Colombia superstar James Rodriguez has sealed an unexpected move to Major League Soccer (MLS) club Minnesota United in order to gain form and fitness ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
The attacking midfielder, who is poised to captain Colombia at the North American showpiece, has signed a short-term contract through June, with a club option for the remainder of the MLS season. The 34-year-old has been a free agent since December 2025 when his contract with Liga MX side Club Leon expired.
“(Minnesota United) is the club that made the move for me. It’s the club that wanted me,” James said in a press conference. “It’s an important moment in my career, a new chapter. The World Cup is coming and I cannot fail.”
Despite a nomadic club career — which has included stops at Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Monaco and Everton — James has been a consistent force for Colombia, scoring 31 goals over 122 appearances.
He set the world alight at Brazil 2014, winning the Goal of the Tournament and FIFA Puskás Award for his incredible volley against Uruguay as well as the adidas Golden Boot award. James also participated at Russia 2018 and played a key role in Colombia’s return to the global stage this year.
His move to the cold-weather locale of Minnesota may have come out of left-field but playing week-in and week-out in MLS will help James acclimatize for what is likely to be his final hurrah on football’s biggest stage.
Colombia have been drawn in Group K alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan and the FIFA Playoff 1 winner, which will be Congo DR, Jamaica or New Caledonia.
