Colombia playmaker James Rodríguez has officially announced his retirement from international football at age 35, bringing an end to an extraordinary 15-year career.
The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich star earned 131 caps and scored 31 goals for Los Cafeteros, cementing his status as one of the greatest players in the nation’s sporting history.
Rodríguez made his senior international debut back in October 2011 against Bolivia. Over the next decade and a half, he captained his country, represented Colombia at three FIFA World Cups, and featured in four Copa América tournaments.
“Thank you for every match, every joy, every tear and every dream we shared. Defending the colours of the Colombia national team was one of the greatest honours of my life,” Rodriguez said in an emotional video posted on social media.
James Rodríguez: From 2014 World Cup heroics to hometown return
Rodríguez rose to global prominence during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil where he scored six goals in five matches to claim the coveted Golden Boot as Colombia reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
His breathtaking chest-and-volley strike against Uruguay in the round of 16 won the FIFA Puskás Award for goal of the year and earned him a high-profile transfer to Real Madrid.
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In Spain, Rodríguez won two UEFA Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles before embarking on stints with Bayern Munich, Everton, Olympiacos, São Paulo, Rayo Vallecano, and Minnesota United. Last week, he completed a high-profile move back home to join Colombian giants Atlético Nacional until next June.
He leaves the national team tied with Carlos Valderrama and Freddy Rincón for the most World Cup appearances by a Colombian player. His final international appearance came during Colombia’s round-of-16 penalty shootout loss to Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup, closing out a legendary international chapter.
