James Rodriguez could become Lionel Messi’s rival as MLS club reportedly nears deal for Colombia star

Since arriving at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi has turned Major League Soccer into a far more attractive destination for elite stars such as Rodrigo De Paul, Son Heung-min, and Thomas Muller. Now, James Rodriguez could take the same path with the goal of arriving in top form for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Colombia.

“By the end of January he will already have a team, and talks in MLS are very advanced,” journalist Guillermo Arango of La FM said, as quoted by Infobae, before revealing the possible destination for the 34-year-old midfielder: Austin FC.

The Texas-based side has reportedly moved ahead of other options Rodriguez was considering, including teams within MLS. In fact, just days ago, the Columbus Crew had been mentioned as the United States club with the strongest chances of signing the former Real Madrid star.

After finishing sixth in the Western Conference standings during the 2025 season and losing in the first round of the playoffs to Los Angeles FC, Austin now appear determined to become a major contender in MLS and are therefore targeting high-profile players.

In addition to the reports linking them to James Rodriguez, they were also one of the teams that showed interest in competing with Inter Miami for the signing of Tadeo Allende. The Argentine forward had returned to Celta Vigo and his future was uncertain when Austin FC and Argentina’s River Plate emerged as competitors for the Herons, who have reportedly secured his stay through 2026.

James Rodriguez has struggled to settle at club level

Despite being an undisputed figure on the international stage, James Rodriguez has spent a long time struggling to find stability at the club level. Since leaving Real Madrid in 2017, he has not spent more than two consecutive seasons with the same team.

He was first loaned to Bayern Munich, followed by an unsuccessful return to Real Madrid. From there, his career included stints at Everton, Al Rayyan of Qatar, Olympiacos of Greece, Sao Paulo of Brazil, Rayo Vallecano, and Leon of Mexico. With the latter, he played 34 matches and scored five goals.

The World Cup is James Rodriguez’s main objective

At 34, James Rodriguez still has plenty to offer and will look to prove it on the sport’s biggest stage. Colombia will compete in Group K of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face Portugal, Uzbekistan, and the winner of the international playoff between DR Congo, New Caledonia, and Jamaica.

Aware that this could be his final appearance in a major tournament, Rodriguez will give everything he has to take Colombia as far as possible — perhaps recreating the magic of Brazil 2014, the tournament that propelled him to the elite of world soccer when Colombia reached the quarterfinals.