James Rodríguez (35) is set to join Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, increasing the likelihood he will face Son Heung-min (34, LAFC).
The global sports outlet The Athletic reported on the 6th (KST), citing sources, that Colombia national team captain James Rodríguez is finalizing a contract with Minnesota United.
According to the report, talks between the two sides intensified starting on Tuesday, and James is likely to join the team on a standard player contract rather than as a designated player (DP) — which would have allowed an exception to the salary cap for a high salary.
James had been without a team since his one-year contract with Club León (Mexico) ended last December. James spent January training alone in his native Colombia and has drawn interest from clubs in Ecuador, Argentina and several MLS teams.
In particular, discussions were held for James to play alongside Radamel Falcao (40), once called the "best human player" while at his home club Millonarios, but the move collapsed due to the club's financial problems.
Minnesota recorded 16 wins (58 points) in the 2025 season and finished 4th in the Western Conference, their best regular-season result in club history, behind 3rd-place LAFC (60 points).
However, Minnesota underwent a change in leadership when coach Eric Ramsay left for West Bromwich Albion (WBA) in January. Cameron Knowles (44), who had been the first assistant coach, has been promoted to head coach.
For New Zealand-born coach Knowles, figuring out how to use James will be a major task. While James's precise kicking and creativity remain, he is assessed to have reduced mobility due to chronic calf injuries and decreased stamina.
The outlet analyzed, "James's goal is focused on leading Colombia to at least the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Whether this aligns with Minnesota's ambitions remains to be seen."
In fact, this transfer is extremely urgent for James. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America approaching, maintaining match sharpness is essential.
As a player who still holds a central role in coach Néstor Lorenzo's tactics for the Colombia national team, James could suffer a major blow to his World Cup competitiveness if his availability for matches in the first half of the year is uncertain.
James stunned the world by winning the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At 23, he joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee exceeding $100 million (about 146.9 billion won).
Afterward, he recorded 37 goals and 42 assists for Real, and during his 2017 loan at Bayern Munich he delivered solid performances under coaches Carlo Ancelotti and Jupp Heynckes.
But the latter part of his career has been somewhat turbulent. After leaving Europe's big five leagues following Everton (England) in 2021, he went through Al Rayyan (Qatar), Olympiacos (Greece), São Paulo (Brazil), Rayo Vallecano (Spain) and Club León, experiencing a downward trend.
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