Former Colombia international attacking midfielder James Rodríguez officially joins Atlético Nacional on a free transfer..

Atlético Nacional announced on its official website on Tuesday that legendary former Colombia international attacking midfielder James Rodríguez, who has played for Monaco, Real Madrid, and Minnesota United, has joined the club as a free agent.

According to the Liga DIMAYOR giants' official statement, Rodríguez has signed on a short-term one-year deal which will only run until the summer of 2027. He will wear the number 23 jersey.

About James Rodríguez

The 35-year-old James Rodríguez was born on July 12, 1991, in Cúcuta, Colombia. He is 1.8 meters tall and primarily an attacking midfielder, but can also play as a left or right winger, he holds dual Colombian and Spanish citizenship.

James joined Envigado's youth academy at the age of four and completed his first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in January 2006, when he was just 14 years old.

During his two-year stint at Envigado, he helped the club win the Torneo DIMAYOR title once.

In January 2008, James joined Banfield.

During his two-and-a-half year spell at Banfield, he helped the club win the Argentine Primera División title once.

In July 2010, James joined Porto for a fee of €5.1 million.

During his three-year spell with the Dragões, he won the Portuguese Primeira Liga three times, the Taça de Portugal once, the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira once, and the UEFA Europa League once; his outstanding performances attracted the attention of Manchester United.

In July 2013, James moved to Monaco for €45 million, becoming one of the most expensive signings in the club's history. 

Although he did not win any trophies during his time there, James attracted intense interest from Real Madrid thanks to his outstanding individual performances for the Ligue 1 powerhouse and at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

In July 2014, James joined Real Madrid for £63 million, becoming the most expensive Colombian player in history.

During his six-year stint with Los Blancos, James won two La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League trophies, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups, and one Supercopa de España.

In July 2017, James was loaned-out to Bayern Munich for two years. During this spell, he won two Bundesliga titles and one DFB-Pokal with the club.

After his contract expired in September 2020, James joined Everton on a free transfer.

He initially performed exceptionally well under former manager Carlo Ancelotti, but fell completely out of favour after Ancelotti returned to coach Real Madrid the following year.

After terminating his contract with Everton in September 2021, James succesively played for Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos, and São Paulo; although he won the Copa do Brasil with the latter, his time at each club ultimately ended with his contract being terminated.

After leaving São Paulo, James joined Rayo Vallecano on a free transfer in August 2024.

However, after playing for the La Liga club for just six months, his contract was terminated once again.

In January 2025, James joined León on a free transfer.

In February 2026, James joined Minnesota United on a free transfer.

During his six-month spell at Minnesota United, James made only eight appearances across all competitions for the Major League Soccer (MLS) club and assited twice.

Image source: Internet / Atlético Nacional official website