In the summer of 2008, Rondón was signed byUD Las Palmas in Spain, and made his official debut on 5 October in a 1–2 away loss againstDeportivo Alavés in theSegunda División.[3] Almost a year after his arrival, on 2 September 2009, he netted his first goal, in aCopa del Reymatch againstCádiz CF – becoming the youngest foreign player to ever score for the club, at the age of 19 years, 11 months and 17 days[4] – and finishedthe season with ten goals in 36 games, as theCanary Islands side narrowly avoided relegation.[5]
On 19 July 2010,Málaga CF signed Rondón for a record€3.5 million transfer fee.[6] He scored his first goal for theAndalusians exactly two months later, in a 1–2 home defeat againstSevilla FC inLa Liga.[7] Four days later, he opened the score in a 2–0 win atGetafe CF,[8] adding a third the following week in a 2–3 home loss toVillarreal CF.[9]
On 1 May 2011, Rondón contributed with one goal as Málaga came from behind at home to defeatHércules CF 3–1.[10] That was his 13th goal ofthe campaign, with which he surpassed the record of goals from a Venezuelan footballer in the Spanish top flight previously held byJuan Arango;[11] the team finally escaped relegation, with the player finishing as their top scorer.[12]
In August 2012, Rondón signed forRussian Premier League teamFC Rubin Kazan, for a reported fee of €10 million[17] which made him the most expensive Venezuelan player in history.[18] He made hisleague debut on the 12th in a 2–0 home win overFC Dynamo Moscow, and he scored his first goal againstFC Terek Grozny on 1 September, albeit in a 1–2 home defeat.[19]
Rondón made his first appearance in theUEFA Europa League againstInter Milan, and he scored once in a2–2 group stage away draw, also playing the entire match.[20] In the second match between the two sides he netted a brace in the final three minutes, helping his team to a 3–0 win.[21]
On 10 March 2013, following the winter break in the Russian Premier League, Rondón scored the only goal of the match as Rubin claimed a home victory over reigning championsFC Zenit Saint Petersburg.[22] Incontinental competition, he opened up the scoring in the 100th minute of theround-of-16 clash against Levante, latching on to a cross fromBibras Natcho as the hosts won it 2–0 in that leg and on aggregate.[23]
Rondón opened the scoring for Rubin on 19 April 2013, as they could only manage a 1–1 draw at relegation-threatenedFC Amkar Perm.[24] In the club's next league match, againstPFC CSKA Moscow, he netted the first goal in a 2–0 victory over the league leaders and eventual champions.[25]
On 31 January 2014, Rondón underwent a medical and joined fellow league clubZenit Saint Petersburg, signing a five-year contract for a fee in the region of £15.8 million.[27] He played his first game for his new team on 25 February, scoring in an eventual2–1 away win againstBorussia Dortmund in theUEFA Champions League's round of 16-second-leg (4–5 aggregate defeat).[28]
Again as a second-half substitute, Rondón scored a rare second-half hat-trick on 6 April 2014 in a 6–2 home routing of former team Rubin.[29] On 20 September he added another three, in a 5–0 win atFC Rostov.[30]
Rondón scored a brace at home againstPSV Eindhoven on 26 February 2015, being essential in a 3–0 home victory for theEuropa League round of 32 and a 4–0 aggregate triumph.[31]
Rondón scored his first goal for the Baggies on 29 August 2015, netting the game's only in stoppage time of the first half of the away fixture against nine-manStoke City.[35] On 19 December, he was sent off at the end of a 1–2 home loss toAFC Bournemouth for thrusting his head atDan Gosling, with teammateJames McClean also dismissed in the first half;[36] he finishedhis first season in English football with ten goals.[37]
Rondón began the2016–17 campaign strongly, scoring the winner in the opening match win overCrystal Palace, then continued his impressive form in September with goals in consecutive matches againstWest Ham United[38] and Stoke.[39] On 21 November he netted once and provided an assist in a 4–0 victory overBurnley,[40] and on 14 December, againstSwansea City, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick after netting three headers in a 3–1 win, which was only the second time this feat was achieved in the history of the competition, the first beingEverton'sDuncan Ferguson in 1997.[41]
Rondón's goal in a 1–1 draw with Tottenham, on 25 November 2017, made him the first Venezuelan to score at either the rebuiltWembley Stadium or theoriginal facilities,[42] as well as the first Albion player to score at the new ground. The following 20 January, early into the second half of the away fixture against Everton, he accidentally brokeJames McCarthy's leg, and was reduced to tears upon realising the extent of McCarthy's injury;[43] recalling the incident in an interview some months later also caused him to become upset.[44]
On 6 August 2018, Rondón joinedNewcastle United on a one-year loan swap, withDwight Gayle heading in the opposite direction.[45] He made his debut five days later, in a 2–1 home loss against Tottenham on the opening day ofthe season.[46] He scored his first goal in a 3–1EFL Cup defeat atNottingham Forest on 29 August.[47]
Rondón opened his league account on 10 November 2018, scoring twice to help the hosts defeat Bournemouth 2–1.[48] In the second half of the season, his partnership up front withAyoze Pérez began to take shape and the Venezuelan often assisted the Spaniard with his goals.[49] He also maintained a steady record in terms of goalscoring and was neck-and-neck with Pérez until the latter stages of the campaign, finishing with eleven league goals—just one behind his teammate.
In May 2019, Rondón was named Newcastle's player of the year, becoming the first forward to win the award sinceAlan Shearer in 2003.[50]
On 19 July 2019, Rondón signed withDalian Yifang of theChinese Super League, reuniting with managerRafael Benítez who had joined the club two weeks before and reportedly activated the player's release clause of £16.5 million.[51][52]
On 15 February 2021, Rondón joinedRussian Premier League sideCSKA Moscow on loan.[53] In his first match at Arena CSKA, Rondón scored his first goal for the Moscow team and also gave an assist, merits that led him to be named the best player of the match.[54] Furthermore, he was voted the best CSKA player of the month of March.[55] Rondón ended his time at CSKA becoming one of the most valuable players in the Russian competition after participating in 37.5% of the team's goals since his arrival with four goals and two assists of the team's 16 goals in that time.[56]
On 31 August 2021 Rondón joinedEverton on a free transfer, reuniting with his former Newcastle and Dalian Pro manager Rafael Benítez. He signed a two-year contract with the option for a third season.[57] He scored his first goal for the club on 12 December againstCrystal Palace in a 3–1 loss atSelhurst Park.[58]
On 3 March 2022, he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory overNational League sideBoreham Wood atGoodison Park in the fifth round of theFA Cup.[59] WithJarrad Branthwaite already sent off, he was shown a red card on 15 May in a 3–2 home loss toBrentford for a foul onRico Henry within four minutes of entering the pitch; he wrote an apology.[60] Everton announced that Rondón had left on 16 December "with immediate effect after reaching an agreement with the club to terminate his contract".[61]
On 31 January 2023, Rondón signed forRiver Plate in Argentina, on a contract until December 2025.[62] He played 34 games overall in his first year inBuenos Aires, scoring 10 goals, one behind club top scorerMiguel Borja; the team won theArgentine Primera Divisióntitle.[63] His tally started on 9 April with two goals in a 3–0 win atClub Atlético Huracán,[64] and included the opener of a 2–0 victory away toBoca Juniors in theSuperclásico on 1 October.[65] On 26 December 2023, Rondón and River Plate reached an agreement to terminate the player's contract.[66]
On 30 December 2023, Rondón joined Mexican clubPachuca.[67] On 2 June 2024, Rondón scored 2 goals forPachuca in a 3–0 win againstColumbus Crew in theCONCACAF Champions Cup final. He was also the tournament's top goal scorer, with 9 goals.
On 3 July 2025, Rondón returned to Spain and its top tier, after agreeing to a one-year loan deal withReal Oviedo.[68] Later that year, on 30 September, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 away win overValencia.[69]
Previously, on 3 February 2008, 18-year-old Rondón made his debut forthe senior team in afriendly withHaiti,[71] scoring his first goal on 23 March againstEl Salvador (another exhibition match, another 1–0 win).[72] In the2011 Copa América in Argentina, the team came fourth and received copper medals;[73] he scored to open a 3–3 draw withParaguay that saw both teams advance.[74] Selected by managerNoel Sanvicente to the2015 Copa América, he scored inLa Vinotinto's first game of the tournament to help defeatColombia 1–0;[75] later that year, he was among 15 national players who threatened to quit the team after the president of theVenezuelan Football Federation accused them of conspiring to get the manager sacked.[76] On 5 June 2016, during the2016 Copa América Centenario, Rondón earned his 50thcap, starting in a 1–0 group stage win againstJamaica inChicago.[77] He scored the only goal of the following game againstUruguay to become the first Venezuelan player to find the net at three tournaments,[78] and repeated the feat in the quarter-finals, a 1–4 defeat toArgentina.[79]
^Rodríguez, M. Á. (29 January 2022)."Rondón arruina el Mundial de Bolivia" [Rondón ruins Bolivia's World Cup].Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved18 December 2023.