Colombia stars James Rodríguez and Juan Cuadrado are heading back to play in their home country.
Rodríguez has agreed to join Atlético Nacional, returning to the Colombian Primera A league after 20 years, while Cuadrado will sign with Millonarios, both clubs announced on Thursday.
Rodríguez appeared in six matches for Minnesota United earlier this year before joining his national team for the 2026 World Cup.
Nacional will be only the second Colombian club of Rodríguez’s career. He made his professional debut with Envigado in 2006, after which he embarked on a global journey that took him through ten countries and 13 clubs, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Everton.
Cuadrado returns home following a 17-season tenure in Europe, where he represented eight different clubs. His time abroad included two seasons with Chelsea and a defining seven-year stretch at Juventus.
Millonarios — Colombia’s second-most successful club behind Atlético Nacional — did not disclose the financial details of the agreement.
“After gracing some of the most important stages in world football, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado returns to Colombia to wear the Blue jersey and begin a new chapter of his career with Millonarios,” the club stated.
Cuadrado began his professional career with Independiente Medellín before moving to Udinese in 2009. He went on to play for Lecce and Fiorentina before making his transfer to Chelsea, where he claimed a Premier League title in the 2014-15 season.
In the summer of 2015, Cuadrado joined Juventus, becoming a key contributor and capturing five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia trophies, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
In recent years, he also featured for Inter Milan, Atalanta, and Pisa.
Internationally, Cuadrado represented Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He also played in five Copa América tournaments.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
