James David RodrÃguez Rubio (born 12 July 1991) is a Colombian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as an
attacking midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
or
winger for
Liga MX
Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
club
León and
captains the
Colombia national team. Regarded as one of the best Colombian players of all time, he has been praised for his technique, vision, and
playmaking skills. He is often considered the successor to his compatriot
Carlos Valderrama.
Starting his career at
Envigado
Envigado () is a city and municipality due South of MedellÃn, Colombia in the department of Antioquia Department, Antioquia. It is located in the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley. It borders El Poblado, MedellÃn to the north, Sabaneta, An ...
, and then moving to Argentina side
Banfield, James became well known in Europe during his time at
Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
, winning several trophies and individual awards during his three years at the club. In 2014, James moved from
AS Monaco
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, commonly referred to as AS Monaco (), is a professional football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. Although not in France, they are a member of the French Football Federation (FFF) and currently ...
to Real Madrid for a transfer fee of £63 million, beating
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao GarcÃa Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a striker (association football), striker for CategorÃa Primera A club Millonarios F.C., Millonarios. Nicknamed "El ...
as the most expensive Colombian football player and
one of the most expensive players at the time. In his debut season, he was named in the
La Liga Team of the Season and won
La Liga Best Midfielder. In 2017, he signed for German club
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...
on a two-year loan deal. In the summer of 2020, he signed for Premier League club Everton on a free transfer,
staying there for one season before joining Qatar's
Al-Rayyan and Greece's
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 2023, 13 years after leaving South America, he returned to the continent by joining Brazilian club
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
. A month after his departure from São Paulo in July 2024, James returned briefly to Europe with
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in the Villa de Vallecas district of Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish foot ...
before joining Mexican club León in 2025.
James started his international career with the Colombia
under-20 team, with which he won the 2011
Toulon Tournament
The Maurice Revello Tournament (officially French: the ''Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello''), previously known as the Toulon Tournament, is a Association football, football tournament, which traditionally features invit ...
. He then captained the U-20 team during the
2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 18th FIFA U-20 World Cup. Colombia hosted the tournament between 29 July and 20 August 2011, with matches being played in eight cities. The tournament was won by Brazil national under-20 football team, Brazil w ...
. Due to his performance in the tournament, he was regularly called into the senior squad by the age of 20. He played in the
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
and
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
, winning the
Golden Boot in 2014 and being included in the
Cup's All Star Team.
He also represented his nation at the
Copa América
The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...
in
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
and
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, winning a third-place medal in 2016 and reaching the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
in 2024, the latter in which he received the
Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
Club career
Envigado
Born in
Cúcuta
Cúcuta (), officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian municipality, capital of the department of Norte de Santander and nucleus of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta. The city is located in the homonymous valley, at the foot of the East ...
,
Norte de Santander
Norte de Santander (Spanish for Northern Santander) () is a department of northeastern Colombia. It is in the north of the country, bordering Venezuela. Its capital is Cúcuta, one of the country's major cities.
Norte de Santander is bordere ...
, James spent his childhood in the city of
Ibagué
Ibagué () (referred to as San Bonifacio de Ibagué del Valle de las Lanzas during the New Kingdom of Granada, Spanish period) is the capital of Tolima Department, Tolima, one of the 32 departments that make up the Republic of Colombia. The city ...
,
Tolima. He was born to ex-footballer Wilson James RodrÃguez Bedoya and Maria Del Pilar Rubio.
James started his professional football career in 2006 with the Colombian second division club
Envigado
Envigado () is a city and municipality due South of MedellÃn, Colombia in the department of Antioquia Department, Antioquia. It is located in the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley. It borders El Poblado, MedellÃn to the north, Sabaneta, An ...
, with which he reached the Colombian first division through the 2007 promotion.
He became the second youngest Colombian player to start a professional match, playing his first match on 21 May 2006, at the age of 14.
Banfield
2008
In 2008, he was signed by Argentine team
Banfield. He made his first team debut on 7 February 2009,
and scored his first goal for the club on 27 February with a long range strike in a 3–1 victory over
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central (), more commonly referred to as Rosario Central, or simply Central, is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on 24 December 1889, ...
. He finished his first season with a goal in 11 appearances.
2009
In 2009, he became a regular first-team player, featuring in every game of the
Apertura 2009. At just 17, he became the youngest foreigner to score a goal in Argentina. His second goal for Banfield came on 26 September, when he scored with a strike into the top corner from outside of the area in an important 2–1 win against
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario, Santa Fe. The club was founded on 3 November 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell of the English county of Kent, one of the pioneers of Argentine football.
A ...
, a victory that helped Banfield win the
Argentine championship for the first time in the club's history.
In December 2009, Italian club
Udinese
Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sport ...
planned to make a bid for James for a reported €5 million after the
2010 Copa Libertadores. However, Banfield rejected the bid, labelling it as "insufficient".
For the
Clausura 2010, on 13 February 2010, James scored a ''golazo'' in the match against archrivals
Lanús
Lanús () is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, metropolitan area. The List of cities in Argentina, city has a populati ...
with a left-footed lob to make the game 2–0 in the final minutes. After the game, daily sports website
Diario Olé compared his playing and personal style to
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
and nicknamed him the "
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
of Banfield".
2010
On 10 February 2010, James scored his first
Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
goal in a 2–1 home victory over Mexican club
Monarcas Morelia. James added to his glowing reputation a week later with a goal in a daunting victory over Copa Libertadores group rivals
Deportivo Cuenca away from home, scoring the fourth goal of the 4–1 victory with a nice left-footed finish in the box. His wonderful scoring season continued with a brace in the Copa Libertadores group match away to Uruguayan club
Nacional on 10 March. James scored first with a diving header and then from the penalty spot in a 2–2 draw. The 18-year-old netted another goal against Brazilian club
Internacional on 29 April 2010 in the first leg of the
2010 Copa Libertadores round 16, which Banfield won 3–1. This goal brought his tally to five goals in seven games. However, James' international season ended in defeat as his team went down on away goals with a 0–2 defeat in
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...
in the second leg, in which James was red carded for two fouls.
Porto
2010–11 season

On 6 July 2010, James was signed by
Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
for €5.1 million, with 30% economic rights retained by other parties. He signed a four-year contract with a €30 million release clause. Porto later re-sold 10% economic rights to third parties. On 18 July, he played his first game and scored his first goal in a friendly against
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
. In November, Porto sold 35% economic rights (half of 70%) to Gol Football Luxembourg, S.A.R.L. for €2.5 million.
On 15 December 2010, James scored his first competitive goal during a 3–1
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
home victory against Bulgarian club
CSKA Sofia
CSKA Sofia () is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia and currently competing in the country's premier football competition, the First League. ''CSKA'' is an abbreviation for ''Central Sports Club of the Army'' ...
. On 17 May, Porto bought the remaining 30% economic rights from Convergence Capital Partners B.V. for €2.25 million and once again hold more than half of the economic rights with 55%. James scored a hat-trick and assisted once against
Vitória de Guimarães in the
2011 Taça de Portugal Final, which Porto won 6–2.
On 13 June, James signed a new five-year contract in which the release clause increased to €45 million. He finished the
2010–11 season with six goals and eight assists in 31 appearances. He also took home four trophies: the
Super Cup
A super cup is a competition, in association football, basketball, handball, volleyball and rugby union which often forms the 'curtain raiser' to a season, and typically involves only two teams who have qualified through success in other competi ...
title, the
league title, the
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
title, and the
Cup title as Porto had a historic season.
2011–12 season
In the
2011–12 season, James scored 14 goals for Porto and delivered 11 assists. In 2011, James won the
LPFP Award for Breakthrough Player of
2011–12 Primeira Liga season at age 20, becoming the first Colombian player to do so. He is a two-time winner of the
SJPF Player of the Month. James won the
Portuguese Golden Ball award in 2012, becoming the second Colombian to win the award after
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao GarcÃa Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a striker (association football), striker for CategorÃa Primera A club Millonarios F.C., Millonarios. Nicknamed "El ...
as well as the youngest player ever to hold the honour.
On 20 September 2011 in a league match against
Feirense, he punched
Rabiola and was subsequently dismissed, missing
the match against
Benfica.
2012–13 season
In the
2012–13 season, James was given the number 10 shirt and became a regular starter. Since fellow Colombians
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao GarcÃa Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a striker (association football), striker for CategorÃa Primera A club Millonarios F.C., Millonarios. Nicknamed "El ...
,
Fredy GuarÃn and Brazilian
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
left the club during the last two seasons, James was able to start more regularly than before. In a match against
Olhanense
Sporting Clube Olhanense (), commonly known as Olhanense, is a Portuguese sports club from Olhão, Algarve.
Its football team was founded on 27 April 1912 and currently plays in the Algarve Football Association First Division, the fifth tier of ...
on 1 September, James scored a chip from a tight angle. In the same game, he assisted compatriot
Jackson MartÃnez with a through ball for an eventual 3–2 win. James scored the team's third goal against
Beira-Mar
Sport Clube Beira-Mar (), commonly known as Beira-Mar, is a Portuguese sports club based in Aveiro, Portugal. Its Association football, football team currently plays in the Campeonato de Portugal (league), Campeonato de Portugal, the fourth natio ...
soon after assisting the first two goals in a 4–0 victory on 22 September.
In the
2012–13 UEFA Champions League
The 2012–13 UEFA Champions League was the 58th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 21st season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
The final was p ...
group stage, he scored against French club
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...
in a 1–0 victory, allowing Porto to top their current group. A few days later, James scored a penalty against rivals
Sporting CP
Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries, . Because of his great start to the 2012–13 season, James won the
SJPF Player of the Month award for August/September. In the Champions League against
Dinamo Kyiv on 24 October, he assisted Jackson MartÃnez to an eventual 3–2 home victory. James scored Porto's last two goals in a 5–0 win over
MarÃtimo on 2 November. In the 90th minute against
Braga
Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
, James scored a goal in an eventual 2–0 away victory.
Prior to the second half of the season, James suffered a hamstring injury causing him to struggle to maintain fitness. In a match against
Nacional on 5 January, he injured his hamstring once more and was subsequently substituted after the first half. The injury sidelined him for a month. On 1 February 2013, Porto bought back 35% economic rights of James from Gol Football Luxembourg for €8.75 million (by selling 47.5% economic rights of
Diego Reyes for €3.5 million), which Porto sold in November 2010 for €2.5 million.
James made his return at the 70th minute in the 2–0 victory over Beira-Mar on 23 February, his first match since being injured for more than a month. In his second league match since his return, James assisted a goal against Rio Ave with a wonderful cross. On 8 March, he assisted a goal against
Estoril
Estoril () is a town in the civil parish of Cascais e Estoril of the Portuguese Municipality of Cascais, on the Portuguese Riviera. It is a popular tourist destination, with hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. It has been home to numero ...
from a corner in a 2–0 victory. It was James' first start in two months. James did not start in the second leg of the Champions League match against Málaga until the second half when Porto was down to ten men after the dismiss of a defender. Porto lost the match and coach
VÃtor Pereira was greatly criticized and questioned why James did not start sooner considering that the player was a key member and Porto could have had a more solid team. James expressed his disappointment, claiming to be "100%" in good health (as well as giving a performance with no struggles shown). However, he also expressed his respect and understanding to the coach's concern. Despite an exit from the Champions League, James went on to become the second-most fouled player in the tournament that year.
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
reportedly made a bid for €30 million to purchase James, though Porto rejected the offer as being too low. James scored his first
Taça da Liga
The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual club football competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the top two tiers of Portuguese football – the ...
goal, a penalty, in the
2012–13 Taça da Liga
The 2012–13 Taça da Liga was the sixth edition of the Taça da Liga, the Portuguese association football, football league cup competition. It was organized by the Portuguese League for Professional Football (LPFP) and contested between the 32 c ...
semi-final against Rio Ave. Porto won the match 4–0 and advanced to the final. In the final on 13 April, Porto lost 1–0 to Braga, with James playing 75 minutes. Five days before the final, James gave a man of the match performance against Braga, scoring the first goal and assisting two in a 3–1 victory.
In the final match of the season against
Paços de Ferreira
Paços de Ferreira () is a city in the Porto District, in the north of Portugal. The population of the city in 2011 was 7491, while its municipality had 56,340 inhabitants, in an area of 70.99 km².
Sometimes referred to as the ''Capital do ...
on 19 May, James was tripped inside the box and secured a penalty that was later scored by Lucho Gonzalez, which contributed to the 2–0 victory that led to Porto's third consecutive league title. In all competitions that season, he scored 13 goals and provided 15 assists in 32 appearances. Winning the league title meant that James, at 21, won his eighth trophy since joining the club three years ago.
Monaco
On 25 May 2013, it was announced that James had joined
AS Monaco
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, commonly referred to as AS Monaco (), is a professional football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. Although not in France, they are a member of the French Football Federation (FFF) and currently ...
for a transfer fee of €45 million,
the second most expensive transfer in Portuguese football behind former teammate
Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
. James subsequently signed a five-year contract that was set to keep him at the club until 2018. This transfer made him not only one of the most expensive transfers in the club's history, but in
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
history as well, along as one of the highest in world football.
James made his Monaco debut against
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
, a game Monaco went on to win 2–0. He then missed Monaco's second league match to avoid a possible injury. On 5 October against
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
, James gave a man of the match performance by assisting both goals in a 2–1 victory.
He finally scored his first goal for the club with a free-kick in a 2–0 win over
Rennes
Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
.
James scored another goal in the next match in the fourth minute against
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million[Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...]
debut in a match against
Vannes
Vannes (; , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Morbihan, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern mainland France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago.
History
Celtic ...
, where he both assisted and scored a goal in a 3–2 victory.
James' first double at Monaco came in the match against
Bastia
Bastia ( , , , ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest popu ...
, a 2–0 Monaco victory.
In the French media, James was referred to as "perhaps" the best footballer in Ligue 1 due to his impressive debut season with Monaco,
although he stated that he still required more time in the league to fully adapt.
Following the international break, James scored his first penalty for Monaco against Sochaux in a 2–1 win.
James ended his debut season without a trophy, though nonetheless helped Monaco secure a spot in the following season's
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
. On an individual level, he earned a spot in the star
Ligue 1 XI,
and led Ligue 1 in assists for the season.
Real Madrid
In a post-match interview during the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
, James stated his "love", "admiration" and "passion" for
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
, saying that it would be a "life's dream" to play for them after his performances aroused rumors linking him to the Spanish club.
On 22 July 2014, James signed a six-year contract with the Spanish club for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be approximately £63 million. At the time, this was the
fourth-most expensive transfer in the world, the third-most expensive in Madrid's history, and the most expensive Colombian after surpassing
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao GarcÃa Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a striker (association football), striker for CategorÃa Primera A club Millonarios F.C., Millonarios. Nicknamed "El ...
's €60 million transfer in 2013. The amount spent on his transfer fee led many to referring James as a ''
Galáctico'' after he was given the number 10 shirt worn by Madrid legends such as
LuÃs Figo
LuÃs Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo (; born 4 November 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan. He won 127 caps for the Portugal national team, a one-t ...
and
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás (, ; né Purczeld; 1 April 1927 – 17 November 2006) was a Hungarian footballer and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and the sport's first international superstar. A forward and an attacking ...
.
James was greeted by a 45,000 attendance during his presentation. The Colombian ambassador in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
made a speech at the event and carried a message from Colombian President
Juan Manuel Santos
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (; born 10 August 1951) is a Colombian politician who was the President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. He was the sole recipient of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
An economist by training and a journalist by trade, S ...
that James was changing the history of Colombian football and that the entire nation is behind him.
Real Madrid President
Florentino Pérez would follow with a speech of his own, stating that he welcomed James, a "lover" and "long supporter" of the club who will never forget the day he made his dream a reality.
2014–15 season

James made his debut in the
UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
at
Cardiff City Stadium
The Cardiff City Stadium () is a stadium in the Leckwith, Cardiff, Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. It is the home of Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City and the Wales national football team, Wales national team.
Following expansion of the Ninian S ...
against
Sevilla
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Seville ...
, in which Real Madrid won 2–0. He played 72 minutes before being replaced by
Isco. On 19 August, James scored his first goal for Real Madrid against
Atlético Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
in the first leg of the
Spanish Super Cup after coming on as a substitute for
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
at half-time. James made his Champions League debut for Real in the group stage opening match against
Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
, where he scored the fourth goal in a 5–1 victory. James then scored his first league goal days later against
Deportivo La Coruña
''Deportivo'' (Spanish, 'sporting') may refer to:
* Deportivo de La Coruña, commonly known as simply Deportivo, a Spanish football club
* Déportivo, a French rock band
* Deportivo (Mexicable)
Mexicable is an aerial lift line in Ecatepec de ...
, where he also supplied an assist in an 8–2 victory. James scored a brace in a 4–0 win at
Granada
Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
on 1 November; his first goal was a dipping volley from a poor angle.
In the match against Sevilla in which he scored the opening goal, James experienced a
fracture
Fracture is the appearance of a crack or complete separation of an object or material into two or more pieces under the action of stress (mechanics), stress. The fracture of a solid usually occurs due to the development of certain displacemen ...
on the
fifth metatarsal in his right foot after being fouled. The injury required surgery and he was out of action for two months. James returned on 5 April in the match against Granada, where he assisted two goals in a 9–1 victory before being subbed at the 60th minute. Days later, James scored his first goal since his injury against
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in the Villa de Vallecas district of Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish foot ...
in a 2–0 victory.
2015–17
After being left on the bench for his team's season opener, a scoreless draw against
Sporting Gijón
Sporting may refer to:
*Sport, recreational games and play
*Sporting (neighborhood), in Alexandria, Egypt
Sports clubs
*Alexandria Sporting Club, a sports club from Alexandria, Egypt
*BFA Sporting, a football club from Beirut, Lebanon
*Real Sporti ...
, James made his first contribution of the season by giving a man of the match performance against
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié, known as Real Betis () is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It plays in La Liga, the Spanish football league system, top flight of Spanish football. It plays home ...
. The player scored with both a spectacular free-kick and
bicycle kick
In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick or scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before ...
and provided an assist for
Gareth Bale
Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh former professional Association football, footballer who played as a right winger, most notably for Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid, and the Wales national ...
. On 8 September 2015, during an international friendly match against Peru, James collided with Peruvian player
Juan Manuel Vargas, and though he initially appeared able to continue, James was removed from the game as a precautionary measure. He was diagnosed with a thigh muscle tear, and didn't return to training until 27 October. James played his first match since the injury on 8 November, scoring in a 3–2 loss to Sevilla. On 31 January 2016, James scored and assisted
Karim Benzema
Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for and Captain (association football), captains Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad Clu ...
's goal in a 6–0 thrashing of
Espanyol. On 8 March, he scored his first and only goal of the
2015–16 UEFA Champions League
The 2015–16 UEFA Champions League was the 61st season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 24th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona were th ...
, in a 2–0 victory against
Roma to help his club get into the quarter-finals. His team eventually won the Champions League, with James making 5 appearances.
James made 22 appearances when Madrid won the
2016–17 La Liga
The 2016–17 La Liga season, also known as LaLiga Banco Santander, Santander for sponsorship reasons, was the 86th since its establishment. The season began on 19 August 2016 and concluded on 21 May 2017.
Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid secured t ...
, and six when Madrid won the
2016–17 UEFA Champions League
The 2016–17 UEFA Champions League was the 62nd season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 25th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
The final was pla ...
. Despite scoring 11 goals, (including braces against Granada, Deportivo, and Sevilla), as well as providing 13 assists, he failed to gain more playing time under Zidane even with his influence on the pitch, leading him to request a loan transfer for more playing time.
Bayern Munich and final year at Madrid

On 11 July 2017, it was announced that James was loaned to
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...
on a two-year long deal. Bayern paid Real Madrid €13 million as a loan fee for the two season-long loan. With James' loan deal to Bayern, he reunited with his old Madrid manager
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti (; born 10 June 1959) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Brazil national team. Nicknamed "Carletto" in Italy and "Don Carlo" in Spain, he is regarded as one of the greatest ...
. Bayern had the option to buy James for €42 million at the end of the loan period. He scored his first goal of his loan spell in a 3–0 away win over
Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as Schalke 04 (), and abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional sports club from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its football team, w ...
. After a slow start to his Bayern career, mainly due to an injury in preseason, James rediscovered his form after
Jupp Heynckes
Josef "Jupp" Heynckes (; born 9 May 1945) is a German retired professional footballer and manager. For the majority of his playing career he was as a striker for Borussia Mönchengladbach in its golden era of the 1960s and '70s, when they won m ...
was hired as Bayern's manager in October as the club sacked Ancelotti.
On 2 April 2018, Bayern's CEO,
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge (; born 25 September 1955) is a German football executive and former professional player. Considered as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest German footballers ever, he was also the longt ...
thanked Ancelotti for bringing James to Bayern. "It was a very, very good transfer and I have to thank Carlo Ancelotti once again," Rummenigge said. In the semi-finals of the
2017–18 UEFA Champions League
The 2017–18 UEFA Champions League was the 63rd season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 26th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
The final was pl ...
season, James scored the equalizing goal in a 2–2 draw against his parent club at the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (, ) is a retractable roof association football, football stadium in Madrid, Spain. With a seating capacity of around 83,000 following its extensive renovation completed in late 2024, the stadium has the second-largest ...
, but Bayern failed to reach the final as they lost 3–4 on aggregate. However, James would go on to win the
2017–18 Bundesliga
The 2017–18 Bundesliga was the 55th season of the Bundesliga, Germany's premier football competition. It began on 18 August 2017 and concluded on 12 May 2018. The fixtures were announced on 29 June 2017.
Following an offline test phase in the ...
title with Bayern, credited as a key member behind their title defense for his contribution of 7 goals and 11 assists in 23 Bundesliga appearances.
On 15 September 2018, James scored his opening goal of the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
in a 3–1 victory over
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, officially known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH () and commonly known as Bayer Leverkusen or simply Leverkusen, is a German professional football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It competes in the B ...
. On 17 March 2019, he scored three goals in a 6–0 league win over
Mainz
Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
, his first hat-trick since 2011, with Porto. On 18 May, James won his second Bundesliga title as Bayern finished two points above
Dortmund
Dortmund (; ; ) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the List of cities in Germany by population, ninth-largest city in Germany. With a population of 614,495 inhabitants, it is the largest city ...
with 78 points. A week later, James won his first
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal (), also known as the German Cup in English language, English, is a German knockout Association football, football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competiti ...
as Bayern defeated
RB Leipzig
RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V. (), commonly known as RB Leipzig or informally as Red Bull Leipzig, is a German professional association football, football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club was founded in 2009 by the initiative of the company ...
3–0 in the
2019 DFB-Pokal Final. James did not appear in the match as he was out injured. James appeared in 28 matches and scored seven goals in all competitions. On 5 June, it was announced that Bayern Munich would not pick up the buy option and he would return to Real Madrid.
After his return to Madrid, James made eight appearances during the league season, as Real Madrid won the
2019–20 La Liga
The 2019–20 La Liga season, also known as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, was the 89th since its establishment. The season began on 16 August 2019 and was originally scheduled to conclude on 24 May 2020.
Barcelona were the two-time ...
.
Everton
On 7 September 2020, James joined club
Everton on a free transfer and signed a two-year deal, with a club option for a third season.
The deal once again reunited him with manager Carlo Ancelotti. He made his debut later that month in a 1–0 away win against
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
in their first game of the
2020–21 Premier League season. The following week he scored his first goal for Everton on his home debut, a 5–2 league win against
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
. James scored two goals and provided an assist for his international teammate
Yerry Mina in a 4–2 victory at Goodison Park against
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...
on 3 October 2020. James added to his goal tally against
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
in a 3–3 draw at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
on 6 February 2021.
Al-Rayyan
On 22 September 2021, James joined
Al-Rayyan for an undisclosed fee.
On 17 October 2021, Rodriguez made his debut for
Al-Rayyan, in a 3–0 loss against
Al-Duhail. He scored his first goal for the team against
Al-Sailiya on 26 October 2021.
On 15 September 2022,
Al-Rayyan and the player parted ways.
Olympiacos
On 15 September 2022, James RodrÃguez joined
Greek Super League
The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repla ...
champions
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
on a free transfer. Upon arrival, RodrÃguez was handed the number 10 jersey, previously worn by
Rony Lopes who had departed to play on loan for Ligue 1 side
Troyes
Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...
. He made his league debut on 18 September as a starter against
Aris Thessaloniki
Athlitikos Syllogos Aris Thessalonikis, means Athletic Club Aris Thessaloniki (), is a major Greece, Greek multi-sport club founded on 25 March 1914 in Thessaloniki.
Nicknamed ''God of War'', Aris was one of the strongest Greek clubs during t ...
, a match in which his team lost 2–1 despite being up a goal for the majority of the match.
On 13 April 2023, James' contract with Olympiacos was terminated by mutual consent.
São Paulo
On 29 July 2023, James joined
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, signing a two-year contract. James made his debut for the club in a 1-1 draw to Flamengo on 13 August. Despite making mostly substitute appearances as he was coming from four months off the pitch, he was getting regular playing time under manager
Dorival Júnior in the 2023 season, making 14 appearances out of a possible 25 until an injury suffered in training left him out for the final three matches of the season.
However, with the arrival of
Luis ZubeldÃa, James began struggling for playing time, playing less than 200 minutes over 8 appearances in the first half of the 2024 season, with coach Zubeldia preferring other players in his position instead. In July 2024 his contract with São Paulo was terminated by mutual consent, with James making 22 appearances and scoring two goals in his spell with the Brazilian club.
Rayo Vallecano
James joined
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
club
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in the Villa de Vallecas district of Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish foot ...
in August 2024 as a free agent. He made a total of seven appearances in the 2024–25 season for a total of 205 minutes and provided an
assist in Rayo's Copa del Rey victory over
Unionistas. James' contract with Rayo was terminated by mutual consent in January 2025 after only four months and seven appearances with the club.
León
Following his departure from Rayo, there was speculation about a transfer to
Junior, with club president Fuad Char saying that he would be paid one of the biggest salaries in Colombian football. On 13 January 2025,
Liga MX
Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...
club
León announced James' signing following his departure from Rayo.
International career
Youth
James was part of the
Colombia U-17 team that finished runners-up in the
2007 South American Under-17 Championships, where he scored three goals. He also helped Colombia advance to the knockout stages during the
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where they eventually lost to the winners of the tournament
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
.
He was also part of the
Colombia under-20 squad in three youth tournaments during 2011: the
Toulon Tournament
The Maurice Revello Tournament (officially French: the ''Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello''), previously known as the Toulon Tournament, is a Association football, football tournament, which traditionally features invit ...
, the
South American U-20 Championship
The South American Youth Football Championship, also known as South American U-20 Championship (; ), branded as CONMEBOL Sub 20, is a South American football tournament organized by the CONMEBOL for South American national teams of men under age o ...
and the
U-20 World Cup that was held in his homeland Colombia.
James scored two goals and provided three assists during the
2011 Toulon Tournament. This show led him to being voted as the
MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
of the tournament where Colombia won the final by defeating
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in a
penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
. James scored one of the penalties in the shootout.
During the
2011 South American U-20 Championship, he provided three assists. During the
2011 U-20 World Cup, he was named
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
of the U20 squad due to his impressive leadership and talent. By scoring three goals and providing three assists in the tournament, he gained international attention as a promising star, especially during his performance in the 4–1 victory against France where he scored a penalty and provided an assist.
Senior
2014 World Cup qualification and friendlies
On 29 September 2011, James received his first call-up to the
Colombia senior side for a match against
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
on 11 October 2011. He was selected as the man of match due to his incredible performance including the initiation of the goal scored in the last minute by his former Porto teammate
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao GarcÃa Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a striker (association football), striker for CategorÃa Primera A club Millonarios F.C., Millonarios. Nicknamed "El ...
which gave Colombia a 2–1 win in
La Paz
La Paz, officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara language, Aymara: Chuqi Yapu ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities by populati ...
. Under new manager
José Pékerman, he played a crucial part in setting up both goals in a 2–0 friendly victory over
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. He scored his first goal for Colombia against
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, and Colombia went on to win 1–0 in
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, RÃmac River, RÃmac and LurÃn Rive ...
in Pekerman's first competitive match.
James assisted two goals in a row from 1–0 to 3–0 In the
World Cup qualifying match against
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the RÃo de la Plata to the south and the A ...
that eventually ended 4–0. James scored a stunning
volley from a 30-yard free kick against
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
, leveling the game to an eventual 3–1 away victory boosting Colombia to the second place in the qualifying stages. In the match against
Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
, James set up the plays leading towards both goals in a 2–0 victory. In Colombia's last international friendly of the year, James assisted the sole goal allowing Colombia to tie with
2014 World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
hosts
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
1–1.
James played his first match of 2013 in the second half of the
CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL ( ) or CSF (; ; ), is the continental governing body of football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations. The oldest continental confederation in the world, its headquarters are located in Luque, Parag ...
qualifiers against
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
, where he gave a man of the match performance in a 5-0 victory. He set up the second goal thanks to a free kick that he took.
Playing against South American leaders
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, James suffered an injury in the 30th minute forcing him to be substituted. While the injury was not serious, James was rested and therefore missed the game against Peru days later. James made a good comeback when he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
during the final stages of the world cup qualifiers. In a tough match against Chile, James drew both penalties that equalized Colombia from a 1–3 to a 3–3. This drew allowed Colombia to return to the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Days later, James assisted the first goal with a free-kick while setting up the second in a 2–1 away victory over Paraguay.
James continued his play-making form by assisting the first goal and setting up the second against
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
in a 2–0 victory. He was later voted man of the match. A few days later, James was praised once more as the man of the match in a 0–0 draw against the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
James started in Colombia's opening match of 2014 and scored a penalty against
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
in a 1–1 draw at
Estadio Cornellá-El Prat on 5 March 2014. In the last friendly before the World Cup, James scored yet another penalty against
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
in a 3–0 victory.
2014 World Cup
On 2 June 2014, James was named in Colombia's 23-man squad for the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
and assigned the number 10 shirt. In the team's opening match of the tournament, James set up the first two goals, scored a last-minute goal with a low shot to seal a 3–0 victory over
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
and was named man of the match by
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
. In the second match, James continued his form by scoring with a header and setting up a second goal for
Juan Fernando Quintero in a 2–1 victory over
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
and was once again elected as man of the match. In the final group stage match against
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, James came on as a second-half substitute and assisted two
Jackson MartÃnez goals before scoring the final goal in a 4–1 victory. At the end of the group stage, James was ranked as the best performing player at the tournament by
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
.
On 28 June, James scored both goals to defeat
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the RÃo de la Plata to the south and the A ...
2–0 at the
Maracanã in the
round of 16
A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
, taking Colombia to its first ever World Cup
quarter-finals
A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
. These goals made him the first player to score in all of his team's opening matches since
Ronaldo and
Rivaldo
Rivaldo VÃtor Borba Ferreira (; born 19 April 1972), known simply as Rivaldo, is a Brazilian former footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder but also as a second striker, and on occasion deployed as a wide midfielder or as ...
in
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
. His volleyed opening goal was described as "one of the greatest goals the World Cup has ever seen" by opposing manager
Óscar Tabárez
Óscar Washington Tabárez Silva (; born 3 March 1947), known as ''El Maestro'' (The Teacher), is a Uruguayan former professional football manager and former player.
After an unassuming career as a player and after working as a primary school ...
, who also called James "the best player in the World Cup". Because of his performance against the Uruguayans, James was named by FIFA as man of the match for the third time in four matches. The volley was later voted as the best goal in the tournament by more than four million people on FIFA's website
and won the
FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year. In the
quarter-final against Brazil, he scored his sixth goal of the tournament, a penalty in Colombia's 2–1 defeat.

A tearful James was consoled by Brazil's
David Luiz
David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987) is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fortaleza Esporte Clube, Fortaleza. H ...
and stated, "He (David) told me I was a good player. The truth is that having so many superstars hug me did make me happy. We have to raise our heads now and thank Colombia for their support. We are sad because we wanted to keep going and set new records. We gave everything to reach the semi-final, but we have to be proud because we played a great side. I'm crying because we gave everything. We're sad but we also have to feel proud because we left our skin out there." Luiz and RodrÃguez also exchanged jerseys. James received a standing ovation from the home crowd, ending his first World Cup campaign with six goals and two assists in five matches. On 11 July, he was named on the 10-man shortlist for FIFA's
Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player. He then won the
Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer despite being eliminated in the quarter finals.
Due to his performances, he was named in the
World Cup All Star XI and was also listed in the Cup's star XI by
Castrol
Castrol Limited is a British oil company that markets industrial and automotive lubricants, offering a wide range of oil, greases and similar products for most lubrication applications. The company was originally named CC Wakefield; the nam ...
's index rating system in FIFA's website.
Argentina legend
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...
argued that James, rather than
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
, should have won the tournament's
Golden Ball award.
2015 Copa América and Copa América Centenario
James was called up to represent Colombia at the
2015 Copa América in Chile, where his team was eliminated 5–4 on penalties by eventual finalists Argentina on 27 June, following a 0–0 draw.
The following summer, James joined Colombia's squad for the
Copa América Centenario and was named the team's
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. On 3 June, he started in Colombia's opening 2–0 win against tournament hosts the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot although he was forced off early due to an injury. It was initially feared that he would be unable to feature in his nation's second group match against
Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
, but he recovered in time to start the match, setting up Colombia's first goal, and later scoring one himself in a 2–1 win which sealed his team a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Colombia would then lose in the semi-finals against eventual and defending champions Chile, before securing a third-place victory against the host nation for Colombia's best result since 2001.
2018 World Cup qualification and friendlies
James made his first direct contribution towards qualification, scoring a goal in a heated duel against Copa America champions Chile, securing a 1–1 away draw. In early 2016, he provided both a goal and assist in a difficult away match against Bolivia resulting in a 2–3 victory. Days later, he assisted another goal in a 3–1 home victory against Ecuador. In early August, he contributed both a goal and an assist in Colombia's 2–0 victory against Venezuela.
Starting off 2017, James scored a late dramatic goal against a defensive Bolivia after missing an earlier penalty. The 1–0 home victory allowed Colombia to move to 4th place within the qualification group. Days later, James would score and provide a goal in an impressive 0–2 victory in Ecuador. For his first friendly of the year, James assisted
Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao GarcÃa Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a striker (association football), striker for CategorÃa Primera A club Millonarios F.C., Millonarios. Nicknamed "El ...
's goal from the corner against European giants
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. The game would end 2–2. Days later against
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
, James would both provide and score a goal in a dominating 4–0 victory. For the last qualification match of the 2018 World Cup, James would score a crucial away goal against South American rival
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, resulting in a 1–1 draw and granting Colombia the last automatic qualification spot at fourth place. James' last contribution of 2017 for Colombia would be an assist against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, which would end 2–1.
Colombia's World Cup preparations in 2018 began against World Cup favorites
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, where James provided two assists towards a comeback of a 2–0 score to a 2–3 victory. This marked the first victory in Colombia's history over France.
2018 World Cup
On 4 June 2018, James was selected in Colombia's 23-man squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
in Russia. James did not start in the opening game against
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
after a calf injury during training. He came as a substitute in the 59th minute for
Juan Quintero. On 24 June 2018, he provided two assists in a 3–0 victory over
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
and was named as the Man of the Match. James had to be substituted in the 30th minute in the final match of the group stage against
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
due to the injury. James played in all three matches during the group phase, but was forced to sit out of Colombia's last 16 match against
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Colombia lost 4–3 on penalties against England and were eliminated from the World Cup. James was unable to score in those three matches.
2019 Copa América
On 30 May 2019, James was included in the 23-man final Colombia squad for the
2019 Copa América. In the quarter-finals of the tournament against defending champions Chile on 28 June, following a 0–0 draw after regulation time, James scored in the resulting penalty shoot-out; however, Colombia were defeated 5–4 and were eliminated from the competition.
2021 Copa América

On 28 May 2021, James was ruled out of the squad for the
2021 Copa América
The 2021 Copa América was the 47th edition of the Copa América, the international men's association football, football championship organised by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. The tournament took place in Brazil from 13 June to ...
due to his lack of conditioning, i.e. for not having the optimal physical level, as he had recently been recovering from injury.
2022 World Cup
After Colombia's failure to qualify for the
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
, James admitted that he was uncertain about his future with the team. "I don't know what's coming regarding the next phases, I don't know if I'm going to be there or not," he told ''Diario Sport''. "What I do know is that it breaks my heart to lose, it bothers me not qualifying and this can't happen again."
2024 Copa América
On 15 June 2024, RodrÃguez earned his 100th international cap in a 3–0 friendly win over Bolivia. On 21 June, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the
2024 Copa América. In the quarter-final match against
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
, he scored a penalty and provided two assists in the first half of a 5–0 victory. In the semi-final clash against Uruguay, he provided the assist from a corner kick for
Jefferson Lerma's winner in a 1–0 victory to send his national team to the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. This assist was his sixth at the tournament, which allowed James to surpass Messi's record for the most assists in a single edition of Copa América.
Style of play
Once considered to be among the best young players in the world,
James is a versatile footballer who can play in several positions across the
midfield or
front-line
A front line (alternatively front-line or frontline) in military terminology is the position(s) closest to the area of conflict of an armed force's personnel and equipment, usually referring to land forces. When a front (an intentional or uni ...
, having played as a
playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a footballer who controls the flow of the team's play, and is often involved in offensively and defensively playing Passing (association football), passing moves which lead to Goal (sport), goals, through ...
,
winger, and
central midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
for both club and country, although he has stated in interviews that his preferred role is as an
attacking midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
behind the strikers. Praised for his pace, technical skills, vision, and his ability to create chances for teammates as an advanced playmaker,
James' performances as a classic number 10 have led to comparisons with the famous Colombian footballer
Carlos Valderrama; Valderrama himself declared James as his "successor".
Although naturally left-footed,
James has shown
ambidexterity
Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that ...
in his
dribbling
In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score.
As ...
and style of play.
His goal scoring abilities were a highlight of the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
, where he managed to claim the
Golden Boot despite Colombia's elimination in the quarter finals following a 2–1 loss to
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
.
He is also an accurate
free kick
A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play.
Association football
In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offe ...
taker, and a goal threat from anywhere on the pitch.
This has made James recognized for his unpredictability as noted by ''
Marca'' writer Justin Sherman: "One of the differences that James has with other players is that, apart from being very good outside the area, he is also good inside. He has the qualities of a No. 9 and is capable of finishing with a shot from the head or with either foot with great effectiveness."
Personal life
In 2015, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' estimated that James' annual income was $29 million.
James married volleyball player Daniela Ospina, sister of Colombian goalkeeper
David Ospina, in 2011. They met while James was playing at Banfield. The two have a daughter named Salome, born on 29 May 2013.
On 27 July 2017, it was announced that the couple was in the process of divorcing. On 28 October 2019, James had his first son and second child, Samuel, to a surrogate in
MedellÃn
MedellÃn ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of MedellÃn (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...
.
James is a devout
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
.
He acquired Spanish citizenship in 2019.
Sponsorships
During his early days playing in South America, James was approached by
Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
head scout Claus Peter Meyer.
He featured occasionally in various adverts for Adidas as well as the Colombian beverage "Pony Malta",
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. ( ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 20 ...
drink "Milo", and the shampoo
"Clear". After the 2014 World Cup, where he won the
Golden Boot as the tournament's top goal scorer with six goals, Adidas took advantage of James' increased exposure and issued him his own custom gold boots to celebrate his achievement and increase the brand's on-pitch association with their new star asset.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each RodrÃguez goal.''
Honours
Envigado
*
CategorÃa Primera B
CategorÃa Primera B, commonly referred to as Torneo BetPlay Dimayor due to Sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by online betting company BetPlay, is the second-division association football, football league in Colombia. The tournament was inaugura ...
:
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
Banfield
*
Primera División Argentina:
Apertura 2009
Porto
*
Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (), also known as Liga Portugal Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Portugal and the highest level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga ...
:
2010–11,
2011–12,
2012–13
*
Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal (; ) is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Generali Tranquilidade since the 2024–25 seaso ...
:
2010–11
*
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese association football, football match played since 1979 between the winners of the top-tier league (Primeira L ...
:
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
*
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
:
2010–11
Real Madrid
*
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
:
2016–17,
2019–20
*
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España, also known as the Spanish Super Cup, is a super cup tournament in Football in Spain, Spanish football. Founded in 1982 Supercopa de España, 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2 ...
:
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
*
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
:
2015–16,
2016–17
*
UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
*
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
Bayern Munich
*
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
:
2017–18,
2018–19
*
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal (), also known as the German Cup in English language, English, is a German knockout Association football, football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competiti ...
:
2018–19
São Paulo
*
Copa do Brasil
The Copa do Brasil () is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and it is the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de Portugal, ...
:
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
Colombia U20
*
Toulon Tournament
The Maurice Revello Tournament (officially French: the ''Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello''), previously known as the Toulon Tournament, is a Association football, football tournament, which traditionally features invit ...
:
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
Colombia
*
Copa América
The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...
runner-up:
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
; third place:
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
Individual
*
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members' men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when i ...
top assist provider:
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
*
Toulon Tournament
The Maurice Revello Tournament (officially French: the ''Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello''), previously known as the Toulon Tournament, is a Association football, football tournament, which traditionally features invit ...
Best Player:
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
*
LPFP Primeira Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year:
2011–12
*
SJPF Player of the Month:
August 2012,
September 2012
*
Record Team of the Year: 2012
*
O Jogo Team of the Year: 2012, 2013
*
Portuguese Golden Ball: 2012
*
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
top assist provider:
2013–14
*
UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year:
2013–14
*
AS Monaco
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, commonly referred to as AS Monaco (), is a professional football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. Although not in France, they are a member of the French Football Federation (FFF) and currently ...
Player of the Year:
2013–14
*
Globe Revelation Player: 2014
*
FIFA World Cup Golden Boot:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
*
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
*
FIFA World Cup Dream Team:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
*
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
Goal of the Tournament:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
*
FIFA Puskás Award:
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
*
La Liga Team of the Season:
2014–15
*
La Liga Best Midfielder:
2014–15
*
UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Fan's Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its official website. This award started in 2001 and allows users of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their ove ...
:
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
*
UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season:
2017–18
*
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
Team of the Season:
2017–18
*
Facebook FA La Liga Best Goal: 2016
*
Copa del Rey
The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del GeneralÃsimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
top assist provider:
2016–17
*
New species of coral named after him, ''Paragorgia jamesi''
*
Copa América Team of the Tournament:
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
,
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
*
Copa América Golden Ball:
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
See also
*
List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
In association football, a cap is traditionally awarded in international football to a player making an official appearance for their national team. This article lists all men's football players who have played in 100 or more official internat ...
References
External links
Profileat the Rayo Vallecano website
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, James
1991 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Cúcuta
Footballers from Norte de Santander Department
Colombian men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Envigado F.C. players
Club Atlético Banfield footballers
FC Porto players
AS Monaco FC players
Real Madrid CF players
FC Bayern Munich footballers
Everton F.C. players
Al-Rayyan SC players
Olympiacos F.C. players
São Paulo FC players
Rayo Vallecano players
Club León footballers
CategorÃa Primera B players
CategorÃa Primera A players
Argentine Primera División players
Primeira Liga players
Ligue 1 players
La Liga players
Bundesliga players
Premier League players
Qatar Stars League players
Super League Greece players
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players
Liga MX players
UEFA Champions League–winning players
UEFA Europa League–winning players
Colombia men's under-20 international footballers
21st-century Colombian sportsmen
Colombia men's international footballers
2014 FIFA World Cup players
2015 Copa América players
Copa América Centenario players
2018 FIFA World Cup players
2019 Copa América players
2024 Copa América players
FIFA Men's Century Club
Colombian expatriate men's footballers
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Argentina
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in England
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Greece
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Brazil
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Expatriate men's footballers in Monaco
Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar
Expatriate men's footballers in Greece
Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil
Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico
Naturalised citizens of Spain
Colombian Christians
People from Ibagué
Footballers from Tolima Department