Nico Rodriguez Loaned to Colombian Side Atletico Nacional

Orlando City announced today the long rumored loan of winger Nicolás Rodríguez to Atlético Nacional in Colombia’s top flight. The loan is through the end of 2026 with Nacional having an option to buy. Should the Colombian side decide to make the loan permanent, Orlando City would retain a sell-on percentage of any future sale of the player.

“This move gives Nico the opportunity to earn consistent playing time while also opening up one of our (MLS) U22 Initiative spots for 2026 while he’s away, Orlando City General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira said in a club press release. “We believe this is a great chance for him to further his development at a Colombian giant, while providing us more flexibility for our roster in 2026.”

Rodriguez signed with Orlando City almost exactly one year ago on Jan. 17, 2025, inking a three-year deal as an MLS U22 Initiative player from Fortaleza CEIF. In his first (only?) season in Orlando, the 21-year-old native of San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia, made 17 appearances (four starts) across all competitions, scoring one goal and adding one assist. Rodriguez attempted four shots and put three on target. He completed 86% of his 81 passes, including four key passes, two of his five crosses, and one of his two long balls. On the defensive end, Rodriguez recorded two tackles, one interception, and five clearances. He committed four fouls and drew six on the opposition, earning himself one yellow card. He did not appear in Orlando City’s playoff match at Chicago.

In U.S. Open Cup play, Rodriguez started and played 84 minutes in his one appearance — Orlando City’s 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 7. Although Rodriguez did not score one of the Lions’ five goals that day, he provided the assist on Duncan McGuire’s strike that made it 4-0 in the 59th minute. Rodriguez surprisingly did not attempt a shot in the match, but he connected on 31 of his 38 passes (82%) and contributed two key passes but no accurate crosses or long balls. Defensively, he chipped in two tackles, an interception, and a clearance. He committed three fouls and drew two on the Rowdies and was not booked.

In Leagues Cup, Rodriguez appeared in four of Orlando’s six matches, starting one — on Aug. 2 against Atlas FC — and totaling 86 minutes. He did not contribute a goal or assist to the team’s efforts, attempting two shots but putting neither on target. Rodriguez completed 32 of his 37 passes (86.5%) in the competition with two key passes and no successful crosses. On the defensive side, Rodriguez finished the tournament with one tackle and a clearance. He committed three fouls, suffered two, and was not booked in the competition.

In addition, the young winger made two appearances (one start) for Orlando City B during the Lions’ 2025 MLS NEXT Pro campaign, playing 72 minutes without a goal contribution and attempting only one (off-target) shot.

What It Means for Orlando City

In addition to opening up an MLS U22 Initiative slot, it will also free up an international slot as the Colombian returns home to get more minutes. Reports this off-season indicate the club would like to transition Homegrown fullback Alex Freeman onto a higher-paying contract, with the league’s U22 Initiative mechanism allowing an outlet to do that under MLS roster rules without having to use allocation money to buy down his cap charge.

Rodriguez’s inability to get minutes was partly not being MLS ready and partially because Marco Pasalic played so well in 2025. He provided energy but rarely much else, although his lack of playing time prevented him from getting much consistency or a feel for his teammates. The option to purchase indicates the club is willing to part with him, but if he does return, he’ll hopefully have picked up some valuable experience through first-team minutes.