MEXICO CITY — After a short period with Rayo Vallecano, Colombian international James Rodríguez is set to continue his career in Mexico, joining the esteemed León club, an eight-time champion and one of the three Mexican teams competing in this year’s Club World Cup.

James signed his contract on Monday, entering León as a free agent following his brief six-month tenure in Spain, where he made appearances in seven matches for Rayo Vallecano.

While León has not revealed the specifics regarding the financial aspects or the duration of James’s contract, the 33-year-old midfielder is now embarking on his third team within a year. In January of the previous year, he joined São Paulo in Brazil, where he also spent six months, participating in 14 games and netting one goal during his time there.

On the international front, James has been impactful in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, leading the assists chart with four. Currently, Colombia sits in fourth place after 12 rounds, positioned behind Argentina, Uruguay, and Ecuador.

The highly anticipated 32-team Club World Cup is slated to commence on June 14 in the United States.