James Rodriguez has returned to Colombian football for the first time since leaving the country as a teenager, joining Atletico Nacional on a free transfer.
The 35-year-old midfielder has signed a contract with the Colombian club until June 30, 2027. The move comes after his latest spell with Minnesota United in Major League Soccer.
Rodriguez left Colombia at 16 in 2008 when he joined Argentina’s Banfield. His career then took him through Portugal, France, Spain, Germany, England, Qatar, Greece, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Colombia.
His rise to global stardom came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Rodriguez scored six goals to win the Golden Boot and produced one of the tournament’s defining moments with a spectacular volley against Uruguay.
Real Madrid responded by paying €75 million to sign him from Monaco after the tournament.
Rodriguez never consistently reached those heights at club level, but he remained one of Colombia’s most celebrated players. He won 25 club trophies and earned 131 international caps.
His return to Colombia now gives him a chance to finish the latest chapter of his career at home.
Atletico Nacional will become the 14th club of Rodriguez’s career and the first Colombian side he has represented since leaving Envigado for Banfield in 2008.
The move also adds another major name to a career that has stretched across 12 countries.
Rodriguez’s international career remains central to his legacy. He helped Colombia reach the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014 and has remained a key figure for the national team across multiple major tournaments.
Now, after nearly two decades abroad, he returns to the country where his professional career began.
Atletico Nacional will hope the veteran midfielder can bring experience, creativity and the quality that made him one of the world’s most recognisable players at the peak of his career.
