"In 2014, James Rodríguez took the world by storm." That's Netflix's own framing, and it's hard to argue. One tournament. Six goals. The only World Cup strike ever to win the FIFA Puskás Award. And a Golden Boot that launched him to Real Madrid before the summer was even over.
The three-part documentary series James lands on Netflix on May 21 — timed deliberately ahead of Colombia's 2026 World Cup campaign. Directed by Simón Brand, it covers the arc from his 2014 Brazil breakout through Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and eventually to MLS with Minnesota United. He joins Ronaldinho, Beckham, Neymar, Pelé, and Di Maria in the growing Netflix football documentary catalogue, which at this point reads like a hall of fame waiting room.
The timing says everything
Netflix doesn't release trailers by accident. Dropping this in May, with Colombia's group stage opener against Uzbekistan set for June 17 in Mexico City, is a clear bet that James will be a story worth following this summer. And Colombia's draw — Uzbekistan, DR Congo, then a closing group match against Portugal on June 27 in Miami — gives him a genuine stage. Los Cafeteros can progress, and a fit James at a World Cup is a different proposition to most of what he's shown in MLS so far.
That caveat matters. Since signing with Minnesota United in February, James has played just 103 minutes across four appearances, sidelined variously by visa issues, injury, medical appointments, and a hospitalization for severe dehydration. No goals. No assists. The Loons have a club option to extend his deal beyond June 30, but given that output, exercising it would take some convincing.
He's insisted he'll arrive at the World Cup in "excellent form." Colombia fans will need to take that on faith for now. His contract situation — and Minnesota's obvious hesitation — means this summer's tournament could genuinely be a one-off final act rather than a warm-up for another MLS season.
What the documentary gets right
Whether or not the 34-year-old recaptures anything close to 2014 form, the story Netflix is telling is legitimate. A Puskás Award. Champions League, La Liga, and Bundesliga titles. The defining image of a generation of Colombian football. That's not a constructed narrative — that's the résumé.
"Behind the glory was a story few had ever heard," Netflix says. Sit-down interviews with James himself suggest the series goes somewhere beyond highlight packages. Colombia's iconic No. 10, pressure, sacrifice, heartbreak — their words, and probably accurate ones.
His World Cup record still doesn't include a title or a Copa América. At 34, playing his club football in irregular bursts in Minnesota, this is the last realistic shot. The documentary arrives at exactly the right moment — just before we find out how the story ends.
