James Rodriguez (35), a symbol of Colombian football, has concluded his illustrious 15-year career with the national team.

In a video posted on his social media on the 16th (Korean time), Rodriguez announced his retirement from international football, saying, "Thank you for every match, every joy and tear, and every dream we shared together. Wearing the Colombia national team jersey and representing my country has been the greatest honor of my life."

Making his senior national team debut for Colombia in 2011, Rodriguez has made a total of 131 A-international appearances, scoring 31 goals and providing 43 assists, while participating in three World Cups and four Copa Americas.


He rose to global stardom notably at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

At the time, Rodriguez scored six goals in five matches, leading Colombia to the quarterfinals and winning the Golden Boot awarded to the tournament's top scorer.

His left-footed volley against Uruguay in the Round of 16 was selected as the goal of the year, earning him the FIFA Puskas Award.

The Round of 16 match against Switzerland at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America last July, which ended in a penalty shootout defeat, became James's final match representing Colombia.

Having played for clubs such as Porto (Portugal) and AS Monaco (France), Rodriguez capitalized on his performance at the Brazil World Cup to transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid that same year. During his four seasons there, he won two UEFA Champions League titles and two La Liga titles.

He subsequently played for Bayern Munich (Germany) and Everton (England), and after passing through Minnesota United in Major League Soccer (MLS), he recently signed a contract with Colombia's Atletico Nacional until June of next year.

(Photo: AP, James Rodriguez's SNS, Yonhap News)