James Rodríguez will not renew with León, looking for a new club for 2026 | OneFootball

The Colombian star James Rodríguez will not renew his contract with León, from Mexico, confirmed on Wednesday by the president of Grupo Pachuca. Thus, he will seek a new club seven months before the 2026 World Cup.

“James has finished his contract. We are grateful for his time here,” stated Jesús Martínez Patiño, president of the conglomerate that owns León.

The executive praised the player and said that “for Colombia, he is like Messi in Argentina or Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal.”

Numbers in Mexican football

James played in the Mexican league and the Leagues Cup for León. In the Clausura 2025 tournament, the team reached the quarter-finals, and in the Apertura 2025, they were eliminated in the regular phase.

In total, the Colombian midfielder played 34 matches for the club, scored five goals and provided nine assists.

A former player of São Paulo, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, among others, James signed with the Mexican team in January, motivated by the possibility of participating in the first edition of the FIFA Club World Cup.

However, León could not participate in the tournament as it belongs to the same ownership group as Pachuca, which went to the United States and was eliminated in the group stage.

“We are happy that he was happy here in Mexico and we wish him the best,” declared Jesús Martínez.

Future

Seven months before the World Cup and with Colombia already qualified, James Rodríguez is free in the market and awaits offers to arrive at the national teams' tournament with playing rhythm.

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