The January transfer window is moving forward, and Major League Soccer teams are accelerating their preparations for the start of the 2026 season. Atlanta United are no exception, and the club has reportedly set its sights on an Argentine midfielder who won the FIFA World Cup alongside Lionel Messi.
“Tata Martino wants Guido Rodriguez,” Mundo Deportivo reported this Thursday. The reference is to Gerardo Martino, the Argentine coach who won the Leagues Cup and the Supporters’ Shield with Inter Miami alongside Messi and who will return to Major League Soccer this year for his second stint with Atlanta United.
In an effort to restore the Five Stripes to a competitive position after finishing next to last in the Eastern Conference last season, Martino appears to be targeting players with top-level experience for Major League Soccer.
Guido Rodriguez fits that profile perfectly. The midfielder will turn 32 in April and brings extensive European experience after stints with Real Betis and, most recently, West Ham United. He also boasts an impressive international resume, having won the FIFA World Cup, the Finalissima, and two Copa America titles with the Argentina national team.
Guido Rodriguez won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022.
Atlanta United must compete with a La Liga club for Rodriguez
Atlanta United’s reported interest clashes with negotiations already underway for Guido Rodriguez, who had been close to agreeing on a move from the Premier League back to La Liga. “The transfer of Guido Rodriguez to Valencia seemed done, but it became complicated after differences emerged over the player’s salary,” Mundo Deportivo reported.
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“Amid this setback, Atlanta United under Tata Martino have emerged with interest in acquiring the midfielder, whose rights belong to West Ham United,” the report added. The situation will ultimately depend on the Five Stripes’ financial ability to compete with Valencia.
It will also depend on how Rodriguez evaluates what is best for his career. With limited playing time at West Ham United, the midfielder needs a move that allows him to regain his place with the Argentina national team—a squad he has not been called up to since 2024—as he aims to secure a spot on the roster for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Another World Cup winner in MLS?
The potential arrival of Guido Rodriguez at Atlanta United would represent another step forward in elevating the profile of Major League Soccer. While he does not carry the global star status of players such as Son Heung-min or Hirving Lozano, the Argentine midfielder holds the distinction of being a reigning FIFA World Cup winner.
MLS currently features two other players with that achievement: Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, Rodriguez’s teammates during Argentina’s title run at Qatar 2022. In addition, two other league stars previously won the World Cup earlier in their careers— LAFC’s Hugo Lloris and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Thomas Muller.
