An emotional moment was caught on camera in the tunnel before the match between Colombia and Portugal in Miami. James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo met in the tunnel before the match. Their friendship started in 2014 while playing for Real Madrid. Although they now play for different clubs—Ronaldo Al Nasser in Saudi Arabia and James in the MLS for Minnesota United—they are still devoted to each other.
After meeting in the tunnel, Rodríguez addressed Ronaldo as "papacito" and Ronaldo responded by saying, "Brother, how are you?" They then exchanged a smile and wished each other well before taking to the field. They spoke again at halftime, which was caught on camera.
The match ended in a 0–0 draw and after the match, James Rodriguez said to ESPN, "We spoke. He's a good friend of mine since playing at Real Madrid. He's a great person and a great athlete. His physique is still great, what he's doing at 41 is unique. I respect and love him a lot."
