James Rodríguez has been a standout player in the Copa America 2024. A decade after winning the World Cup Golden Boot, can the Colombia captain steer his team to their second continental title?
Where is James Rodríguez playing now?
James Rodríguez is playing in the Brasileirão club São Paulo.
Colombia’s Controversial 2001 Copa America Triumph and Its Lasting Legacy
Colombia has only won one Copa America title, achieved in 2001. However, some South American fans might consider that win somewhat controversial.
The tournament, hosted in Colombia, was initially postponed due to a series of bombings in major cities and the kidnapping of Colombian Football Federation vice-president Hernán Mejía Campuzano.
When the postponement was lifted a few days later, Argentina refused to participate, citing death threats allegedly from local rebel groups. Canada also withdrew from the competition, and several top teams had already indicated they wouldn’t be sending full-strength squads.
Despite these issues, Colombia capitalized on being the host nation and the absence of Argentina, as well as Brazil’s surprise quarter-final exit to Honduras. Colombia won all six of their matches in Copa America 2001, culminating in a 1-0 victory over Mexico in the final, with Iván Córdoba scoring the decisive goal in the 65th minute.
The golden era of Colombian football emerged in the late 1980s and 90s, with stars like Carlos Valderrama, Freddy Rincón, Faustino Asprilla, and René Higuita becoming globally recognized for their fast-paced, free-flowing style of play.
Their most notable victory occurred in September 1993 when they dominated a formidable Argentina side, winning 5-0 in Buenos Aires to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. Rincón and Asprilla each scored twice, while Adolfo Valencia added another goal to complete the rout.
Despite their talent, that team did not secure any major titles. Their best achievements were consecutive third-place finishes at the Copa America in 1993 and 1995, where they lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champions in both tournaments.
Unfortunately for the Colombian national team, the volatile situation back home often overshadowed their on-field performances during this period. A stark reminder of these troubles came after the 1994 World Cup when defender Andrés Escobar was tragically assassinated in Medellín just 10 days after scoring an own goal against the United States, which contributed to their tournament exit.
The victory in 2001 didn’t mark the beginning of a new era of glory. Although they reached the semi-finals in 2004, Colombia failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in three successive Copa America campaigns and did not qualify for the World Cup in 2002, 2006, and 2010.
However, Colombia has gradually improved since then. They secured third-place finishes at Copa America in 2016 and 2021 and had an impressive run at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by the hosts.
James Rodríguez was the standout player back then, and a decade later, he remains the star of the Colombian team.
Rodríguez’s Rollercoaster Decade: From World Cup Stardom to Copa América Resurgence
It’s been an eventful decade for Rodríguez since he won the Golden Boot with six goals at the 2014 World Cup. His international success, combined with a stellar season in Ligue 1 with Monaco, earned him a move to Real Madrid for what was then the fourth-most expensive transfer fee in history, approximately £63 million.
Wearing the number 10 shirt, he was expected to help Real Madrid reclaim their status as the top team in Spain after two disappointing La Liga seasons. The 2014-15 season was a personal triumph for Rodríguez. Despite a metatarsal injury, he scored 13 goals and provided 13 assists in just 29 league appearances. He was one of only five players to play at least 1,000 La Liga minutes and average a goal involvement better than one every 90 minutes (88 minutes). His performance earned him a spot in the Team of the Season and the title of the league’s best midfielder.
However, despite winning the UEFA Super Cup, the Supercopa de España, and the FIFA Club World Cup, Real Madrid’s failure to secure the league title, being knocked out in the Champions League semi-finals, and losing in the Copa del Rey round of 16 led to Rodríguez’s team being labeled as a failure.
Injuries limited his playing time over the next two seasons at Madrid, with just 30 starts in 76 La Liga matches. Despite this, he contributed significantly under both Rafael Benítez and Zinedine Zidane, scoring 19 goals and providing 22 assists in all competitions across just 3,682 minutes, averaging a goal involvement every 90 minutes. The 2016-17 season was successful, with Real Madrid winning both the La Liga title and the Champions League.
Seeking more regular playing time before the 2018 World Cup, Rodríguez joined Bayern Munich on a two-year loan deal. Injuries again restricted his playing time, and he played just 2,767 minutes across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 Bundesliga seasons, less than half of the possible minutes (45%). Despite this, he managed 28 goal involvements (14 goals, 14 assists), a tally surpassed by only two teammates, contributing to Bayern’s Bundesliga titles in both seasons.
After a brief return to Real Madrid, where he contributed to another league title, Rodríguez made a surprising move to Everton in the Premier League, reuniting with Carlo Ancelotti. Despite a strong start with three goals and four assists in his first seven games, his form waned, and he was involved in just seven more goals in his next 19 matches.
Subsequent moves to Qatari side Al-Rayyan and Greek club Olympiacos brought little success for Rodríguez or his clubs, leading to his return to South America with Brazilian team São Paulo last summer.
For a career that looked incredibly promising 10 years ago for a 22-year-old Rodríguez, his late 20s and early 30s have been disappointing. However, his performances at Copa America 2024 have rekindled interest in him.
Colombia’s Unbeaten Streak and Rodríguez’s Set-Piece Mastery Propel Them to the Copa América Semis
Colombia heads into their Copa America 2024 semi-final tie against Uruguay in sensational form. They are now 27 games unbeaten in all competitions (21 wins, 6 draws), with their last defeat occurring in February 2022 against Argentina in a World Cup qualifier. During this run, they have outscored their opponents 54-16, with 11 of their goals coming in this tournament, matching their highest scoring record in a single edition of the Copa America, previously achieved in 1975 and 2001.
Pre-tournament friendly thrashings of the United States (5-1) and Bolivia (3-0) raised hopes for a successful tournament, but winning Group D ahead of Brazil has truly ignited dreams of a second Copa America crown.
While the other three semi-finalists needed penalty shootouts to advance, Colombia, albeit against arguably the weakest opponents, easily defeated Panama 5-0.
Colombia’s main strength in this tournament has been their proficiency in set-pieces, with Rodríguez’s pinpoint accuracy from corners and free-kicks playing a crucial role in their success.
Out of their 11 goals, four have come from corners or indirect free-kicks, with their 32-year-old captain directly assisting three of them. Two of these assists occurred in the quarter-final win over Panama. In the eighth minute, Rodríguez’s delivery found Jhon Córdoba’s head, and later, his quick free-kick caught Panama’s defense off guard, allowing Luis Díaz to chip the goalkeeper and make it 3-0. These goals bookended a penalty scored by Rodríguez himself.
Rodríguez’s corner delivery has been exceptionally effective, with his xG assisted figure of 0.9 from corners alone at this Copa America being four times higher than any other player.
Out of his 14 corners, six have led to a teammate taking a shot. His free-kick deliveries have been similarly impactful; he has created the most chances from indirect free-kicks (4), and only Lionel Messi has a higher xG assisted total from these situations (1.21 compared to Rodríguez’s 0.47).
Most of Rodríguez’s creative threat comes from set-pieces, as he has only created four chances from open play in this tournament, with an xG assisted figure of 0.39—a total surpassed by 27 different players.
This doesn’t mean his involvement in open play isn’t crucial. Rodríguez has completed more passes in the opposition’s half (87) and more passes in the final third (41) than any of his teammates in this tournament.
Rodríguez has provided five assists at Copa América 2024. One more assist will make him the first player to surpass this figure in a single edition since records began in 2011, breaking the current record he shares with Messi (five assists in 2021).
With the semi-final against Uruguay followed by either the final or the third-place play-off, he has at least two more games to break this record. He’s also two assists away from the record tally of chances created from set-pieces in a single Copa America during this period—Diego Forlán’s 12 in 2011.
In the previous Copa America in 2021, Colombia defeated Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals before losing to Argentina in a semi-final shootout. The 2024 edition could follow a similar path, with a potential final against Argentina if Colombia can overcome Uruguay.
The key difference this time could be their captain. Left out of Colombia’s 2021 squad due to fitness issues, Rodríguez now has a strong chance of finishing the 2024 edition as the player of the tournament, 10 years after winning the same award at the World Cup. However, personal accolades will mean little to Rodríguez if he can’t help his nation secure the trophy on July 14.
