2 hours ago
18
James Rodriguez, now 34, is back on the World Cup stage. Colombia’s captain started the team’s Group K opener against Uzbekistan on June 18, 2026, at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, marking his return to the tournament that made him a global star over a decade ago.
This is Rodriguez’s third World Cup. He missed the 2022 edition entirely.
The path back to the biggest stage
Rodriguez joined Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United on February 1, 2026, and left on May 31, 2026, just in time for head coach Nestor Lorenzo to name his 26-man squad on May 25. A season marred by illness made his inclusion far from guaranteed.
He arrived at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as a talented but unproven 22-year-old. He left it with the Golden Boot, having scored 6 goals and earned a spot on the tournament’s All-Star team. The 2018 World Cup in Russia saw Colombia reach the round of 16 before falling to England on penalties, with Rodriguez’s tournament disrupted by a calf injury.
Records within reach
Rodriguez currently sits just 4 assists away from matching Carlos Valderrama’s all-time national record of 36. He is also two matches away from tying the Colombian record of 8 World Cup games played. Given that Colombia has at least two more group stage matches guaranteed, that record could fall before the knockout rounds even begin.
The 2026 tournament, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, is the first to feature 48 teams.
What this means beyond the pitch
In the last 30 days, there are no crypto tokens or projects associated with Rodriguez. During the last World Cup cycle, athlete-linked fan tokens and NFT projects were widespread. Socios and Chiliz signed deals with national football federations. Several major crypto sponsors from 2022, including FTX most infamously, are no longer in operation.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·