Juan Fernando Quintero spent all 90 minutes on the bench as Colombia opened the World Cup 2026 with a hard-fought win over Uzbekistan. Néstor Lorenzo kept him out of the game entirely, even after James Rodríguez began asking for a substitution in the second half and Jaminton Campaz went on instead.
That choice matters because Quintero is one of Colombia’s most watched attacking names, yet he keeps getting minutes only at the edges of matches. In 2026, he did not start any of Colombia’s pre-World Cup friendlies and was brought on near the end in each one, while he had started only one of Colombia’s 11 matches over the last year.
The pattern was already clear at the Copa América 2024, where Quintero was a substitute in all six Colombia matches. He played 1 minute against Paraguay in the opener, stayed on the bench against Costa Rica, did not feature against Uruguay and only saw 17 minutes against Panamá in the quarterfinals before playing just extra time in the final against Argentina. The opener against Uzbekistan fit that same script: he was in the squad, but not in the plan.
That is why the comparison with James is now impossible to avoid. James started in the debut, even though his level is described as far from his best, and many Colombian fans want Quintero to be ahead of him in Lorenzo’s consideration. The coach, though, has kept leaning the other way, and the substitution against Uzbekistan made that preference plain.
For Quintero, the next match is not just another chance to play. It is the next test of whether Lorenzo sees him as a late option, a backup to the starters, or someone who can still force his way into the middle of Colombia’s attack before the tournament closes around a fixed pecking order.
