Colombian James Rodríguez confirmed this Tuesday that the Argentine Eduardo Berizzo, coach of his new team, Club León from Mexico, has asked him to play the same role he has with his national team.

“In the first practice I had with Berizzo, he talked a lot about playing like I do with the Colombia national team. I think he’ll have an idea about that. It was just the first training session with him, but I’ll have more talks; I hope to adapt to what he wants,” explained the midfielder during his presentation with León.

A new chapter in Mexico

Last Monday, the ‘Panzas Verdes’ confirmed the signing of Rodríguez, top scorer at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, one of the biggest “signings” to hit Mexico’s soccer scene.

“I’m happy to start this new chapter. This club is like a big family, and from the first minute, when I talked to the president, we agreed that the goal is to achieve important things. I’m very competitive, and I can add that to the team. I’m coming with a lot of excitement,” added the 33-year-old, who joins from Rayo Vallecano in Spain.

Club World Cup as a goal

The former creative player of Real Madrid admitted that one of the reasons he signed a one-year deal with León was the chance to compete in the Club World Cup next summer, the first edition with 32 teams, where Berizzo’s squad will be one of five teams representing Concacaf.

“The Club World Cup also influenced my decision. It’s a big competition that I want to play in, and I do well in short tournaments. I hope to arrive in good form, but right now, our focus is on the local league,” James commented.

Stability in León and the dream of the 2026 World Cup

James is confident that he’ll find stability in León that he hasn’t had since leaving Real Madrid in 2020, as he’s played for Bayern Munich, Everton, Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos, São Paulo, Rayo Vallecano, and now León.

“The talk I had with Jesús Martínez Jr., president of León, a few weeks ago, helped me realize that this club is a family, which is essential for me to feel secure coming here. I’m happy, excited, and full of hope,” added the Colombian.

Alongside his adventure in Mexico, the player from Cúcuta also has his sights set on qualifying with Colombia for the 2026 World Cup.

“If I play and compete at 100 percent with León, it will be easier to play for the Colombia national team. I just need to train well to be part of that long-awaited World Cup that we all want,” said the winner of the last Copa América’s Best Player award.