The Real Madrid forward will promote the Chinese telecoms company’s premium line of mobiles in his native Colombia for the next two years.

"Rodriguez will help Huawei to attract more consumers and we look to the future with optimism and determination," said Maria Fernanda Chinchilla, the director of terminals marketing for Huawei's Colombian arm.

Huawei recorded sales of US$678 million in Colombia last year, an increase of 40 per cent year on year. The company currently has a market share of 19 per cent in the country’s smartphone market, having sold a total of 1.9 million handsets in 2014.

Rodriguez, 23, won the Golden Boot at last year's Fifa World Cup in Brazil after scoring six goals for Colombia. Following the tournament, he moved to Real Madrid from AS Monaco for an undisclosed fee.

Huawei’s signing of Rodriguez further strengthens the company’s ties in soccer. In recent months, Huawei has signed partnerships with a host of top clubs around the world, especially in Europe, as it bids to increase awareness of its brand outside China.

Original title by SportsPro: James Rodriguez to promote Huawei in Colombia