'Glory or money?' - James Rodriguez reveals Florentino Perez pitch that convinced him to sign for Real Madrid as he insists he is still 'loved' at Bernabeu

Rodriguez completed his move from AS Monaco to Real Madrid shortly after the 2014 World Cup concluded. He had an outstanding tournament with Colombia as the South American nation reached the quarter-finals. His impressive performances for his country attracted interest from several top European club, including Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, but he eventually opted to move to the Spanish capital.

The 33-year-old has opened up about his move to Los Blancos as he revealed how just one question from Perez convinced him to join the club. Speaking to FOOTBOOM, Rodriguez said: "Florentino told me: 'What do you want? Glory or money?' That's why I signed for Real Madrid."

The winger also claimed that he came to know about Madrid's interest while the World Cup was on as he added: "In the second or third game of the World Cup, Mendes told me that they wanted me but was afraid I'd lose focus. I said 'What?' Then I scored one goal against Japan and two against Uruguay; it was the opposite. I played better."

While his journey at Santiago Bernabeu ended in 2020, Rodriguez claimed that he still gets a lot of love from Madrid fans as he said: "They still love me a lot in Madrid, they ask me why I left, that means I did things well, I performed at a very high level." Rodriguez made 125 appearances for Real, scoring 37 goals and registering 42 assists.

Rodriguez moved back to La Liga in August 2024 as he joined Rayo Vallecano as a free agent. His journey, however, was cut short January as he mutually terminated his contract with Vallecano. He later signed for Liga MX side Leon.