James Rodríguez targets first international trophy with Colombian national team

It’s been a decade since James Rodríguez truly announced himself as a global star with his performances for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup. As a slight 22-year-old he dazzled in Brazil, leading his team to the quarter-finals and winning the tournament’s Golden Boot as top scorer.

Now 32, Rodríguez is no longer the free-wheeling maverick that took the world by storm, but he remains a top talent with the ability to win games for his team. Colombia are unbeaten in the 18 months since Nestor Lorenzo took over as head coach, a staggering length of time considering the quality of the teams that they have faced.

Speaking after the victory over Paraguay in their Copa America opener, Rodríguez appeared to be enjoying himself at this summer’s tournament: “It’s beautiful, they [the fans] are supporting us a lot. We have a long way to go in this Copa América and we’re taking it one game at a time.”

How many games has James Rodríguez played for Colombia?

Still only 32 years old, James Rodríguez has already surpassed a century of caps for Colombia. The game against Brazil will be his 103rd international appearance, putting him clear of Mario Yepes as the nation’s fifth-highest capped player of all time.

Before the end of this tournament he could well have reached former teammate Radamel Falcao (105 caps) and legendary midfielder Carlos Valderrama (111) is also within reach.

“James is a great player, very unique,” Colombia boss Nestor Lorenzo said after the midfielder proved decisive in a victory over Spain. “We thought it would be ideal that he came on for the second half and he did really well... We know he will get the fitness back because this national team makes him feel a special kind of way. Everybody in Colombia knows that.”