Cristian Orozco
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cristian Camilo Orozco Valdés[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 13 July 2008 | ||
| Place of birth | Valledupar, Colombia[2] | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester United | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rojo FC | |||
| 2026– | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –2025 | Rojo FC | ||
| 2025–2026 | Fortaleza | 4 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | Colombia U15 | 2 | (0) |
| 2025 | Colombia U17 | 13 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 November 2025 | |||
Cristian Orozco (born 13 July 2008) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Manchester United.
Early life
Orozco was born on 13 July 2008. Born in Colombia, he is a native of Valledupar, Colombia.[3]
Growing up, he started playing football at the age of five.[3] At the age of fourteen, he moved to Antioquia Department, Colombia.[4]
Club career
Orozco joined the youth academy of Colombian side Rojo FC and was promoted to the club's senior team. Following his stint there, signed for Colombian side Fortaleza, where he made four league appearances and scored zero goals and was regarded to have failed to establish himself as a regular starter while playing for the club.[5] On 12 February 2026, he debuted for them during a 1–4 away loss to Atlético Nacional in the league.[6]
Ahead of the 2026–27 season, he joined the youth academy of English Premier League side Manchester United. Upon signing for them, he became the third Colombian player to sign for them after Colombia international Radamel Falcao in 2014 and Mateo Mejía in 2019.[7][8]
International career
Orozco is a Colombia youth international and represented the country internationally at under-15 and under-17 level. During the autumn of 2024, he played for the Colombia national under-15 football team at the 2023 South American U-15 Championship.
During the spring of 2025, he played for the Colombia national under-17 football team at the 2025 South American U-17 Championship. The same year, he played for the Colombia national under-17 football team at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he captained the team.[5]
Style of play
Orozco plays as a midfielder. Right-footed, he has played as a defender.[9]
Spanish news website Flashscore wrote in 2025 he "is known for his physical presence, power, and excellent ball distribution... his natural position is as a defensive midfielder. He is 1.78 meters tall and weighs 72 kg. Although not a particularly imposing defensive midfielder, he possesses an impressive ability to win the ball back and, especially, to distribute it effectively".[9]
References
- ↑ https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe1459613/cristian-orozco/
- ↑ https://www.unitedinfocus.com/news/five-key-facts-about-cristian-orozco-man-utd-fans-should-know
- 1 2 "Tiene 17 años y jugará en Manchester United: Cristian Orozco, la promesa que habló en ESPN.com" [He's 17 years old and will play for Manchester United: Cristian Orozco, the promising young player, spoke to ESPN.com] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- ↑ "Cristian Orozco, de una casa-hogar en Guarne al Manchester United; conozca la trayectoria del juvenil" [Cristian Orozco, from a children's home in Guarne to Manchester United; learn about the young player's career] (in Spanish). El Colombiano. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- 1 2 "¿Quién es Cristian Orozco, el nuevo fichaje que está por cerrar el Manchester United?" [Who is Cristian Orozco, the new signing that Manchester United is about to finalize?] (in Spanish). Sports Illustrated. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- ↑ Cristian Orozco at WorldFootball.net
- ↑ "Seguirá los pasos de Falcao: Cristian Orozco, formado en Guarne, será el segundo colombiano en llegar al Manchester United" [He will follow in Falcao's footsteps: Cristian Orozco, who came up through the ranks at Guarne, will be the second Colombian to join Manchester United] (in Spanish). El Colombiano. 3 October 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- ↑ "The two Colombians who represented Man Utd, and three who nearly did". United In Focus. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 "¿Quién es Cristian Orozco, el juvenil colombiano que compró el Manchester United?" [Who is Cristian Orozco, the young Colombian player bought by Manchester United?] (in Spanish). Flashscore. 3 October 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
External links
- Cristian Orozco at WorldFootball.net