First things first: It's pronounced HA-mez.
And while James does have a last name — it's Rodríguez — he's been able to use a mononym for so much of his career, an indicator of a truly special player now decidedly in the twilight of his career.
The 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner [[1]] is out of contract after last playing in León (making him teammates, for a time, with former Austin FC designated player Emiliano Rigoni). Though he turns 35 as this year's World Cup winds down (a World Cup in which he's expected to feature for Colombia), MLS is one of the few big-to-biggish leagues in the world he hasn't played for, making it an intriguing (for both him and the league) prospect.
But what is the 2026 version of James like? This is a player, after all, who has seen his Transfermarkt valuation drop from a peak (two separate peaks, actually) of €80 million to his current valuation of €2 million.
But he's also a player who, according to the same site, has 127 goals and 161 assists in 516 career matches, including matches in the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga.
Let's explore the possibilities.
Unless you're new here, you know what's next.
