James Rodriguez reveals date for his MLS debut with Minnesota United
The signing of James Rodriguez by Minnesota United was one of the most high-profile moves in Major League Soccer ahead of the 2026 season, considering the star status he carries. However, the Colombian midfielder has yet to make his official debut, something that now appears close to happening.
Rodriguez missed the team’s first three matches of the season. In Minnesota United’s opener against Austin FC, he had only been with the team for a few days and was not even included in the squad. For the second match, against FC Cincinnati, he was on the bench but coach Cameron Knowles surprisingly chose not to give him any minutes. And last week, a minor physical issue prevented James from being considered for the match against Nashville SC.
Now, however, everything appears to be in place for the former Real Madrid star to make his official MLS debut. “Next weekend I play on Sunday,” Rodriguez announced this week during an interview with streamer Pelicanger.
“Are you making your debut this Sunday already? Against who?” the interviewer asked, to which the 34-year-old midfielder responded confidently: “Yes, with the grace of God. Against (Thomas) Muller’s team. I don’t know what it’s called. Vancouver, I think. It’s nice here.”
Indeed, Minnesota United’s next match will be against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Matchday 4 of the MLS season. The game will be played on Sunday, March 15 at 4:30 PM (ET) at BC Place in Vancouver. It will be a tough challenge for The Loons, who have recorded one win, one loss and one draw so far in the tournament, and will face a team that has won its first three matches.
When was the last official match played by James Rodriguez?
James Rodriguez’s debut with Minnesota United will be an important moment for MLS, which will finally have one of the league’s biggest stars on the field. However, it remains unclear which version of the Colombian midfielder will appear in Vancouver.
Rodriguez has not played a single minute so far in 2026 and is approaching four months without an official match. At club level, he last played on November 9, 2025, in a Liga MX clash between Leon and Puebla FC. He later took part in the FIFA international break with Colombia, where he started two friendlies against New Zealand and Australia, the latter on November 19.