Colombian · Cúcuta, Colombia · Born 12 July 1991Colombian footballer widely regarded as one of the most talented playmakers of his generation, best known for winning the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot
James David Rodríguez Rubio was born in Cúcuta, Colombia in 1991. Monaco signed him from Porto before Real Madrid paid £63 million following the 2014 World Cup. His six goals in that tournament won him the Golden Boot and Golden Ball as the best player — his overhead volley against Uruguay in the Round of 16 was voted the Goal of the Tournament and shortlisted among the greatest World Cup goals ever scored. His two loan seasons at Bayern Munich produced the Bundesliga title in 2018. His combination of vision, technical precision and left-foot shooting made him one of the most gifted individual attacking midfielders of his generation. His arrival at Real Madrid was celebrated as the dawn of a new star but competing for places with established elite players limited his opportunities. He became the most celebrated Colombian athlete in the modern era — his country's football transformed by his performances in Brazil 2014 from a competent team to a genuinely thrilling one. He won the Copa América with Colombia in 2024.
Winning the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot with 6 goals
How They Played
Creative attacking midfielder with excellent technique, vision, and long-range shooting ability
Lasting Impact
Colombia's most successful attacking midfielder and their leading World Cup scorer
Career Honours
- La Liga 2x
- Champions League (2016)
- World Cup Golden Boot (2014)
- World Cup (finalist, Colombia 2014)
- Copa América 2021 (3rd place)
- Bundesliga 2020
- DFB-Pokal 2019
- FIFA Puskás Award 2014
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envigado | 2006–2008 | — | 30 | 9 |
| Banfield | 2008–2010 | — | 42 | 5 |
| Porto | 2010–2013 | £63m | 63 | 25 |
| Monaco | 2013–2014 | £63m | 34 | 9 |
| Real Madrid | 2014–2020 | £63m | 85 | 29 |
| Bayern Munich | 2017–2019 | loan | 43 | 14 |
| Everton | 2020–2021 | — | 23 | 6 |
| Al-Rayyan | 2021–2022 | — | 13 | 4 |
| Olympiacos | 2022–2023 | — | 20 | 5 |
| São Paulo | 2023–2024 | — | 18 | 2 |
| Rayo Vallecano | 2024–2025 | — | 6 | 0 |
| León | 2025–2025 | — | 31 | 5 |
| Minnesota United | 2026–2026 | — | 6 | 0 |
 Colombia | — | — | 103 | 36 |
Colombian Athletes