James Rodríguez Ready for New Chapter in MLS | OneFootball

James Rodríguez became a household name worldwide in July 2014. He not only helped Colombia reach their first ever quarterfinal finish in the World Cup, but also scored a golazo against Uruguay that mesmerized people.

A star was born, or so it seemed.

The Summer Move to His Dream Club

When the World Cup was over, many clubs were after James’ signature. Real Madrid, who had just won the Champions League a couple months before, was one of them.

It wasn’t just in the World Cup where James showed his quality. He was already a star in making at Porto and Monaco. So it was no surprise he was a hot prospect in the transfer market.

As someone from Colombia, James grew up as a Real Madrid fan. When they became interested, it was a no brainer for him. With an $84 million transfer fee, he became the fourth most expensive player in the world and was greeted by more than 45,000 fans in his presentation.

The Colombian ambassador in Madrid made a speech at his presentation. He delivered a message from Colombian President at the time, Juan Manuel Santos, that James was changing the history of Colombian football and that the entire nation was behind him.

Everything seemed to be going perfectly. And of course, James had a brilliant debut season with 17 goals and 18 assists in 46 games. Unfortunately, Madrid missed out on both the Champions League and La Liga that season. Carlo Ancelotti was sacked and Rafa Benitez was brought in.

That’s when the problems begin.

Fallout in Madrid; Unhappiness in Munich

James started to have injury issues in the 2015/16 season, and he also didn’t get along with Benitez. On the pitch, Madrid weren’t performing too well either.

Benitez was quickly sacked and Zinedine Zidane was brought in, who was one of the best midfielders ever to play the game. So maybe James’ situation at the club would improve? Not so fast.

Zidane wanted to bring balance and stability to the midfield. In a 4-3-3 system, he knew he couldn’t field Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, and James at the same time. A defensive and ball winning midfielder was needed. So Casemiro was brought in to the starting eleven, and James became rooted to the bench.

Zidane brought results. They won the Champions League in three seasons in a row, while also winning La Liga in the 2016/17 season. James knew he needed to leave for playing time. So he left for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017 on loan.

It was a new beginning and a chance to reunite with Ancelotti for James. However, Ancelotti, who pushed for the James signing, was sacked a month into the season. Will chaos once again begin in James’ career?

Regardless, he still delivered in his debut season with eight goals and 14 assists in 39 appearances. Bayern even won the Pokal Cup over RB Leipzig. Unfortunately, injuries once again caught up with him in the second season. Plus, James complained about the cold weather in Munich and wanted to return to Spain.

So in the summer of 2019, he was back at Real Madrid. A potential last minute move to Atletico Madrid also collapsed in the last minute. So he was once again rooted to the bench at the club under Zidane.

Life After Madrid, Bad Career Moves

In September 2020, James was free from Real Madrid at last, signing with Everton on a free transfer. He once again reunited with Ancelotti.

Just like at Madrid and Munich, he had a great debut season in England—recording six goals and nine assists in 27 games. And just like before, injuries again started catching up with him.

When Ancelotti left Everton in 2021, it appeared that James’ time was also over at the club, especially given the replacement was Benitez.

James then left Europe and moved to Qatari club Al-Rayyan, which puzzled everyone. He was heavily criticized during his time there due to constant injuries. A year later, he was in Greece with Olympiacos.

This time, it didn’t even last a year. He left the club by April of 2023 and spent the next four months without a club, until Brazilian side São Paulo picked him up.

The same two issues from Europe followed James to Brazil: injuries and not being favored by the manager. So after leading Colombia to the Copa América final in summer of 2024, the midfielder decided to return to Europe, and specifically, Madrid.

Not the club, the city. He loved living in Madrid, so he wanted to give it one more chance this time by signing with Rayo Vallecano. But James made just seven appearances in six months at Rayo. By January 2025, he was on the move again. This time, to Mexico.

At Club Léon, he had some great performances, putting in 14 contributions (5g/9a) over 34 games. But after the conclusion of the 2025 Apertura, his contract wasn’t renewed and he spent the last couple of months looking for a new club. In the end, he signed with MLS side Minnesota United.

No Issues with Minnesotan Cold

James famously left Munich because he felt it was too cold. So of course he was asked if he can adapt to the weather in Minnesota, which is even colder. And why choose Minnesota in the first place? It certainly isn’t one of the more famous teams in MLS.

“Why Minnesota? Because it’s the club that has made the most progress. It’s the club that wants me. It’s the club that wants me to play here,” James said.

“So it’s an easy decision. When people love you, you have to give everything for them and try not to let them down. That’s why I have to stay focused here, train well, so I can help. I had already been to a cold city like Munich. So I don’t think there’s going to be a problem with that.”

With the World Cup three months away, James is ready to make his mark in MLS and go into the tournament with good form for Colombia.

For MLS fans, this is another exciting player to watch. Hopefully, injuries don’t bother his time in the U.S.