Minnesota United FC: Your guide to James Rodríguez's new team | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

James Rodríguez has arrived.

The Colombian superstar is officially a Minnesota United FC player, joining the Loons through June 2026 with an option through December 2026. 

Here's what awaits Rodríguez as he embarks on a new adventure in Major League Soccer – mere months before he's set to captain Colombia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Club debut

James' exact debut is still to be determined, though fans have two early-season dates to circle on the calendar: MLS is Back weekend and Minnesota's first home match.

Season opener

Home opener

Two other games James fans should watch for: Minnesota visit Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Thomas Müller on March 14 (10:30 pm ET | Apple TV); they'll also welcome LAFC and Son Heung-Min to Allianz Field on April 25 (1:45 pm ET | Apple TV, FOX).

Notable teammates

James joins a Minnesota side that was among the league's best in 2025 and is expected to compete for silverware once again in 2026.

Joaquín Pereyra: Acquired as a Designated Player midway through the 2024 campaign, Pereyra had a club-best 11 assists last year alongside six goals.

Kelvin Yeboah: A DP alongside Pereyra, Yeboah joined Minnesota in the summer of 2024 from Italian Serie A side Genoa. The striker has since produced 22g/5a in 52 games (all competitions).

Michael Boxall: Boxall has been with the Loons since their inaugural 2017 MLS campaign. Last season was arguably his finest, as the veteran defender earned his first MLS All-Star selection and led a defense that allowed just 39 goals (third fewest in MLS) while helping New Zealand qualify for the 2026 World Cup. 

Anthony Markanich: The left back led all defenders in MLS during the 2025 regular season with nine goals. Markanich added four more in other competitions to become Minnesota’s joint top scorer (13 overall).

Nectarios Triantis: A summer 2025 signing from English Premier League side Sunderland AFC, Triantis quickly established himself as a key contributor. The Greek international midfielder bagged several highlight-reel goals, including a stunning strike from beyond midfield in his debut. 

Drake Callender: The American goalkeeper joined Minnesota during the winter after Dayne St. Clair, the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, signed with Inter Miami CF.

Bongi Hlongwane: The South African international is Minnesota's second all-time leading scorer, netting 35 goals in 152 all-competition appearances.

Head coach

A member of the Loons' technical staff since 2021, Cameron Knowles was named Minnesota United's third full-time head coach of their MLS era on Jan. 12. 

He most recently served as an assistant under Eric Ramsay, who left the club to manage EFL Championship side West Bromwich Albion. 

In 2022, Knowles became the first-ever head coach of MNUFC2 in MLS NEXT Pro. The New Zealand native previously spent nine years with the Portland Timbers organization.

Minnesota United history

Minnesota are entering their 10th season in MLS, after joining the league as an expansion side in 2017. 

The Loons have yet to win a major trophy during their MLS existence, but had a memorable runner-up finish in the 2019 US Open Cup. The following year, they produced their best performance in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs by reaching the Western Conference Final. 

In 2025, Minnesota earned a club-record 58 points en route to a fourth-place finish in the West.

Global stars

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Rodríguez is the latest global superstar to join MLS. 

Lionel Messi: The GOAT joined Inter Miami midway through the 2023 season, scoring a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Cruz Azul on his debut. Messi has led the Herons to Leagues Cup (2023), Supporters’ Shield (2024) and MLS Cup (2025) titles, then became the first player in league history to be named Landon Donovan MLS MVP in consecutive seasons. Messi and James have faced off nine times between country and club, most recently during 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Son Heung-Min: The Tottenham legend was also a midseason arrival, joining LAFC last summer as a league-record signing. The South Korean superstar made an immediate impact with 9g/3a in just 10 regular-season games. He also scored three goals in the playoffs, including a stunning free-kick equalizer at Vancouver.

Thomas Müller: The Bayern Munich icon (and former teammate of Rodríguez at the German Bundesliga giants) also arrived last summer, proving impactful on and off the field in Vancouver's run to MLS Cup 2025. He had 9g/4a in 13 games (all competitions) and led Vancouver to a fourth straight Canadian Championship, his record 35th trophy in an illustrious career that includes the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Luis Suárez: The legendary former Uruguay international has shown no signs of slowing down, tallying 42g/29a in 87 matches with Miami since joining ahead of the 2024 season. While former FC Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba retired after the 2025 season, Suárez is running it back for the 2026 season.

Let’s not forget the likes of Timo Werner (San Jose Earthquakes), Marco Reus (LA Galaxy), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami CF), Wilfried Zaha (Charlotte FC), Hugo Lloris (LAFC), Emil Forsberg (Red Bull New York) and Denis Bouanga (LAFC) who have made MLS their league of choice.

Colombian pedigree 🇨🇴

With his arrival in Minnesota, James joins an extensive list of Colombians stars, past and present, who have left their mark on MLS. 

Carlos Valderrama: Considered by many to be Colombia’s all-time greatest player, “El Pibe” is also an MLS legend. The MVP of the inaugural 1996 MLS season, Valderrama was a three-time Best XI selection and five-time All-Star across stints with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion and Colorado Rapids.

Cucho Hernández: The centerpiece of the Columbus Crew’s MLS Cup 2023 and Leagues Cup 2024-winning sides, Cucho earned two Best XI selections and an All-Star nod over a memorable two-and-a-half-year run in the league. In February 2025, he was transferred to LaLiga side Real Betis for a club-record fee (reportedly $16 million).

Juan Pablo Ángel: A Red Bull New York icon and one of the league’s first Designated Player signings, Ángel led RBNY to their first MLS Cup appearance in 2008. In total, he scored 72 goals in 152 MLS games for New York, the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA.

David Ferreira: Arguably the greatest player in FC Dallas history, Ferreira led the Texas club to their first and only MLS Cup in 2010 – the same year he took MLS MVP honors. He’s the father of USMNT and Seattle Sounders FC forward Jesús Ferreira.

Diego Chara: The iconic midfielder returns for his 16th season with the Portland Timbers. A 2019 All-Star and 2020 Best XI selection, Chara won MLS Cup 2015 with the Timbers and last season became the first player in league history to appear in 400 regular-season games for a single team.

Honorable Mentions

Stadium

Minnesota United play home matches at Allianz Field, a 19,400-seat soccer-specific stadium that opened in 2019.

It has hosted USMNT games in the Concacaf Gold Cup (2019) and in World Cup qualification (2022), as well as the 2022 MLS All-Star Game, in which MLS defeated LIGA MX All-Stars, 2-1. 

The stadium has a safe-standing terrace for 2,920 supporters known as the “Wonderwall,” and the Oasis anthem is sung loudly and proudly after every Minnesota United win.

What's a Loon?

Officially, it’s an aquatic bird the size of large ducks or small geese that's the Minnesota state bird.

Fittingly, the loon is found on the club’s logo and is animated as the club's mascot, PK.