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James Rodriguez‘s departure from Minnesota United has been officially announced, bringing an abrupt end to a disappointing five-month stint in Major League Soccer. Once again entering the market as a high-profile free agent, the Colombian playmaker leaves the Twin Cities with statistical totals that fell drastically short of marquee expectations.
After parting ways with Mexico’s Club León in December 2025, Minnesota United finalized the signing of Rodriguez on February 6, structuring a deal through June 2026 designed to bridge the gap to the 2026 World Cup, the midfielder’s primary objective. The former Real Madrid superstar arrived in MLS eager to build game fitness ahead of Colombia’s tournament run, but consistently struggled to earn a permanent spot in the starting XI.
Having missed preseason training, Rodriguez sat out Minnesota’s MLS opener against Austin FC, remained an unused substitute against FC Cincinnati, and was sidelined by a minor knock against Nashville SC. The midfielder finally made his club debut on March 15, logging just 26 minutes off the bench in a humbling 6-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
That rocky debut set the tone for an uninspiring tenure in Saint Paul. Plagued by fitness issues and international duties, Rodriguez concluded his time with the Loons having logged just six MLS appearances and two U.S. Open Cup matches, registering only two assists. The lack of production prompted Minnesota executives to decline his contract extension option for the remainder of the 2026 season and announce his release on July 21.
Further underlining where his priorities lay, Minnesota United issued a mid-season announcement confirming that Rodriguez would be released early following a match against the Colorado Rapids to join Colombia’s national team training camp. That early departure caused him to miss crucial MLS fixtures against the New England Revolution and Real Salt Lake right before the World Cup break.
James Rodriguez’s stats at Minnesota United
- Games played: 8
- Minutes played: 274
- Goals scored: 0
- Assists delivered: 2
Second-worst club stint of his career
Having starred on global soccer’s grandest stages with European heavyweights Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, while consistently orchestrating Colombia’s World Cup runs, Rodriguez’s club trajectory in recent years has strayed far from his peak. Yet, as underwhelming as his Minnesota tenure proved to be, it does not stand as the absolute low point of his career.
That title belongs to his brief spell with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, where he logged a career-low 205 minutes across seven total matches, generating zero goals and just a single assist.
Rodriguez signed with the Vallecas club in August 2024 at the behest of club executives, but head coach Iñigo Perez sidelined him in favor of a high-intensity, press-heavy tactical system. Unable to meet those physical demands, the Colombian missed 13 matches as an unused substitute or squad omission before mutually terminating his contract in January 2025.
More must-reads:
- Minnesota United confirms James Rodriguez’s final MLS game before joining Colombia national team camp for 2026 World Cup
- James Rodríguez shuts down retirement talk after 2026 World Cup: ‘I have a couple of years left’
- James Rodríguez’s move to Minnesota United in MLS labeled as a ‘mistake’ by Colombian legend Willington Ortiz
