Why James Rodríguez’s Time at Minnesota United May Already Be Coming to an End

The Colombian is expected to be named to his nation’s World Cup squad later this month.

James Rodríguez has struggled to produce with Minnesota United. | Jeremy Olson/ISI Photos/IGetty Images

When James Rodríguez arrived in Minnesota, it came as a shock across the soccer world—how did the 2014 World Cup hero land with an MLS club far beyond the glitz and glamour of the Inter Miami, LAFC and LA Galaxy class?

While the Loons were able to lure the Colombian, his tenure with the club might already be coming to an end, with the potential that the next three matches could be his last home games, given that only four more games are guaranteed on his current contract. 

The 34-year-old officially joined Minnesota United on Feb. 6, inking a deal through June 30, with the intention of getting him into as strong a form as possible to play for Colombia at his third World Cup. 

Minnesota have the option to extend the deal through the end of 2026, but given how things have gone to this point, it may not be wise. James did not debut until March 15 in a 6–0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps and has since played just 103 minutes across four MLS games, with no goals or assists. 

James has arrived 🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/QyZmj4twHP

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) March 15, 2026

Initially, it took James weeks to get fit enough to play significant minutes, with his March Loons debut marking his first playing time since featuring for Colombia in November. Later on, he was hospitalized with severe dehydration after representing La Tricolor in the March international window and took time to rebound from that setback. 

Last week, he also opted out of a 3–2 win over Columbus Crew due to, as the club said, a “previously scheduled routine medical procedure.” Despite his absences, Minnesota have enjoyed a strong season so far, with 20 points through 11 games, and the Colombian has made little difference.

“We’ve had a couple of different unforeseen circumstances that have made him unavailable for selection,” manager Cameron Knowles told Sirius XM. “Then there’s obviously the team performance; it’s difficult to change a winning team, and we’ve been really consistent with the lineup selection and leaned on a smaller group of guys for some heavy minutes.”

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Would Minnesota Pick Up James’s Option?

James Rodríguez has not impressed in MLS. | Rich Lam/Getty Images

While Minnesota has the option to secure the Colombian star for the rest of the season, both the club and player have been non-committal about a post-World Cup future. 

For the player, getting to the 2026 World Cup was a key goal in choosing MLS and Minnesota, and without that target, there may not be an attraction to continue. At the same time, Minnesota United chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad told the Pioneer Press that the club would “take this as it comes.”

Although he is not on a Designated Player contract and the deal would leave Minnesota with flexibility in the summer transfer window, the spotlight on James may not be welcome. The star himself may already want to move on to the next chapter, as well. 

“There’s still a month to go and, well, I’m training hard, training to the max, going all out, just as I always have,” James said. “So whatever playing time comes my way here, I think it’s going to go well.”

Minnesota’s last game before the World Cup is at home against Real Salt Lake on May 22, with James set to turn his attention to Colombia’s World Cup pre-camp and June 17 opener against Uzbekistan after that. 

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