Jhon Arias scored twice as Colombia defeated Jordan, who ended the game with 10 men, 2-0 in their final pre-World Cup friendly at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz both started in support of Sporting CP's Primeira Liga Golden Boot winner Luis Suarez, but it was former Wolves man Arias who stole the headlines.

Colombia struggled to find a way through Jordan's resolute backline despite dominating possession throughout the first half, and they suffered an early scare when Mohannad Abu Taha's stunning, 35-yard strike left the crossbar shaking.

A last-ditch block from Saleem Obaid then kept Arias out, but the Palmeiras midfielder would not be denied in the 41st minute, slotting into the far corner after James' cute pass found him in his stride.

Colombia made plenty of half-time changes, but Arias was among those who stayed on, and his header proved too powerful for Nour Bani Attiah 10 minutes after the interval, following some neat interplay involving James on the right side of the area.

Richard Rios and Jaminton Campaz got in one another's way as Colombia went close to a third goal, but they ultimately did not need one and Jordan – who went close through Ali Azaizeh – ended the game with 10 men.

Having already been booked, Amer Jamous lunged in late on Jorge Carrascal and was shown his second yellow card.

Elsewhere, in Columbus, Ecuador beat Guatemala 3-0 in their final game before the World Cup, with Jordy Caicedo, Nilson Angulo and Pervis Estupinan on target.

Arias finds his shooting boots as James impresses again

Representing Fluminense, Arias was one of the stars of the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States, so his move to the Premier League aroused plenty of interest.

But just over six months after joining Wolves, Arias was back in Brazil with Palmeiras on a permanent deal, having scored one goal and provided no assists in 23 league outings in England.

He has scored three times in 13 Serie A appearances for Palmeiras, and he had his shooting boots with him here, hitting the target with all three of his shots – which had an expected goals (xG) value of 0.52 – and scoring with two.

James was involved in the build-up to both goals, and his form will be hugely encouraging for Colombia boss Nestor Lorenzo. His 22 passes in the final third were the most of any player on the pitch, while nobody created more chances than his two.

Having won both of their pre-tournament friendlies, Colombia face Uzbekistan in their Group K opener on June 17, with DR Congo and Portugal their other group-stage opponents. Jordan, meanwhile, face Austria, Algeria and Argentina in Group J.