Minnesota United officially announced James Rodriguez’s departure, leaving underwhelming stats in his first MLS experience. James Rodriguez‘s departure from Minnesota United has been officially announced, bringing an abrupt end to a disappointing five-month stint in Major League Soccer. Once again entering the market as a high-profile free agent, the Colombian playmaker leaves the Twin Cities with statistical totals that fell drastically short of marquee expectations.
After parting ways with Mexico’s Club León in December 2025, Minnesota United finalized the signing of Rodriguez on February 6, structuring a deal through June 2026 designed to bridge the gap to the 2026 World Cup, the midfielder’s primary objective. The former Real Madrid superstar arrived in MLS eager to build game fitness ahead of Colombia’s tournament run, but consistently struggled to earn a permanent spot in the starting XI.
Having missed preseason training, Rodriguez sat out Minnesota’s MLS opener against Austin FC, remained an unused substitute against FC Cincinnati, and was sidelined by a minor knock against Nashville SC. The midfielder finally made his club debut on March 15, logging just 26 minutes off the bench in a humbling 6-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
That rocky debut set the tone for an uninspiring tenure in Saint Paul. Plagued by fitness issues and international duties, Rodriguez concluded his time with the Loons having logged just six MLS appearances and two U.S. Open Cup matches, registering only two assists. The lack of production prompted Minnesota executives to decline his contract extension option for the remainder of the 2026 season and announce his release on July 21.
Gracias por todos, James pic.twitter.com/e0Wj3Qx7st— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 21, 2026
Further underlining where his priorities lay, Minnesota United issued a mid-season announcement confirming that Rodriguez would be released early following a match against the Colorado Rapids to join Colombia’s national team training camp. That early departure caused him to miss crucial MLS fixtures against the New England Revolution and Real Salt Lake right before the World Cup break.
James Rodriguez’s stats at Minnesota United
Games played: 8Minutes played: 274Goals scored: 0Assists delivered: 2
Second-worst club stint of his career
Having starred on global soccer’s grandest stages with European heavyweights Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, while consistently orchestrating Colombia’s World Cup runs, Rodriguez’s club trajectory in recent years has strayed far from his peak. Yet, as underwhelming as his Minnesota tenure proved to be, it does not stand as the absolute low point of his career.
That title belongs to his brief spell with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, where he logged a career-low 205 minutes across seven total matches, generating zero goals and just a single assist.
Rodriguez signed with the Vallecas club in August 2024 at the behest of club executives, but head coach Iñigo Perez sidelined him in favor of a high-intensity, press-heavy tactical system. Unable to meet those physical demands, the Colombian missed 13 matches as an unused substitute or squad omission before mutually terminating his contract in January 2025.