Why James Rodriguez Signed with Minnesota

Colombian football icon James Rodriguez has signed a short-term deal with MLS side Minnesota United to boost his chances of featuring at the 2026 World Cup.

Two weeks ago, nobody expected Minnesota United to pull off their most significant international transfer coup.

The team's key import player was Finnish striker Teemu Pukki, with Colombian midfielder Darwin Quintero and former Porto player Ibson also crucial to their setup. Minnesota United are not used to paying big transfer fees, and their wage bill was the fifth-lowest in MLS last year.