Colombia captain James Rodriguez is undergoing a resurgence of form, and it might just yield a Copa America 2024 trophy
In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, James Rodriguez emerged as the next big superstar in global men’s soccer. Scorer of the strike of a generation – a stupendous volley against Uruguay that won him the Goal of the Tournament award – Rodriguez captured the hearts of many with his brilliant skills in Brazil.
His breakout performances earned him a big-money move from AS Monaco to Spanish superpower Real Madrid shortly after the tournament. Following his time in the Spanish capital, stints in Germany, England, Qatar and Greece followed.
Now? He's gone full-circle, back where his career really began during that World Cup: in Brazil, with powerhouse Sao Paulo.
Back again as captain of his national team, Rodriguez is the face of Colombia, their leader, and long-time servant of Los Cafeteros.
Now, in what may be his final Copa America, he’s leaving everything on the pitch to try and lift his first trophy with the national team.
GOAL takes a look at how the Golden Boy of a generation, now 32, is once again playing at his best ahead of Colombia’s knockout quarterfinal match Saturday night against Panama in Glendale, Arizona.
Getty ImagesFormidable form
Los Cafeteros themselves are the hottest team in the men’s international game. They’re riding a 26-match unbeaten streak, with their last loss coming in February 2022 against Argentina in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying. Their 10-match winning streak was only broken by a 1-1 draw with Brazil.
Colombia missed out on the tournament in Qatar, and took it personally.
They have now brought sensational form to Copa America, with Rodriguez spearheading a brilliant run. The attacking midfielder, who started all three group stage matches, notched three assists en route to the quarterfinals.
The Sao Paulo midfielder and captain of Colombia has been their most consistent player, with leadership on the pitch, a silky touch on the ball, and in the words of manager Nestor Lorenzo, “commitment" to the badge on his chest.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTurning back the clock
Rodriguez’s tournament has been special. Through three matches, he’s created more chances than any other player at Copa America in the final-third for his teammates, with 11 total. That came with three assists, and if it weren’t for a controversial VAR call on matchday three against Brazil, he’d have four.
He was named Man of the Match in a 2-1 victory over Paraguay in the tournament opener, where he notched both assists for Los Cafeteros. He followed with a brilliant showing against Costa Rica, assisting on the game-winning goal in a 3-0 win over Los Ticos.
Although he didn’t find himself on the scoresheet against the Selecao, he was crucial in securing that 1-1 draw against Vinicius Jr. and Brazil. In that match he created three scoring chances, hit the post once and completed 81% of his passes across the 81 minutes he played.
Ahead of the Brazil match, Lorenzo said Rodriguez has matured, allowing him to open his eyes more as a footballer. As a result, the Colombia captain has flourished in the U.S. this summer.
“Now he runs a little less, but he thinks a little more. It’s good for him. He’s well surrounded, and that’s what’s making him play well,” the Colombia manager said. “I know the love he has for the jersey, his commitment for the national team, and that’s why I trust him.”
Getty ImagesSet Piece specialist
Those on-pitch adaptations – less running, slowing himself down to better understand the game – have given Rodriguez new perspective.
One thing remains, however: his prowess with a dead-ball. Of the 11 chances created through three matches, seven came from set pieces. The Colombian midfielder has the ability to thread the needle from a standstill, with pinpoint precision, to find the target.
Against Brazil, his effort off the bar came from a free kick opportunity. Though eventually disallowed by VAR, the goal was a brilliant corner kick from Rodriguez that found the head of Davinson Sanchez.
That was one of the many moments in this Copa America that Rodriguez flashed that marquee trait that nobody can take away from him, and that perhaps, has even gotten better with age.
Getty ImagesRedemption arc
For even the best players, age comes with ups and downs, twists and turns and unexpected developments in your career. For Rodriguez, his days as a Galactico in Madrid were the peak of his career. For three years, he played at the highest level at the Santiago Bernabeu alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema – an elite attacking core.
Loan stints in Germany with Bayern Munich, followed by an eventual departure from Madrid in 2020, began a downward spiral at the club level – and that, in turn, translated into the national team picture.
A move to Everton in the Premier League lasted just one season before Rodriguez departed for Al-Rayyan in Qatar in the summer of 2021 – also the last Copa America. Expected to be a part of the roster, Rodriguez was shockingly excluded from Colombia's squad due to inconsistencies in form and worries about his commitment to the program. Los Cafeteros went on to finish third in the tournament without him.
For Rodriguez, those inconsistencies at the club level haven’t dissipated, despite his return to the national team shortly after that 2021 Copa America. Now, at Sao Paulo three years on, he’s seemingly become an unwanted man.
Prior to Copa America 2024, he had played just 10 minutes of club soccer with the Brazilian side over the past two months. Even so, he found himself in the picture under Lorenzo with Los Cafeteros ahead of Copa America 2024 – and Lorenzo’s faith in Rodriguez, despite all the chaos at the club level, is finally paying off.
The veteran midfielder is playing some of the tidiest soccer since departing the Toffees in the summer of 2021.
Cafeteros Team psychologist Marcelo Roffe revealed that there is delight in the program with Rodriguez, telling El Colombiano, "James is extraordinarily down to earth. Thanks to Nestor Lorenzo he is happy again in the national team, and so he is making the fans happy again."