Visits
The two elite reinforcements left good performances, although their clubs were far from fighting for trophies in 2025
CARLOS HORTA MARTÍNEZ
CANTON GROUP
MEXICO CITY.- The stars Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez will close their respective stage in Liga MX with Rayados and León without celebrating any title, after an arrival at the beginning of 2025 that generated high expectations among the fans of both clubs and culminated discreetly in the group.
With the departure of Sergio Ramos From the Monterrey club, the Spanish defender joins a list of superstars who have reached Liga MX and who have not been able to make their teams champions of any competition in the time they were within the club.
One of the most recent cases is also that of James Rodriguez that with León he made a complete fool of himself, leaving the Esmeraldas out of Play in positions and due to a purely administrative issue of the owners, the Colombian could not compete in the new Club World Cup either.
With six months of inactivity behind him, the Spanish defender Sergio Ramos He signed with Rayados on February 6 and became one of the star signings of a winter window in Liga MX, that days ago (January 13) celebrated the arrival of James Rodriguez, coming from Rayo Vallecano. Both players were planned by the clubs as elite reinforcements to face the 2025 Club World Cup.
PRODUCTIVITY
The media impact of Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez It was immediate, as was his performance on the court. The Spaniard became the captain and leader of Rayados, in addition to scoring three goals in eight appearances during the Clausura 2025, while the Colombian, also a key man with the Fiera, played 18 duels in the same period, scored a pair of goals and distributed six assists.
Both Real Madrid legends and great world-class players came to Mexico with the hope of raising their level and continuing to compete, staying in the best possible shape, seeking to continue adding titles to their careers. Unfortunately for both teams, these signings did not give the expected result and both Monterrey and León did not obtain any titles in this year 2025.
PARTICIPATION IN THE CLUB WORLD CUP
During the summer, the Club World Cup took place, a competition in which both Rayados and León won their place, but in which only the Monterrey club attended because FIFA excluded the Fiera as it was part of the Grupo Pachuca timeshare. This was a definitive emotional blow for James Rodriguez and León, as the team lost competitive stability and fell from the top.
In the 2025 Club World Cup, Sergio Ramos He was also decisive with Rayados, as he played all the minutes in four games and even scored a goal against Inter Milan; However, the team said goodbye to the tournament in the round of 16 against Borussia Dortmund.
A NEW FAILURE IN THE OPENING 2025
The Apertura 2025 brought with it a new opportunity for both Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez in Liga MX; However, the record of both players remained unchanged. Rayados finished as the fifth best team in the tournament, while Ramos maintained his status on the team and scored two goals, but they were eliminated in the semifinals against Toluca.
“In the end, I made it quite clear last week, obviously yes, it is my last game (with Rayados),” said the Spanish defender during the match broadcast.
For its part, León’s difficult semester reduced the media presence of James Rodriguez, who also left periods of irregularity despite being considered a starter in ten of 14 games played, with two goals and the same number of assists. At the end of the regular phase, La Fiera finished as the second worst team of the semester, with just three wins in 17 dates.
THE TITLES ARE FROM THE PAST
Sergio Ramos He added a trophy to his personal records for the last time in the 2022-23 season, with the league title he won with Paris Saint-Germain, after playing 31 games as a starter and two as a relief.
For its part, the most recent occasion in which James Rodriguez He celebrated a trophy with Sao Paulo in 2023, after the team won the Brazilian Cup, although the midfielder only played six games that season and none in the cup.
OTHER FIGURES: DANI ALVES AND RONALDINHO, SHADOWS
The Pumas looking to reinforce their squad with a player of character and great football thought of the former Barcelona Dani Alves to help the club reach a final again, however, a crime caused by the Brazilian would keep him away from the fields with just a couple of games within the club, something very similar, but outside the law it also happened with the Welshman Aaron Ramsey who, due to a family issue, had to leave the Pumas without contributing anything.
Although he did not obtain any title in the Liga MX, the smile of soccer Ronaldinho arrived at the Querétaro club after a negotiation where they promised him absolute freedom to be able to have a good time in Querétaro.
Ronaldinho went on to play in a final that he would lose against the Santos Laguna club, leaving Querétaro the following season, but demonstrating why he was considered the best in the world at the time.
ELIMINATED
The figure of Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez It was not enough for both Rayados and León to reach the maximum competitive pace to fight for the Clausura 2025 title.
DID YOU KNOW WHAT?
Sergio Ramos managed to reach a semifinal with Rayados in the MX League and the 16th final of the Club World Cup
SIN
FORTUNA
James Rodríguez had arrived with the promise of playing in the new Club World Cup with León, however, FIFA rules left León out due to the timeshare with Pachuca
SIN
LEVEL
James Rodríguez should have focused with León, in the Liga MX and the Leagues Cup, but in neither of the 2 tournaments, did they show a competitive level
