A new restart. Another new restart. Potentially the restart that sees James Rodríguez find the form that turned him into a world star. The form that is almost ten years old. Ten years of constant change, churn, and chances missed.
A move to MLS to play for Minnesota United has not arrived out of the blue, free from asphyxiating levels of expectation for the Colombian, despite the fact that he has failed to play consistently well for over half a decade and has not convinced any manager that he should stay longer than a season. Fans are fans and they will get excited, watch old clips and pray for the version they wish to see, inviting all the pressure they want and ask ‘can you handle it?’
After Real Madrid said no, so did Bayern Munich, Everton, Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos, São Paolo, Rayo Vallecano, and Club León.
Despite that, Minnesota have put slid chips into the centre of the table, and Rodríguez will be tasked by manager Cameron Knowles of feeding striker Kelvin Yeboah (who spoke exclusively to AS USA last season) as the side look to go one better and get to the Conference Finals. Last season, they lost out in a narrow game against San Diego FC in a match that was decided by a sole Anders Dreyer goal.
Will James Rodríguez play for Minnesota against Austin?
At present, it’s not looking likely that James will start for his new team in their MLS 2026 opener, as he is still reportedly lacking match fitness, having not featured consistently for a significant period.
However, that is not to say that the manager will not be keen on integrating him as quickly as possible; a substitute appearance is not out of the realms of possibility and after that, anything is possible for the player desperate to make his mark on MLS.
United have gambled big on James, handing him a guaranteed contract through June 2026, with a club option through December 2026. He will not, however, be a Designated Player, meaning his wages will not be to the level of stars such as Lionel Messi, Thomas Muller or Son Heung-min. As reported by AS, the current maximum for a non-designated player is around $1.74 million per year, which works out at around $33,000 per week.
“I’m very happy for this new chapter in my life,” said James Rodríguez. “I hope to be at my best so I can bring joy to this city and to all of the people who are putting their faith in me. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the passionate Minnesota fans because I’m also a passionate player who wants to give everything on the field and always wants to win.”