At the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, Rodríguez Andrade, who at 23 years old was one of the younger members of the Uruguayan squad, played in all four of his team's matches. In the final round match against the hosts, which would decide the winner of the tournament, his defensive duties included the marking of Zizinho, a task he was successful at until the beginning of the second half, when the Brazilian assisted Friaça, who scored the 1–0. However, as he later narrated himself, Rodríguez Andrade saw the lineman lift his flag during the play, indicating offside against Brazil. In the second the Uruguayan lost when he looked at the judge, Friaça left him behind, to face the goalkeeper one-on-one. When he was confronted by Obdulio Varela, Rodríguez told him: "Fue offside, Jacinto", and then, in a key moment of the game, the captain, with the ball under his arm, protested to the referee for several moments; the goal stood, but Varela had cooled down the situation for Uruguay, and silenced the crowd. Uruguay regrouped, and then Juan Schiaffino scored the equalizer and Alcides Ghiggia the winner, to complete the famous upset known as the Maracanazo.
