He made his Primera División debut with Atlante on August 24, 2005 in a 2–2 draw against San Luis during the 2005 Apertura tournament. During that season, he only amassed 9 league matches, scoring no goals. During the 2006 Clausura, José María played in all 17 league matches, helping Atlante reach the play-offs. Although part of the team, Cárdenas was not able to play a part in Atlante's 2007 Apertura championship campaign, winning in the final against UNAM.[2] His last season with the Cancún-based club was the 2008 Clausura, playing only one match. In total, Cárdenas played 70 matches for Atlante, and scored 5 goals.
Pachuca
International career
He made his debut with the senior national team on March 11, 2009 in a friendly against Bolivia and scored in his debut.