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James Rodríguez Joins Rayo Vallecano in Return to the Spanish League 

Football - International Friendly - South Korea v Colombia - Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea - March 24, 2023 Colombia's James Rodriguez celebrates after scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - South Korea v Colombia - Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea - March 24, 2023 Colombia's James Rodriguez celebrates after scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
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James Rodríguez Joins Rayo Vallecano in Return to the Spanish League 

Football - International Friendly - South Korea v Colombia - Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea - March 24, 2023 Colombia's James Rodriguez celebrates after scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Football - International Friendly - South Korea v Colombia - Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan, South Korea - March 24, 2023 Colombia's James Rodriguez celebrates after scoring their first goal. (Reuters)

James Rodríguez is back in the Spanish league.

Madrid club Rayo Vallecano said Monday it signed the Colombia playmaker in a deal that brings him back to Spain four years after he left Real Madrid to join Everton in the Premier League.

The 33-year-old Rodríguez had his contract with Brazilian club Sao Paulo rescinded after he led Colombia to a runner-up finish in the Copa America, where he had six assists and was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Rayo is celebrating its centennial season and opened the league with a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad and a 0-0 draw at Getafe.

“I feel great joy to join a historic club like Rayo,” Rodríguez said. “I really want to do things well. I feel that responsibility wherever I go. I like to win. Especially in such an important year for the club.”

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Argentina Hopes Messi Will Play at 2026 World Cup Even as Team Wins Without him

Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
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Argentina Hopes Messi Will Play at 2026 World Cup Even as Team Wins Without him

Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)
Fans of Argentina hold a flag with the picture of Argetina's forward Lionel Messi before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup South American qualifiers football match between Argentina and Brazil at the Mas Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires province, on March 25, 2025. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

Argentina is proving it can win without Lionel Messi, just in case he opts not to play in the 2026 World Cup.
After Argentina secured a spot in next year's competition, the main question now is whether the 37-year-old star will play in his sixth tournament and try to win back-to-back championships.
“We will see what happens, there’s plenty of time," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, according to The Associated Press. "We must go one game a time otherwise (we) will be speaking about the same thing the rest of the year and we need to leave him alone, we will see. He will decide it whenever he wants, let’s not drive him crazy with this.”
On Tuesday, hours after Argentina qualified for the next World Cup, it went out and handed Brazil its worst-ever loss World Cup qualifying — a 4-1 thrashing. That was days after Argentina's 1-0 victory at Uruguay.
Both victories came without Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had been ruled out after sustaining a low-grade adductor muscle injury.
Messi, who captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, has been sidelined several times by Inter Miami this season because of injury concerns.
His Argentina teammates left no doubt about their hopes for Messi to return.
“With Messi we might have scored two or three more goals,” said striker Julián Álvarez, who scored one goal against Brazil.
Bolivia’s failure to beat Uruguay on Tuesday assured Argentina — which leads the South American qualifiers with 31 points — of one of the continent’s six direct spots for the 48-team World Cup to be co-hosted next year by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
After Tuesday's big win at Monumental de Nunez Stadium, midfielder Rodrigo de Paul seemed to speak for the whole country.
"The best of our teams is always when the No. 10 is playing," De Paul said, “because he is the greatest of all time.”