Luis Díaz: Is he the Next James Rodríguez

Luis Díaz is transforming into one of the best soccer players in Colombia. Recently, some of his skills went viral on social media, where the 24-year-old performed a series of dribbles to Fred and Marquinhos, both Brazilian players in the match that ended tied without goals.

As one of the stars of his team, this current midfielder, who is part of FC Porto from Portugal, seems to have the interest of other great teams. For example, the Fichajes.net website indicates that Sevilla, led by Julen Lopetegui, could try to get the services of this player, valued at 45 million euros.

The truth is that this Colombian, who is living the best moment of his career, remembers the experience of James Rodríguez years ago. Currently 30 years old, the former Everton midfielder decided to put aside the major European competitions to move to Qatar soccer, something that could harm him to maintain his level.

Recently, James Rodríguez made his debut at Al-Rayyan. The official broadcast collapsed due to the arrival of Colombians who wanted to see his first game … but it was a disappointment. With the Colombian star from the start, his team lost by 3 goals against 0 and is now two points from relegation and only won one of the 6 games he played.

In other words, the fact of going to Qatar meant that James Rodríguez was going to become an undisputed figure… but that may not happen. James Rodríguez played until the 88th minute, when he was replaced. The main media noticed him visibly tired by the high temperatures in the country, unable to demonstrate his talent as a winger on the right. It will be necessary to see if he settles in this league and this allows him to return to Colombia.

Luis Díaz: the next James Rodríguez?

Precisely, James Rodríguez had a unique explosion with the Colombian jersey at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In that competition, still as a young promise of European soccer, he amazed everyone thanks to his great performances that led Colombia to the quarterfinals, where they were defeated by Brazil.

At just 22 years old, Rodríguez knew how to become the top scorer in that tournament, which is why he ended up as the golden boot of the World Cup with 6 goals. This was really important, because he was not a striker, but a midfielder. He even surpassed other stars such as Thomas Müller or Neymar, for example.

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Luis Díaz still did not have the opportunity to play a World Cup, although it is true that he achieved a great participation in the Copa América 2021 hosted in Brazil. In his 5 games, he scored 4 goals, which led him to be one of the great figures of the tournament, both for his goals and for his skill with the ball.

In the current Qualifiers for Qatar 2022, he scored two goals, although his good level is not only due to that, but also to what he contributes to his team. That is to say, Díaz became a key piece, since he is the one that unites the midfield with the forward and manages to break lines thanks to his great vertical game.

As for clubs, it should also be noted that he is having a magnificent season Porto so far. He has scored 6 goals in 8 games. It should be noted that Diaz is not a born center forward, but can play as a winger, so his main function should not be to reach the goal, but rather as a complement.

Therefore, his current situation, with a magnificent present both in the Colombian National Team and in Porto, is very reminiscent of the stardom of James Rodríguez. Both of them impressed the world not only because of their talent, but also because of their stats.

It will be necessary to see what happens in the future, because Díaz could reach a first level team. Will he be the next James Rodríguez? Everything will depend on whether or not it maintains its performance.