The 2014 World Cup Golden Boot — Colombia's most gifted player and the volley that captured the world.
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.
La Liga 2x
Career Honours
- La Liga 2x
- Champions League (2016)
- World Cup Golden Boot (2014)
- World Cup (finalist, Colombia 2014)