Known affectionately as ‘The Apollo’ for his striking talent and charisma, James Rodriguez’s story is vividly woven with determination, family support, and a deep passion for the game. This article dives into the essence of James’s early years, the challenges he faced, and the triumphant moments that marked his ascent in the world of football.
Through the ups and downs, we’ll help you discover the man behind the accolades, James’ life beyond the limelight, and the personal milestones that have shaped his journey to stardom. In a nutshell, this article unravels the rich, untold story of James Rodriguez, a true testament to the beauty and spirit of the beautiful game.
James Rodriguez Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
Columbia football superstar James David Rodríguez Rubio was born on the 12 day of July 1991 in Cúcuta city, Colombia, to Wilson James Rodríguez Bedoya (father) and Maria Del Pilar Rubio (mother).
This is James Rodriguez from his childhood.
He was born into a middle-class family in Cucuta and spent his early childhood in Ibague. James grew up close to the Venezuelan border.
James Rodríguez grew up in a close-knit family alongside his siblings, Juana Valentina Restrepo, Danna Lucía Rodríguez, and Luisa María Rodríguez. From an early age, James shared a strong bond with his sisters, who supported and inspired him through his football journey.
James inherited his father’s deep love for football, showing an interest in the sport as early as age 2. His journey began playing Pony Fútbol with Academia Tolimense, where he quickly developed into a highly skilled player during his early teenage years.
Background:
James Rodríguez, the Colombian football sensation, has a personal life as dynamic as his career on the field. In 2011, James married Daniela Ospina, a talented volleyball player and the sister of Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina (former teammate of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal). The couple met while James was playing at Banfield and soon became a well-known sports couple in Colombia.
Their family grew with the birth of their daughter, Salome, on May 29, 2013. However, on July 27, 2017, James and Daniela announced they were in the process of divorcing, marking the end of their six-year marriage.
James’s family story took another turn on October 28, 2019, when he welcomed his first son and second child, Samuel, born through a surrogate in Medellín. This new addition brought joy to James’s life, complementing his devotion to his family.
A devout Catholic, James’s faith has been a cornerstone of his life, providing him with strength and guidance both on and off the field. His journey, defined by personal and professional milestones, underscores his resilience and commitment to both his family and his career in football.
His Upbringing isn’t like Carlos Tevez’s:
Forget Cinderella stories. James, or ‘Ha-mez’ as the world now knows him, didn’t grow up playing street football with a ball made of old socks like Carlos Tevez. He didn’t abandon school and give up his studies for a kickabout with friends. His story is not the typical South American tale of rags to riches.
James Rodriguez’s upbringing is more similar to that of Ricardo Kaka: a middle-class childhood with options. He chose football. His career was shaped with cones, boards, instructions, and tears.
“I’d always liked football, but it was my dad who took me to the academy in Tolima when I was five – that’s how I started,” James recalls about his early career.
Little James Rodriguez and his Dad.
His first boots, a pair of black and white Adidas, were also a gift from his father, who had played for the Tolima reserves before quitting to work as an engineer.
James Rodriguez Childhood Disorder:
As a child, James struggled with a heavy stutter. Stuttering is a communication disorder characterized by repetitions and interruptions in the flow of speech, commonly known as “stammering.”
Having known the prospects for their son and how it could affect his career, James’ parents had to spend a lot of money hiring a speech therapist to help their son get over his problems.
At 13, young James was so shy that some of his teammates had never heard him speak. Those who did found his words faltering and hesitant due to his stutter. Even today, Rodriguez often struggles in interviews, battling a lack of confidence and shame stemming from his speech impediment. His shyness and speech issues persist, and he still visits a speech therapist weekly. He has worked to overcome his stutter by reading books out loud.
James Rodriguez Family Life:
He is the beloved son of Mr Wilson James Rodriguez Bedolla and his beloved spouse, Maria Del Pilar Rubio. He has great affection for his parents because they are the reason for his success.
“Sometimes in life, people learn either from their own mistakes or from the mistakes of others,”
reflected James Rodriguez on his journey.
He drew significant influence from observing both the pitfalls and successes in his father’s football career. Wilson James Rodríguez, a skilled player who represented the Colombian national team, imparted invaluable experiences that helped shape James’s maturity beyond his years.
Mr. James Wilson was a notable member of the 1985 U-20 team alongside players like Eduardo Niño, John Jairo Trellez, and a young goalkeeper who goes by the name René Higuita. Despite his talent, Wilson’s career was unfortunately shortened by injuries and struggles with alcoholism. He passed down these life lessons to his son, James Rodríguez, advising him on what pitfalls to avoid. Mr. Wilson has publicly criticized Zinedine Zidane‘s decision not to consistently play his son, reflecting his deep involvement and concern for James’s career.
According to him,
“When Ancelotti was at Madrid, my son played very well; he played in his ideal position and was helping Modric.
Now he has been pushed to one side by Zidane, and I can’t say my son is doing anything wrong because I know my son is a worker, is humble and will play in whatever position the coach tells him to play in regardless of whether it is his best position or not,”
James Rodriguez’s Mother:
The 2024 COPA America Record Breaker was destined to be a footballer from the day he was born,” remarked his mother, Maria de Pilar Rubio.
Without a doubt, James is a clear product of his mum’s disciplinary approach to life. The discipline Maria taught her son is fundamental and has led to what he has become today.
About Daniela Ospina – James Rodriguez’s Wife:
By the time he turned 18, James Rodriguez was not only preparing for a move to Porto but also embarking on married life. He wed Daniela Ospina, who happens to be the sister of his national teammate David Ospina, in 2010. Their relationship began during James’s time at Banfield, where Daniela, then an aspiring volleyball player, understood the demands of his career, providing him with crucial support. Despite initially communicating only through phone and the internet, their bond grew strong, leading to a lasting connection.
James Rodriguez, now happily married, discovered that he had been communicating with the sister of his future teammate, national team goalkeeper David Ospina, without realizing it at first. Together with his wife Daniela Ospina, they have a daughter named Salome Rodriguez Ospina, born on May 29, 2013. James is known for kissing his daughter’s tattoo after scoring in matches, highlighting his deep bond with his family. A devoted family man, James cherishes spending quality time with his wife and daughter, prioritizing their happiness and well-being.
Radamel Falcao’s Father:
The Athlete and James Rodriguez have been best of friends since childhood thanks to their fathers, who were best of friends during their football playing days.
They both take each other’s son as their very own. Below is a picture of James Rodriguez as the only mascot assigned to and initiated by Radamel Falcao’s father.
As a child, James Rodriguez was quite close to Radamel Falcao’s Father.
James Rodriguez’s Uncle was Killed in a fight with a street gang:
Anyone familiar with Colombia in the ’90s knows it was a period marked by violent feuds, street executions, and vendettas. This turbulent era coincided with the reign of Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug lord who had a keen interest in football.
One year and one week after defender Andrés Escobar’s tragic killing, James Rodríguez’s uncle, Arley Rodríguez, met a similarly tragic fate. Arley, a promising 19-year-old midfielder for Independiente Medellín, was shot six times and killed in 1995. Earlier that day, he and a friend had sought treatment at an unknown hospital for injuries sustained during a motorcycle robbery attempt where they bravely fought back.
Tragically, the assailants waited for them outside the hospital and fatally attacked them. At the time of this horrific event, James was living away from the turmoil of Medellín, in Ibague, honing his skills playing against older opponents at Academia Tolimense.
James Rodriguez Basketball:
Rodriguez is a huge basketball fan. In fact, his favourite player is LeBron James, who Kylian Mbappe and Josh Sargent also admire. The love is mutual, as James praised Rodriguez’s mean soccer skills on Twitter during the 2014 World Cup.
Their friendship was quick because they found out they were namesakes.
James Rodriguez – Linked to a Famous Drug Lord:
Did you know?… James Rodriquez’s childhood saw a period where people involved in the football business were also drug lords.
This is the case of James’s helper called, Gustavo Adolfo Upegui. He was a football scout and president of the soccer academy Envigado.
However, he was also a known associate of notorious drug dealer Pablo Escobar and had been jailed 21 times.
Upon spotting Rodriguez in action, Upegui was impressed and persuaded him to leave his current academy and join his own. Upegui Lopez later became the club’s major shareholder.
In 1998, he was arrested and accused of leading a group of contract killers. According to the newspaper Semana, “His gang operated independently from his cartel following the death of Pablo Escobar.”
During his tenure, his club experienced the tragic murders of three presidents and a board member.
Upon investigation, Upegui Lopez was apprehended following a game against Independiente Bogota by undercover officers posing as fans. After spending 32 months in jail, first in Bogota and then in the high-security prison of Itagui, the charges were dropped, and his name was unexpectedly cleared.
He then lived like a tsar on a heavily-guarded farm, until his assassination, which was reminiscent of a Martin Scorsese movie. At 3 am, eight men broke into his ranch, bound and gagged 20 family members and staff, including two sets of bodyguards, and silently reached Upegui Lopez’s room. They tied him up, escorted him to a sofa, and shot him in the head using a pillow as a silencer.
His death occurred in July 2006, 35 days after he witnessed the professional debut of his gem, a 14-year-old James Rodriguez, in a game against Cucuta. Following his death, many of his football players, including James, left the club.
When Argentine clubs showed interest, James’s parents were open to offers, especially since Upegui Lopez, who usually managed their son’s interests, was gone, and the town was in turmoil. Boca Juniors seemed close to signing James, as they did with his teammate Fredy Guarin, but Banfield outbid them and won his signature, securing his services for £250,000.
The name James Rodriguez is not ‘James’; it is “Hahm-ess” Rodriguez:
Since gaining popularity, James Rodríguez has often faced pronunciation challenges from the English-speaking world. Unlike the typical English pronunciation, his name should be pronounced in a Colombian-Spanish accent as ‘Hahm-ess Rod-ri-guess.’ Interestingly, his parents named him after James Bond, although his name is pronounced ‘Ham-ez,’ not like the fictional MI6 agent.
James Rodríguez has always been proud of his roots. When an Argentine journalist once pronounced his name in the English style as “James,” the teenage James quickly corrected him, saying, “My father’s name is James (Hah-mess), and that is the name he gave me.” He expressed this sentiment in an interview on local Argentine television during his first season at Banfield. Nowadays, James is more relaxed about how people call and pronounce his name.
James Rodriguez Business Man:
Did you know that James launched his very own energy drink in Colombia?
The drink, called “10 Gold,” is in support of the charity foundation that he started for underprivileged kids in his native country.
Heroes:
Growing up, James had two heroes. One was Tsubasa Ozora, a fictional character from the Japanese cartoon “Captain Tsubasa,” which tells the story of a boy who wants to win the World Cup for Japan. The other was the new teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
James Rodriguez Education:
Besides scoring goals in the field, Rodriguez is reported to have studied engineering at the Universidad Nacional Abierta.
Despite forging a lucrative career in soccer, James has not neglected his education, studying engineering at the Universidad Nacional Abierta from afar.
Football Career:
Rodríguez is a product of Envigado’s youth system. It was this academy that unveiled Jhon Durán into the professional football world. In 1995, Rodríguez joined the academy of this club, where he spent nine years.
During this time, he played for different youth teams of this age, taking part in junior championships.
James Rodríguez began his professional career with Colombian second-division club Envigado in 2006 as a teenager. The following year, he helped the team secure promotion to the Colombian first division. In 2008, he moved to Argentine club Banfield, making his debut in February 2009. He scored his first goal with a stunning long-range strike in a 3–1 win over Rosario Central on February 27.
At just 17 years old, James Rodriguez made a significant impact by becoming a regular starter in every game of the Apertura 2009, impressing with his skills and becoming the youngest foreigner to score a goal in Argentina. His remarkable performances quickly garnered him a large fan base.
In 2013, James made a high-profile move to AS Monaco for a whooping record transfer fee of €45 million, marking one of the most expensive transfers in football history. The following year, he was selected for Colombia’s 23-man squad for the memorable 2014 FIFA World Cup.
James excelled during the tournament’s group stage, notably in Colombia’s opening match against Greece, where he assisted in the first two goals and scored a crucial late goal himself. He continued his outstanding form in victories over Ivory Coast and Japan, contributing two assists and another goal. His stellar gameplay played a significant role in Colombia’s historic run to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they narrowly lost 2-1 to Brazil despite his standout performances.
James ended his first World Cup campaign as the tournament’s top performer with six goals and two assists in five matches. Following the World Cup, he signed with Spanish club Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. The rest, as they say, is history.
A Good Dancer:
They say, “Dancing is a difficult thing for shy people”. This is not the case for James, even if he is a shy fellow. James loves to dance in a unique way.
James Rodriguez Rank:
Find below the ranking of the Columbian playmaker as of 2017.
