Goodbye, James! Rodríguez announces Colombia retirement | OneFootball

James Rodríguez brought a 15-year story with the Colombia national team to an end. The midfielder announced his farewell through a video posted on his social media, closing one of the most important chapters of his career.

The 2026 World Cup was his last appearance in the Cafeteros jersey. Colombia reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Switzerland after a 0-0 draw and a loss in the penalty shootout.

Now, James has decided to definitively close his international chapter.

15 years as a leader for Colombia

James made his debut for the Colombia national team in 2011 and from then on became one of the main leaders of the generation that brought Colombian football back to the international spotlight.

During his time with the Tricolor, he played 131 matches and scored 31 goals, numbers that reflect how important he was to the national team.

His greatest moment came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a tournament in which he finished as top scorer and delivered one of the most memorable individual performances of that World Cup.

From then on, his name became linked to one of the most important eras in the recent history of Colombian football.

His last World Cup ended in penalties

James made his final World Cup appearance at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Colombia advanced to the round of 16, where they faced Switzerland. After 90 goalless minutes, the match had to be decided from the penalty spot.

The Colombia national team ended up losing in the penalty shootout and was knocked out of the competition.

That match also turned out to be James Rodríguez’s last appearance in his country’s jersey.

The farewell of a generation

With his departure, Colombia loses one of the footballers who defined an era for the national team.

For 15 years, James was a key figure in World Cups, qualifiers, and continental tournaments, while also becoming one of the most recognizable faces of Colombian football internationally.

Now, after 131 matches and 31 goals, the midfielder has decided to close the chapter.

James Rodríguez says goodbye to Colombia after 15 years, leaving behind an era that began in 2011 and ended at the 2026 World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.