131 Welcome to Argentine football. 16:47.631 --> 16:50.759 Yeah, thank you very much for having me. 16:51.427 --> 16:53.429 I'm looking forward to doing a good job. 16:53.512 --> 16:58.976 I don't think I ever told him this, but I would cry all the time. 16:59.059 --> 17:01.854 It was really difficult for me because 17:01.937 --> 17:04.022 I had never been away from him for so long. 17:04.106 --> 17:07.067 I was always able to be there for him, and all of a sudden, I had to say, 17:07.151 --> 17:08.777 "Open your wings and fly." 17:08.861 --> 17:11.363 [thoughtful music playing] 17:12.531 --> 17:15.325 [James] The first three or four months, it was just rice, tuna… 17:15.409 --> 17:16.618 MAIN: TUNA, PASTA 17:16.702 --> 17:20.247 …and pasta. Tuna, rice, tuna. That was all I ate. 17:20.330 --> 17:22.332 "Oh, my God, is he eating?" you know? 17:22.416 --> 17:25.085 And he was always like, "Relax, Mom, don't worry." 17:25.169 --> 17:27.588 Sure, he had a salary, but he was just a kid. 17:28.172 --> 17:31.717 He was in another country. He was 16, for God's sake. 17:31.800 --> 17:35.345 [Buscalia] That James, who lived in the Banfield boarding house, 17:35.429 --> 17:38.557 he was freezing at night, he wasn't eating. 17:38.640 --> 17:42.770 That couldn't have been easy, and that has an effect on you, you know? 17:43.437 --> 17:44.271 On top of that, 17:44.354 --> 17:47.524 the pressure of needing to win so they'll let you play. 17:47.608 --> 17:50.611 We talked for maybe 40 seconds. "Hi, Mom, how are you?" 17:50.694 --> 17:54.782 Then it goes, "Please insert more coins to continue this call," so I hang up. 17:54.865 --> 17:55.991 "Beep…" 17:56.075 --> 17:58.243 And I just started crying. 17:58.327 --> 18:00.329 I cried a lot of nights until… 18:00.412 --> 18:03.832 Until I started thinking about packing up and going home. 18:03.916 --> 18:08.504 Then, Julio César Falcioni arrived. He's been like an angel to us. 18:08.587 --> 18:09.922 He was very young. 18:10.005 --> 18:11.131 COACH 18:11.215 --> 18:13.008 He came up through the club's youth divisions. 18:14.301 --> 18:20.182 And right away, we could see that he was a different kind of player. 18:20.265 --> 18:23.519 He moved up through the ranks quickly. 18:23.602 --> 18:26.396 [reporter] What kind of player is James? What does he bring to Banfield? 18:26.480 --> 18:29.817 Well, I think I'm a good attacking midfielder with good technique. 18:30.442 --> 18:32.820 [María] Julio César Falcioni saw him. 18:32.903 --> 18:34.988 He brought James up with the team for the preseason. 18:35.072 --> 18:37.074 And he calls and says, "Mom, they're not playing me!" 18:37.157 --> 18:40.202 "James, this is your first preseason. If you come back, I'll make empanadas, 18:40.285 --> 18:43.580 but you'll never play football again. Do you understand?" 18:43.664 --> 18:46.375 "No, no, no. How could you say that, Mom?" And he stayed. 18:46.959 --> 18:50.838 If I come back, it needs to be big. 18:50.921 --> 18:54.550 If I come back, it's to play, to score, to be a champion. 18:54.633 --> 18:55.884 I don't know. 18:55.968 --> 18:58.929 [Falcioni] But James was only 17. 18:59.012 --> 19:03.350 He was stepping into this very demanding professional environment. 19:03.433 --> 19:07.646 We had to really push him because we knew how much talent he had. 19:08.230 --> 19:11.358 [James] He said, "All right, we'll play you." 19:12.067 --> 19:17.489 "For this practice, you'll play left back, and I'll keep an eye on you." 19:17.573 --> 19:19.449 "If I don't see you make it up and down the pitch 19:19.533 --> 19:23.245 eight times in 25 minutes, you're done." 19:23.328 --> 19:28.292 So you know what I did? [laughs] I stuck a rocket up my… You know where. 19:28.375 --> 19:31.461 [laughs] I was flying. I was running all over the place. 19:31.545 --> 19:34.006 And Julio just says, "Alright, alright, kid. That's enough." 19:34.089 --> 19:36.884 [announcer] Through the middle, James Rodríguez breaks for the far post. 19:36.967 --> 19:39.636 Now Banfield has it. Brossi. Foul, and penalty! 19:39.720 --> 19:41.471 I was there when James debuted. 19:41.555 --> 19:43.515 We called him "Jaymz." [laughs] 19:43.599 --> 19:45.934 I remember one of the managers told me, 19:46.018 --> 19:49.813 "Today, for the first time, a young Colombian kid is on the team." 19:49.897 --> 19:51.148 "He's gonna crush it." 19:52.441 --> 19:54.484 [announcer] On comes James Rodriguez. 19:54.568 --> 19:57.821 The Colombian is the youngest foreign player to ever debut in Argentina. 19:57.905 --> 20:01.325 And look what a young James does, right into the top corner. 20:01.408 --> 20:03.577 He scores his first goal in his second match. 20:03.660 --> 20:07.873 They asked me what James' ceiling was, so I told them, "He doesn't have one." 20:07.956 --> 20:09.666 [reporter] How did you feel being subbed in? 20:09.750 --> 20:11.960 And the reception from the fans chanting, "Colombia"? 20:12.044 --> 20:14.796 No, I'm happy. First, because I played well, and, um… 20:14.880 --> 20:17.257 -Because they like me. -[lively rock music playing] 20:17.341 --> 20:19.176 [James] After those first few months, 20:19.259 --> 20:23.889 I don't think about the rest of it because it all went well. Really well. 20:23.972 --> 20:26.266 [announcer] Rodríguez! Goal! 20:26.350 --> 20:30.520 [James] I felt like I was already a professional at Banfield. 20:30.604 --> 20:31.605 He was the first. 20:31.688 --> 20:34.107 The youngest foreign player to ever debut in Argentina. 20:34.191 --> 20:35.234 He's always broken records. 20:35.317 --> 20:37.110 [James] We're ahead and, well, 20:37.194 --> 20:39.071 we just have to keep doing what we're doing. 20:39.154 --> 20:42.824 [reporter] Do you think this match showed that your team are contenders? 20:42.908 --> 20:47.788 He became an everyday starter, and we started to really see his strength. 20:47.871 --> 20:49.122 [announcer] James… 20:49.206 --> 20:52.793 Playing in Argentina helped me a lot with my conditioning. 20:52.876 --> 20:56.880 With my ability to run. I think it was a big step up. 20:56.964 --> 21:00.592 [reporter] Now, James, with you… if it's not incredible, it hardly counts. 21:00.676 --> 21:02.302 I think it was a good goal. 21:02.386 --> 21:05.180 And I hope that, that I keep scoring goals like that. 21:05.264 --> 21:07.391 There was a real leap for James. 21:07.975 --> 21:09.351 We were all struck by how it seemed 21:09.434 --> 21:11.770 like he'd been playing in Argentina his whole life, 21:11.853 --> 21:16.525 and had been wearing number 10 for Banfield his whole life, too. 21:17.359 --> 21:18.277 JAMES UNSTOPPABLE 21:18.360 --> 21:22.322 You also need to be a bit lucky. Be in the right place at the right time. 21:22.406 --> 21:23.573 And I was. 21:23.657 --> 21:25.158 [crowd cheering] 21:25.242 --> 21:27.577 Ladies and gentlemen, 21:27.661 --> 21:32.249 Banfield are your new champions of Argentina! 21:32.332 --> 21:34.584 They’ve won the AFA Apertura! 21:34.668 --> 21:36.586 CHAMPION C.A. BANFIELD FIRST TIME EVER 21:36.670 --> 21:38.964 [anchor] On to bigger things. To international football. 21:39.047 --> 21:42.634 In Argentina, a Colombian took a historic victory lap with Banfield. 21:42.718 --> 21:45.554 Young James Rodríguez wrapped himself in his home flag 21:45.637 --> 21:50.058 to celebrate winning the first title in the 113-year history of the small club. 21:50.142 --> 21:52.811 [reporter] James Rodríguez has earned the right to add his name 21:52.894 --> 21:54.896 into the annals of football history 21:54.980 --> 21:57.941 as a critical part of this team led by Julio César Falcioni. 21:58.025 --> 22:00.110 I dedicate this to everyone back home in Colombia. 22:00.193 --> 22:02.571 [reporter] For the young man born in Cúcuta, raised in Ibagué, 22:02.654 --> 22:04.614 introduced to the world of football in Antioquia, 22:04.698 --> 22:07.576 and immortalized in Argentina, this is a dream come true. 22:07.659 --> 22:11.997 Yes, it's an honor for me, and well, I think the club needed this. 22:12.080 --> 22:13.457 And, yeah, I'm happy. 22:13.540 --> 22:15.459 He's… he's a hero. 22:15.542 --> 22:17.794 His name is forever a part of history. 22:17.878 --> 22:21.381 [atmospheric music playing] 22:21.465 --> 22:23.008 [reporter] Banfield is working miracles! 22:23.091 --> 22:25.677 [fan] I can die happy now after this championship. 22:27.304 --> 22:29.306 [inaudible] 22:31.850 --> 22:35.312 [clapper loader] Interview with David Ospina. Take four. 22:35.395 --> 22:37.481 I've known him since he was a kid. 22:38.106 --> 22:42.903 Uh… but it wasn't through football. 22:42.986 --> 22:43.987 GOALKEEPER 22:44.071 --> 22:46.406 It was because he dated my sister. 22:46.490 --> 22:48.283 [reporter] David and Daniela. 22:48.367 --> 22:51.578 Two athletes from Antioquia who both have winning in their blood. 22:51.661 --> 22:53.497 [David] She's always been an athlete. 22:53.580 --> 22:58.418 In school, she was always really good at every sport in gym class. 22:58.502 --> 23:03.465 No, well, I mean, he's excellent as a goalkeeper and also as a person. 23:03.548 --> 23:07.511 We both believe it's important to show what you can do when you're on the field. 23:07.594 --> 23:08.678 That we have to prove it. 23:08.762 --> 23:10.806 They were just kids back then. 23:10.889 --> 23:13.558 They both came to our house. 23:13.642 --> 23:16.812 Daniela wanted to introduce us to this football player. 23:16.895 --> 23:18.021 I had heard about him. 23:18.105 --> 23:20.607 That's when we started our beautiful friendship. 23:20.690 --> 23:26.321 I met Dani through one of her friends, through a mutual friend. 23:26.405 --> 23:30.075 Everyone thinks it was through… through David, but no. 23:30.158 --> 23:34.329 One of my friends was good friends with him, and she told me, 23:34.413 --> 23:37.290 "It's James' birthday. You should wish him a happy birthday." 23:37.374 --> 23:39.126 So I said, "Happy birthday." 23:39.209 --> 23:42.254 And after that, we both wanted to keep getting to know each other. 23:42.337 --> 23:45.006 The whole thing happened very fast. 23:45.090 --> 23:47.843 They barely knew each other, they barely talked about it. 23:47.926 --> 23:52.139 And they made the decision to have this adventure and live a life together. 23:52.222 --> 23:54.558 Him playing his sport, and my sister at his side. 23:54.641 --> 23:59.396 With Dani, I-I felt good. I was happy, I was comfortable. 23:59.479 --> 24:03.692 I felt like I wanted to, to build… to build a life with her. 24:03.775 --> 24:07.487 [gentle music playing] 24:07.571 --> 24:09.656 [man] You met when you were 16, is that right? 24:09.739 --> 24:11.825 We were 17, right? No, 16. 24:11.908 --> 24:14.119 You were 17. I was 16 when we met. 24:14.202 --> 24:15.579 I'm older than her. 24:17.289 --> 24:19.708 -By one year. -[man] You must respect your elders then. 24:19.791 --> 24:20.959 You gotta respect me, please. 24:21.042 --> 24:23.420 I mean, I respect him. I'm just not a fan. 24:23.503 --> 24:24.629 [laughing] 24:24.713 --> 24:26.298 [man] He's not a good player? 24:26.381 --> 24:29.384 No, he's good. Now that I've taught him a couple things. 24:29.467 --> 24:31.428 [all laughing] 24:31.511 --> 24:33.889 [man] And was he very demanding? 24:33.972 --> 24:35.390 Him? Sure. 24:35.474 --> 24:38.935 He can't let himself lose at anything, ever. 24:39.019 --> 24:43.607 He's never liked to lose at anything. Football, any game. He can never lose. 24:43.690 --> 24:45.192 Ever since I was a kid. 24:46.693 --> 24:48.820 But he's always been disciplined. 24:50.363 --> 24:51.364 That's right. 24:52.532 --> 24:54.534 We got married when I was 18. 24:55.160 --> 25:00.040 We moved to Europe at such a young age, and well, it's risky, right? 25:00.123 --> 25:05.504 But I think that we had the… the maturity to make it work. 25:05.587 --> 25:08.882 And be happy and stay together in this new life. 25:08.965 --> 25:12.844 And, well, I think those years were amazing. 25:14.012 --> 25:17.349 [reporter] Is there a chance you'll stay, or are you already thinking about leaving? 25:18.391 --> 25:22.854 I don't know. There's talk about me leaving in the next few weeks. 25:22.938 --> 25:25.565 [clapper loader] Interview with Falcao. Take one. 25:26.524 --> 25:27.359 Set! 25:27.442 --> 25:28.568 SOCCER PLAYER 25:28.652 --> 25:32.030 I was playing with River. At River, in my last season there, 25:32.113 --> 25:36.243 before I went to Portugal, I saw him playing in the First Division. 25:36.326 --> 25:40.163 He was scoring, scoring goals, so I knew about him. 25:40.247 --> 25:41.581 I went looking into him, 25:41.665 --> 25:48.338 and I discovered that he was the son of another James, who played with my dad. 25:49.130 --> 25:52.008 And then I moved to Portugal a few months later. 25:52.092 --> 25:54.344 And he was really starting to shine. 25:54.427 --> 25:57.389 There were rumors that he might sign with a European club. 25:57.973 --> 26:00.600 [reporter] We're hearing talk of Benfica in Portugal, maybe Lazio. 26:00.684 --> 26:03.770 Or Espanyol in Barcelona. Which one are you looking at? 26:03.853 --> 26:07.274 I'm not sure. All three are good options. 26:07.357 --> 26:12.153 Benfica was interested. I was told, "Choose Benfica or Porto." 26:12.737 --> 26:14.781 I saw that Porto was winning more. 26:14.864 --> 26:17.617 Falcao was at Porto, so was Guarín. 26:17.701 --> 26:19.703 So I said, "I'm going to Porto." 26:19.786 --> 26:22.414 ["Tararea" by Alcolirykoz playing] 26:22.497 --> 26:23.873 ♪ Listen to the beat ♪ 26:23.957 --> 26:25.333 PORTO, PORTUGAL 26:32.007 --> 26:34.050 ♪ Listen to the beat ♪ 26:37.345 --> 26:39.180 And I think that I made the right choice. 26:39.764 --> 26:41.516 [Falcao] It was a triumph for the club. 26:41.600 --> 26:44.811 Especially since they kept him from going to another team, 26:44.894 --> 26:46.813 Especially Benfica, their biggest rivals. 26:46.896 --> 26:50.191 And in Portugal, the Colombian James Rodríguez is on the rise. 26:50.275 --> 26:53.486 The midfielder scored his first goal in the Europa League with Porto, 26:53.570 --> 26:56.156 where he plays with his countryman Falcao García. 26:56.239 --> 26:57.907 I was there on my first contract. 26:57.991 --> 27:00.201 I was already settled in Porto with my wife, Lorelei, 27:00.285 --> 27:01.786 and he shows up all alone, 27:01.870 --> 27:04.914 so I invited him to our house, to have lunch. 27:04.998 --> 27:07.292 I wanted to start getting to know him. 27:07.375 --> 27:08.793 He really was just a kid then. 27:09.419 --> 27:11.671 [Guerrero] Now, looking back at James' time in Porto, 27:11.755 --> 27:13.757 I still can't see him as a kid. 27:13.840 --> 27:16.468 He seemed like an adult, a real professional. 27:16.551 --> 27:18.345 But that was how he was on the field. 27:18.428 --> 27:21.056 ["Tararea" continues playing] 27:21.139 --> 27:24.309 It was great because three of us were from Colombia. 27:24.392 --> 27:27.854 Seeing that micro-community he had with Falcao and Guarín, 27:27.937 --> 27:30.774 how they worked together, what they achieved together. 27:33.068 --> 27:35.362 [Falcao] That season, I think we won everything. 27:35.445 --> 27:37.197 Everything we played in, we won. 27:37.280 --> 27:40.033 No. I lied, we might have lost one. 27:40.116 --> 27:44.788 The Portuguese Super Cup, the League, the Portuguese Cup, 27:44.871 --> 27:46.998 and the Europa League. 27:47.791 --> 27:50.835 Historic, man! Historic! 27:50.919 --> 27:52.170 Let's go! 27:52.253 --> 27:54.714 [James] In three years, I won nine titles. 27:54.798 --> 27:59.761 And that whole time, we were the best team in… in Portugal. 27:59.844 --> 28:02.347 -[man] James! -[crowd chanting] Rodríguez! 28:02.972 --> 28:05.308 -[man] James! -[crowd chanting] Rodríguez! 28:05.392 --> 28:08.353 [James] And the better you play, the more pressure there is. 28:08.937 --> 28:10.230 The more eyes are on you. 28:10.313 --> 28:13.483 Porto received an offer on James Rodríguez from Manchester United. 28:13.566 --> 28:14.776 EVERYONE WANTS JAMES TO ACCEPT 28:14.859 --> 28:17.862 The club considers the financial return insufficient 28:17.946 --> 28:20.698 and won't part with their talented midfielder. 28:22.283 --> 28:24.744 [James] I had someone with me who helped me a lot. 28:24.828 --> 28:26.913 I mean Dani, of course. 28:30.333 --> 28:33.545 I remember I had just finished a match. 28:33.628 --> 28:36.715 I think it was Sporting. A division game. 28:36.798 --> 28:39.551 I was about to take a nap, and Dani called me. 28:39.634 --> 28:44.764 She was crying, and she said, "You're going to be a dad!" 28:44.848 --> 28:46.725 I woke up so fast. 28:46.808 --> 28:49.727 I was 20, almost 21. 28:50.770 --> 28:54.274 I never took that nap. No way I was gonna sleep after that. 28:55.775 --> 28:59.195 I was so happy. I was happy because this little light was here. 28:59.279 --> 29:00.655 And from that moment on, 29:00.739 --> 29:04.617 well, it was a beautiful time ever since my daughter arrived. 29:04.701 --> 29:07.245 -[interviewer] You weren't scared? -No, no. 29:07.328 --> 29:09.456 Not at all, not at all. 29:09.539 --> 29:12.333 [mellow music playing] 29:19.883 --> 29:21.342 [María] Okay! 29:21.426 --> 29:23.344 [woman] Ay! 29:23.428 --> 29:25.972 [laughter] 29:26.764 --> 29:29.142 [María] I had a dream about my grandmother. 29:29.726 --> 29:33.229 And in the dream, she was with a girl, this little blond girl. 29:33.313 --> 29:37.567 I told James, "Hey, I had a dream about a girl, a little blond girl." 29:38.151 --> 29:41.362 And then, eight days later, he tells me, "You're gonna be a grandma." 29:41.446 --> 29:42.781 And I was so delighted. 29:42.864 --> 29:45.033 I mean, she's been a tremendous joy. 29:45.116 --> 29:47.535 She's a girl who-- She's unique. 29:47.619 --> 29:51.372 She's always been very special, ever since she was little. 29:52.916 --> 29:55.585 -Goal! -Goal! 29:55.668 --> 29:58.171 Now, the country's attention moves to the U-20. 29:58.254 --> 30:01.174 Colombia will certainly have higher expectations and responsibilities 30:01.257 --> 30:02.759 as the host nation… 30:02.842 --> 30:04.511 [Guerrero] James was breaking out as a star. 30:04.594 --> 30:07.347 And that's exactly when the U-20 World Cup comes along. 30:07.430 --> 30:08.556 …James Rodríguez. 30:08.640 --> 30:12.268 And James gets called up by Eduardo Lara. He's the rising star. 30:12.352 --> 30:15.605 This is a hope and a dream of mine. I really hope it comes true. 30:15.688 --> 30:17.440 Though he's just 20 years old, 30:17.524 --> 30:20.610 he has already earned seven titles in his short career in pro football. 30:20.693 --> 30:21.945 U-20 WORLD CUP 30:22.028 --> 30:25.406 [Guerrero] He was cemented as a star in Colombia during that U-20 World Cup, 30:25.490 --> 30:27.033 which we hosted. 30:27.116 --> 30:31.037 [announcer] …to James Rodríguez. He shoots! What a goal! 30:31.120 --> 30:35.667 Goal! 30:36.709 --> 30:39.170 For Colombia! 30:39.254 --> 30:42.507 [Guerrero] And I think everything really lined up for James. 30:42.590 --> 30:43.716 It was the right moment. 30:43.800 --> 30:46.970 He had the talent, and a coach who believed in him. 30:47.595 --> 30:53.643 My first tryout with the national team was in October 2011, 30:53.726 --> 30:56.980 and honestly, I wondered what took them so long. 30:59.440 --> 31:02.485 This was after the 2011 Copa América. 31:02.569 --> 31:04.571 I think I could have made that team. 31:04.654 --> 31:06.906 The coach at that tournament didn't want me trying out 31:06.990 --> 31:09.909 because he thought I was very, "very green," he said. 31:10.660 --> 31:11.786 Then Leonel arrived. 31:11.870 --> 31:13.830 [reporter] Leonel Álvarez was selected as the coach 31:13.913 --> 31:15.665 for the Colombian national football team 31:15.748 --> 31:19.252 for the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 31:19.335 --> 31:23.423 Then, in October 2011, Leonel calls me two weeks before and says, 31:23.506 --> 31:26.217 "How are you, man? Are you ready or not?" 31:27.510 --> 31:30.471 "Leo, I'm good to go. I'm ready." 31:30.555 --> 31:35.268 [reporter] The qualifiers are underway. Colombia versus the Bolivian team. 31:35.351 --> 31:37.937 [María] He wore number 5 in that first game. 31:38.021 --> 31:41.232 He played such a great game. He carried that team on his back. 31:42.108 --> 31:44.235 [Guerrero] That day in La Paz, 31:44.319 --> 31:49.324 we saw that the national team brought out something special in James Rodríguez. 31:50.408 --> 31:52.285 Their time playing together in Porto 31:52.368 --> 31:55.747 really set a strong foundation for James and Falcao, 31:55.830 --> 32:00.126 so when they arrived to play for the national team, they were in sync. 32:00.209 --> 32:02.545 [announcer] James has it. On the move, sends it to the right. 32:02.629 --> 32:05.506 Dayro taps it. Go, Dayro, take the shot! He sends it to the center! 32:05.590 --> 32:07.133 Falcao! Goal for Colombia! 32:07.216 --> 32:08.384 Falcao, goal! 32:08.468 --> 32:12.597 The Colombian team kicks off the qualifiers on the right foot. 32:12.680 --> 32:16.476 Besides the Bolivia match, it wasn't the best start for us in the qualifiers. 32:16.559 --> 32:18.770 After that win, I remember we drew with Venezuela 32:18.853 --> 32:20.813 and lost to Argentina in Barranquilla. 32:20.897 --> 32:24.776 [announcer 1] Camilo! Shoots from behind. Goal, Argentina! 32:24.859 --> 32:26.986 [announcer 2] This is a team without leadership. 32:27.070 --> 32:32.700 This is a team whose play reflects the timidity of its coaching staff. 32:32.784 --> 32:35.870 It had been a long time since Colombia made it to a World Cup. 32:36.704 --> 32:37.997 That was a rough time, right? 32:38.081 --> 32:41.876 -Sixteen years without making a World Cup. -[woman] To a World Cup. 32:41.959 --> 32:43.753 In those 16 years, 32:43.836 --> 32:47.840 why did Colombia always miss out by a single goal or a single point? 32:47.924 --> 32:49.008 What was missing? 32:49.092 --> 32:50.009 COLOMBIA ELIMINATED 32:50.093 --> 32:52.845 [Ospina] There was a lot of pressure on us. We were nervous. 32:52.929 --> 32:56.641 We felt it was our responsibility to break the World Cup drought. 32:56.724 --> 32:58.851 The only thing we felt was fear. 32:58.935 --> 33:01.646 The country had no confidence in the Colombian team coach. 33:01.729 --> 33:05.692 [reporter] His departure was inevitable. It wasn't because of a lack of results. 33:05.775 --> 33:08.903 …to terminate our contract with coach Leonel Álvarez. 33:08.986 --> 33:11.406 [reporter] Leonel Álvarez' tenure as national team coach 33:11.489 --> 33:12.532 lasted just four months. 33:12.615 --> 33:14.283 [Guerrero] It was chaos after he left. 33:14.367 --> 33:17.495 "What's going to happen now with the Colombian national team?" 33:17.578 --> 33:19.706 [reporter] Who will save us now? 33:19.789 --> 33:21.416 COLOMBIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION 33:22.875 --> 33:24.460 [clapper loader] Pékerman, take one. 33:25.753 --> 33:28.673 I had the good fortune to spend a few years… 33:28.756 --> 33:29.716 COACH 33:29.799 --> 33:32.301 …playing football in Colombia with DIM. 33:32.385 --> 33:35.054 It was my last professional team. 33:35.138 --> 33:37.557 It might be the only team I feel something for 33:37.640 --> 33:40.977 beyond what… what happens on the field. 33:41.060 --> 33:42.562 [reporter] President Luis Bedoya 33:42.645 --> 33:44.772 presented him with his own Colombian team jersey. 33:44.856 --> 33:48.109 José Néstor Pékerman gladly received the gift, 33:48.192 --> 33:51.362 and thanked the country for all the kindness it had shown him. 33:51.446 --> 33:53.114 And now I was responsible for ensuring 33:53.197 --> 33:55.533 there wouldn't be a fourth World Cup without qualifying. 33:55.616 --> 33:58.035 And there was a lot of uncertainty. 33:58.828 --> 34:01.289 We know there's no margin for error. 34:01.372 --> 34:07.170 We need to quickly fine-tune and optimize the entire national team machine. 34:07.879 --> 34:13.634 We played a practice match against Mexico, and that was when I met James in person. 34:13.718 --> 34:19.432 I've coached many young players, and I know who's ready for bigger things. 34:21.058 --> 34:24.020 That team was able to do great things in that qualifier. 34:24.103 --> 34:25.313 And with Pékerman, 34:25.396 --> 34:28.274 we were more like a professional team than a fresh national team. 34:28.357 --> 34:29.734 [Guerrero] He does something smart. 34:29.817 --> 34:32.028 Something that made life difficult for us in the press, 34:32.111 --> 34:33.863 which was to cut us off from the team. 34:33.946 --> 34:36.574 Pékerman's first match was in Lima, I think. 34:36.657 --> 34:38.743 And I think everyone saw the change. 34:38.826 --> 34:40.244 And I scored the goal. 34:40.328 --> 34:43.122 That match ended 1-0. That goal gave us the win. 34:43.206 --> 34:46.042 [announcer] And here's… James has it! What a goal! 34:46.125 --> 34:47.585 [James] It was an exclamation mark. 34:47.668 --> 34:51.756 Like hitting my hand on the table to say, "I'm gonna be here for a long time." 34:54.092 --> 34:56.219 Porto, which sits atop the Portuguese league, 34:56.302 --> 34:57.678 Today announced the partial sale 34:57.762 --> 35:00.598 of the Colombian player James Rodríguez's signing rights. 35:00.681 --> 35:04.602 [lively music playing] 35:05.895 --> 35:07.313 MONACO FRANCE 35:15.780 --> 35:20.118 [James] When I left Porto for Monaco, they were building something big. 35:20.201 --> 35:22.245 They were bringing in great players. 35:22.328 --> 35:24.956 When I heard that Falcao was going, I said, "Me too." 35:25.957 --> 35:28.543 [Falcao] It was great to join forces again. 35:28.626 --> 35:30.878 We brought our families, we both just had kids. 35:30.962 --> 35:33.089 It was going to be an easy adjustment. 35:35.883 --> 35:37.760 With Ranieri it was up and down. 35:37.844 --> 35:40.596 Sometimes he'd play with him, sometimes he wouldn't. 35:40.680 --> 35:42.682 He wanted James doing things he wasn't suited for. 35:42.765 --> 35:45.017 [Falcao] There was a culture clash. 35:45.101 --> 35:47.728 We'd sometimes play an offensive game because we had strong players, 35:47.812 --> 35:50.857 but Ranieri still preferred the more defensive Italian style. 35:50.940 --> 35:54.652 He really emphasized defense, having us play catenaccio. 35:56.821 --> 36:00.867 I had to travel to Monaco because James was really struggling. 36:00.950 --> 36:02.368 He was on the bench. 36:03.202 --> 36:07.123 I told him, "James, the coach is asking you 36:07.999 --> 36:13.004 to make some sacrifices and play more defense." 36:13.087 --> 36:15.089 "You're a smart player." 36:15.173 --> 36:18.634 "What you need to do now is adjust 36:19.468 --> 36:22.513 and show that you can compromise 36:22.597 --> 36:25.391 without giving up what you do best." 36:25.474 --> 36:27.393 "That's your greatest strength." 36:27.476 --> 36:31.397 "But instead, you insist on having a losing argument with the coach." 36:32.815 --> 36:35.026 [interviewer] Everyone says you're stubborn. 36:35.109 --> 36:37.194 They say you're hard-headed. 36:38.070 --> 36:38.905 Sí. 36:38.988 --> 36:40.114 JOURNALIST 36:40.198 --> 36:41.949 So stubborn. Very driven and competitive. 36:42.033 --> 36:43.326 FRIEND 36:43.409 --> 36:46.662 He hates losing at anything. Even rock, paper, scissors, he won't lose. 36:46.746 --> 36:48.289 He won't even let his daughter win. 36:48.372 --> 36:50.458 He's very competitive. 36:50.541 --> 36:54.795 He doesn't want anyone go get ahead of him and sometimes that works against him. 36:54.879 --> 36:56.297 SOCCER PLAYER 36:56.380 --> 36:58.132 So stubborn. 36:58.216 --> 36:59.842 Oh my God, so stubborn. 36:59.926 --> 37:00.760 SPORTS AGENT 37:00.843 --> 37:02.887 He believes that he's always right. 37:03.471 --> 37:05.556 But I think that was me before. 37:05.640 --> 37:10.645 Now that I'm 33, I think… I think I've changed, uh, a little bit. 37:11.229 --> 37:15.066 But if they all told you that, well, I think it's true. 37:17.610 --> 37:18.694 They all think so? 37:18.778 --> 37:21.322 I don't know how to say "stubborn" in Spanish. 37:21.405 --> 37:23.783 Uh… it's cabezón, right? 37:23.866 --> 37:25.493 [laughs] 37:25.576 --> 37:31.040 That's part of your job as a coach, figuring out how to convince or motivate. 37:31.123 --> 37:32.333 How to push each player. 37:32.917 --> 37:37.129 I said, "Stop looking like you don't wanna be there during practice 37:37.213 --> 37:39.507 because you're sending that message." 37:39.590 --> 37:41.634 "Do that, and he'll play you." 37:41.717 --> 37:44.679 Well, he started playing and performing well. 37:45.346 --> 37:50.226 And I realized that would be the key for him on the national team. 37:50.309 --> 37:53.771 [announcer] James for the equalizer. James shoots! 37:53.854 --> 37:56.065 What a goal! 37:56.649 --> 38:01.737 I used that as… as fuel to go out there and play my best. 38:01.821 --> 38:03.239 [announcer] Hangs on, chips it in! 38:03.322 --> 38:06.659 And James again! What a goal! 38:06.742 --> 38:08.035 Since he was a kid, 38:08.119 --> 38:11.539 he had that need to win and that fighting spirit, 38:11.622 --> 38:13.666 just like he shows playing for Colombia. 38:13.749 --> 38:15.584 [crowd cheering] 38:15.668 --> 38:19.964 James is very inspiring when it comes to competing and playing to win. 38:20.047 --> 38:21.257 Magnetic. It pulls people in. 38:22.341 --> 38:25.261 [announcer] Watch out, here's Falcao! Goal for Colombia! 38:25.344 --> 38:27.221 In those qualifiers, we won the kind of matches 38:27.305 --> 38:28.597 Colombia had never won before. 38:28.681 --> 38:31.976 And the name of the 22-year-old, James Rodríguez, 38:32.059 --> 38:34.186 is becoming synonymous with talent. 38:34.270 --> 38:36.647 He's always shown that he's not afraid of anything. 38:37.231 --> 38:38.566 He's always chased perfection. 38:39.358 --> 38:43.696 [María] Pékerman had confidence in James, and he did the same with the whole squad. 38:43.779 --> 38:46.198 He knew how to protect his team. He was like a father, really. 38:46.282 --> 38:48.117 [lively music playing] 38:48.200 --> 38:51.120 I think his time with José Pékerman was a turning point 38:51.203 --> 38:54.290 and showed a whole new side of James Rodríguez. 38:54.373 --> 38:56.625 [cheering] 38:56.709 --> 39:00.463 [reporter] José Pékerman's Colombian team faces Chile today. 39:01.047 --> 39:07.678 They need to score once to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 39:07.762 --> 39:11.807 The Colombian national team eyes its World Cup return 39:11.891 --> 39:13.517 with the Argentine coach. 39:13.601 --> 39:14.852 2014 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS 39:14.935 --> 39:17.396 [Pékerman] It was an historic match, no? 39:17.480 --> 39:22.109 You can imagine the… the expectations they had 39:22.193 --> 39:27.073 playing at home, with the entire crowd wanting that moment so badly. 39:27.156 --> 39:30.451 [evocative music playing] 39:30.534 --> 39:33.954 With a simple draw, we would've made it. 39:34.038 --> 39:36.082 [announcer 1] Chile attacks. Attack from behind. 39:36.165 --> 39:38.375 Colombia takes the ball! They stop the cross! 39:38.459 --> 39:40.961 -David Ospina back again! -[announcer 2] Penalty, the ref signals. 39:41.045 --> 39:42.296 [announcer 1] The whistle blows. 39:42.380 --> 39:44.924 We really struggled in that match. 39:45.007 --> 39:47.343 Remember, this was Chile. 39:47.426 --> 39:49.512 This was an excellent team. 39:49.595 --> 39:51.514 [announcer 1] Vidal. Here comes Arturo! 39:51.597 --> 39:53.099 Goal! It's in! 39:53.182 --> 39:54.558 2014 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS 39:54.642 --> 39:57.353 He lifts the ball with his right. Valdivia is out, and goal! 39:57.436 --> 40:00.940 -Alexis scores, goal for Chile! -[announcer 2] Goal! 40:01.023 --> 40:04.151 [reporter 1] In Pasto, thousands looked in horror at the score. 40:04.235 --> 40:07.363 [reporter 2] In Santa Marta, heartbreak from the beginning over Chile's goals. 40:07.446 --> 40:10.741 [reporter 3] The first 45 minutes were told in the faces of the fans. 40:10.825 --> 40:14.120 [announcer] Alexis has it again. Stefan Medina goes down. 40:14.203 --> 40:16.497 And here comes the third goal for Chile. 40:16.580 --> 40:19.875 What was it like going into the locker room down by three? 40:20.543 --> 40:22.378 Nobody could look each other in the eye. 40:22.962 --> 40:24.463 Everyone stared at the floor. 40:24.547 --> 40:28.592 [bittersweet music playing] 40:28.676 --> 40:32.054 To pull off a comeback from that far behind, 40:32.138 --> 40:34.140 I had to say something strong. 40:34.223 --> 40:39.228 I told them that we had to show what we had been, what we still were. 40:39.311 --> 40:41.230 That we could still come back. 40:41.313 --> 40:42.982 [announcer] The ball won't go in! 40:43.065 --> 40:45.693 [James] In the match against Chile, we were losing by three. 40:45.776 --> 40:48.904 [announcer 1] Pablo Armero wins it. He takes the ball wide, Teo's on it! 40:48.988 --> 40:50.698 Goal for Colombia! 40:50.781 --> 40:52.616 One for Colombia, three for Chile! 40:52.700 --> 40:57.371 Onward, because that's our way out of this, my fellow Colombians. 40:58.205 --> 41:01.625 -James recovers, crosses it in. -[announcer 2] Penalty. Penalty, penalty. 41:01.709 --> 41:02.793 [announcer 1] Penalty! 41:02.877 --> 41:04.503 Here comes Falcao, he shoots! 41:04.587 --> 41:06.255 What a goal! 41:06.338 --> 41:09.049 Colombia 2, Chile 3! 41:09.133 --> 41:10.551 I was awarded two penalties. 41:10.634 --> 41:13.971 [announcer 2] If the first was a penalty, this one should count as two, Javier. 41:14.054 --> 41:16.891 -[announcer 1] Skillful, James Rodríguez. -[announcer 2] He took him down. 41:16.974 --> 41:18.851 [announcer 1] De Oliveira will blow the whistle. 41:18.934 --> 41:20.478 Take it, Falcao. 41:20.561 --> 41:24.523 -Falcao moves, Falcao shoots, what a goal! -[crowd cheering] 41:24.607 --> 41:27.109 [upbeat music playing] 41:35.826 --> 41:38.078 [ref blows whistle] 41:38.162 --> 41:44.084 [announcer 1] There's the final whistle! Colombia is going to the World Cup! 41:44.168 --> 41:48.339 After 16 years, we finally qualified for the World Cup. 41:48.422 --> 41:50.341 We're making history. 41:51.091 --> 41:52.384 There was nothing like it. 41:52.468 --> 41:56.889 At such a young age, you bore the weight and responsibility of such a giant jersey. 41:57.473 --> 41:59.141 What was missing for those 16 years? 41:59.934 --> 42:03.562 The Colombian team always had talent, and Pékerman unlocked it. 42:03.646 --> 42:06.106 [announcer] José Pékerman is on the pitch, hugging his team. 42:06.190 --> 42:09.818 Colombia, we deserve it after 16 years. 42:09.902 --> 42:11.862 And to be able to give something back, 42:11.946 --> 42:13.739 this great dream of returning to the World Cup. 42:13.822 --> 42:17.034 It was incredibly difficult to come back, but it wasn't impossible, and we did it. 42:17.117 --> 42:18.994 [man] This is a flawless team, 42:19.078 --> 42:22.039 and we look forward to proving that in Brazil. 42:22.122 --> 42:24.083 We're going to the World Cup! To the World Cup! 42:24.166 --> 42:27.086 [crowd chanting in Spanish] 42:27.169 --> 42:28.629 Colombia's in the World Cup! 42:30.839 --> 42:33.217 [interviewer] Were you excited to play in that World Cup? 42:33.300 --> 42:35.302 I remember meeting you for the first time back then. 42:35.386 --> 42:38.514 It was when you were… it was when you were injured. 42:39.306 --> 42:41.600 [reporter] It seemed like a routine tackle, 42:41.684 --> 42:45.104 but it was clear that it led to a serious injury. 42:45.187 --> 42:49.316 The sudden twist of a knee that has left Colombia holding its breath. 42:49.400 --> 42:51.902 Moments ago, Colombian player Radamel Falcao García 42:51.986 --> 42:53.487 was taken off the field on a stretcher. 42:53.571 --> 42:55.531 This injury could keep him out of the World Cup. 42:55.614 --> 42:58.826 [news anchor] Falcao García might miss the World Cup. 42:58.909 --> 43:02.454 Who could have imagined that one of our stars, Falcao, 43:02.538 --> 43:05.082 would be injured playing in the French league, 43:05.165 --> 43:07.084 in a minor game, too? 43:07.167 --> 43:10.337 It was incredibly painful for him, for everyone, for us. 43:10.421 --> 43:11.547 For the whole country. 43:11.630 --> 43:13.966 [reporter] The player who made the tackle is devastated. 43:14.049 --> 43:17.177 He'll never forgive himself if Falcao misses a chance to play in the World Cup. 43:17.261 --> 43:21.849 It was sad for… for everyone. And for me too. 43:21.932 --> 43:24.810 I went to see him at his apartment. 43:24.893 --> 43:27.021 He was completely devastated. 43:27.104 --> 43:29.523 [Guerrero] I kept saying, "I can't believe it." 43:29.607 --> 43:33.527 And everyone was hoping he'd tell us that he could still be there. 43:33.611 --> 43:37.239 I'll do whatever I can to play in the World Cup. 43:37.323 --> 43:42.369 The World Cup was just around the corner and his recovery wasn't easy. 43:42.453 --> 43:46.999 He was going to be cutting it very close if he was going to play at the World Cup. 43:47.082 --> 43:50.794 Of course, I was really hoping to play in the World Cup, 43:50.878 --> 43:53.047 but I had to be realistic about it. 43:53.130 --> 43:57.176 I had to do things right, prioritizing my recovery first. 43:57.259 --> 44:01.263 You can't be over-eager when it comes to the World Cup. 44:01.347 --> 44:03.932 [reporter] For Coach Pékerman, it was a difficult decision, 44:04.016 --> 44:05.434 which came down to the last minute. 44:05.517 --> 44:09.563 …to inform you that Falcao will be unable to play. 44:09.647 --> 44:12.024 It was like our only hope had been ripped away. 44:12.107 --> 44:14.568 [reporter] The World Cup loses one of its biggest stars. 44:14.652 --> 44:17.905 An injury stole our best scorer. The country's hero. 44:17.988 --> 44:21.533 The other teams must have been relieved when they found out. 44:21.617 --> 44:24.745 [Guerrero] Who's going to score for us? This is the World Cup. 44:25.329 --> 44:27.247 I would have never guessed 44:27.331 --> 44:32.044 that we'd have the World Cup's top scorer on our national team. 44:32.127 --> 44:33.962 [crowd cheering] 44:34.046 --> 44:40.427 2014 - WORLD CUP BRAZIL 44:41.345 --> 44:43.180 [announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please stand… 44:43.263 --> 44:44.390 COLOMBIA VS GREECE GROUP STAGE 44:44.473 --> 44:46.767 …for the National Anthem of Colombia. 44:46.850 --> 44:49.937 [Colombia's National Anthem playing] 45:01.824 --> 45:04.952 All over Brazil, at every game, the stadiums were full of Colombian fans. 45:05.035 --> 45:07.413 What are they doing? I mean, who's back in Colombia? 45:07.496 --> 45:08.872 Are there this many of us? 45:08.956 --> 45:12.835 But everywhere we went, the stadiums were full of Colombian fans. 45:12.918 --> 45:16.630 [Ospina] You'd get to the stadium, and it was a sea of yellow. 45:17.297 --> 45:21.927 It was like we were playing at home, in front of a home crowd. 45:22.928 --> 45:26.056 [Pékerman] We had a clear goal in mind for the World Cup. 45:26.140 --> 45:29.560 We would make it as far as we possibly could. 45:30.644 --> 45:34.231 James had to keep his head clear if we were going to do that. 45:36.483 --> 45:39.361 Can you imagine people back in Colombia 45:39.445 --> 45:41.196 rushing home from work, 45:41.280 --> 45:45.409 wanting to get home to tune in to watch you play? 45:45.993 --> 45:47.870 I thought about when I was a kid. 45:48.495 --> 45:51.206 I was so excited to watch Colombia play. 45:51.290 --> 45:56.628 I imagined there was another kid who was… feeling that same thing. 45:57.129 --> 46:00.340 So I said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." 46:00.424 --> 46:01.717 "I have to make the most of it." 46:01.800 --> 46:03.802 [latin urban music playing] 46:05.554 --> 46:08.265 [announcer] …World Cup in Colombia three years ago. 46:08.348 --> 46:11.477 He was the main man and he made a big money move. 46:11.560 --> 46:12.770 And onside here. 46:12.853 --> 46:15.564 No question of offside against Cuadrado. 46:15.647 --> 46:18.025 He takes on the opponent and does so skillfully. 46:18.108 --> 46:21.653 The ball is allowed to run through and it's sliced into the net! 46:22.404 --> 46:23.822 It's Armero the fullback! 46:23.906 --> 46:26.116 [Ospina] The team pushed past the frustration 46:26.200 --> 46:28.952 of not having Falcao there playing with us. 46:29.036 --> 46:30.662 It was the same feeling. 46:30.746 --> 46:34.208 The defiance that we had for our comeback win against Chile. 46:34.291 --> 46:38.378 "We are in the World Cup. We're here to make history." 46:38.462 --> 46:40.506 [announcer] It's sliced through and in! 46:40.589 --> 46:42.925 Colombia got a second goal! 46:43.008 --> 46:44.510 [crowd cheering] 46:47.387 --> 46:49.181 That energy kept us going. 46:49.264 --> 46:53.393 And this was also when an important figure for the team really emerged. 46:53.477 --> 46:54.853 Mr. James Rodríguez. 46:54.937 --> 46:56.355 He'd been playing great, 46:56.438 --> 47:00.817 but this was the moment when he really became our number 10. 47:03.153 --> 47:05.989 GROUP STAGE COLOMBIA 3 - GREECE 0 47:06.073 --> 47:08.242 I thought that I'd have a great World Cup, 47:08.325 --> 47:11.036 but it turned out even better than I thought it would. 47:11.119 --> 47:12.996 2014 COLOMBIA VS IVORY COAST GROUP STAGE 47:13.080 --> 47:14.790 [announcer] It's number five for them. 47:14.873 --> 47:16.166 It's a great header! 47:16.250 --> 47:20.212 Colombia leads, and Brasilia erupts! 47:21.171 --> 47:23.882 With a sublime left foot. 47:23.966 --> 47:26.927 James Rodríguez has just shown… 47:27.010 --> 47:29.721 Oh, a moment to lose the ball there. 47:29.805 --> 47:33.141 So indeed, this might well be it. Is this number two for Colombia? 47:33.225 --> 47:34.768 GROUP STAGE COLOMBIA 2 - IVORY COAST 0 47:34.852 --> 47:40.023 I said, "Wow! This is getting interesting. I think it's about to get even better." 47:42.401 --> 47:45.529 [clapper loader] Ancelotti interview. Take one. 47:45.612 --> 47:48.448 ["Ras tas tas Full HD" by Cali Flow Latino playing] t's about to get even better."