James Rodríguez arrives at Atlético Nacional and reunites with six national team teammates

Walking into a new locker room is intimidating for anyone, but James Rodríguez skipped that awkward part. When he first stepped into Atlético Nacional's facilities, he didn't need to introduce himself to anyone: he found six faces he already knew by heart, all with a past on the Colombian national team.

With 131 appearances for the tricolor, James shared a locker room with players from different generations throughout his career, from the U20 South American Championships to Copa Américas, World Cup qualifiers and World Cups themselves. Now, in Nacional green, he's reconnecting with part of that history.

The list includes players from nearly every position. In defense there's center back William Tesillo and right back Andrés Román. In midfield, Edwin Cardona, Matheus Uribe and Jorman Campuzano are waiting for him. And up front he has striker Alfredo Morelos, who joined Nacional after a long stint in Europe.

With Uribe, the relationship goes beyond the national team. The two crossed paths from a young age in Medellín's Ponyfútbol tournament, and years later they wore the Colombia jersey together at the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Copa América. It's no coincidence that their reunion at Nacional feels, for both of them, like returning to familiar ground.

A welcome at the Atanasio

The official presentation took place in front of fans at Atanasio Girardot stadium, and James didn't hide his excitement for this new chapter.

I'm very happy to be here, honestly, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. We hope to share a lot of joy together and above all a lot of titles, because this is a winning club and I am too, so thank you very much.James Rodríguez

Also at the ceremony was David Ospina, another heavyweight name in the national team's recent history, who had said goodbye to the Antioquia club just months earlier. Seeing him there, even without wearing green anymore, says a lot about what this return means to the fan base.

For now, James continues working on his physical conditioning, which makes sense after a demanding season in Mexican soccer. The date on everyone's mind is September 16, when Nacional could face Internacional in Bogotá, giving the number 10 a chance to make his official debut in the green and white jersey.

With six former national team teammates already waiting for him day to day, James's adjustment seems, at least on the personal side, to have a smooth path ahead. The soccer side of things, of course, remains to be seen.