James Rodriguez's brief, underwhelming spell with Minnesota United appears to be nearing an abrupt end. Apple TV's Michele Giannone and The Athletic reported that the Colombian star will leave next week to join his national team for the World Cup and is not expected to return after the tournament. The midfielder has made just four league appearances for the club.
World Cup then retirement?
Minnesota had an option to extend Rodriguez's contract through the rest of the season, but that decision would need to be made by June 1 and reportedly aligned with the 34-year-old's wishes. Rodriguez is expected to leave after Minnesota's match Wednesday against the Colorado Rapids, according to The Athletic. It could be the final club match of his career, should he play, with reports out of Colombia suggesting he is considering retirement after the World Cup.
The stats behind James' time in MLS
Rodriguez is expected to be the focal point for Colombia in this summer's tournament, but he has been far from that for Minnesota. He has played in six matches total for the club, but has been largely unavailable.
His best performance might have come against LAFC on April 25, when he played 63 minutes in a narrow 1-0 defeat for the Loons.
If there is one silver lining, it is that the former Real Madrid star wasn't a Designated Player and joined on a lower salary.
Fits the overall narrative
Rodriguez's lack of impact for Minnesota continues a recent trend for the midfielder. Since his breakout at the 2014 World Cup, he has often excelled for Colombia but struggled to replicate his international form at club level. As a result, he has bounced around the world, playing for Real Madrid, Everton, Al-Rayyan, Leon and others. If Rodriguez fails to appear in either Minnesota's match Sunday or Wednesday, this would be the shortest club stint of his career, edging the six league appearances he made for Rayo Vallecano.
