James Rodríguez ends his Colombia selection era

James Rodríguez has put an end to his time with the Colombia national team. The 35-year-old player announced his retirement from the national squad on his social media accounts, doing so with an emotional message and a video compiling some of his best moments wearing the national shirt.

As Mundo Deportivo reports, he wrote: “Llegó el momento. Gracias por cada partido, cada alegría, cada lágrima y cada sueño compartido,” thanking everyone for what he experienced during his international spell. He also added to his farewell: “Defender los colores de la selección Colombia fue uno de los mayores honores de mi vida. Gracias, Colombia. Para siempre.”

A chapter closes

James, who has represented Colombia since 2011, leaves behind a stage in which he became one of the key references in recent Colombian football history. His retirement is a major blow in terms of quality and also leadership for the national team.

Club focus now

With attention shifting to his next steps in club football, Mundo Deportivo notes that he was announced this week as a new player for Atlético Nacional, a homecoming for the final years of his professional career. From here, his role will be transferred to his duties with the club, while Colombia will need to reshape its plans without a figure like him.

James’s goodbye is a turning point for Colombia: not because of a single last match, but because it closes for good a relationship that—over more than a decade—has been central to his sporting identity, as he himself underlined.