Gustavo Puerta

Gustavo Puerta
Puerta with Colombia U20 in 2023
Personal information
Full name Gustavo Adolfo Puerta Molano[1]
Date of birth (2003-07-23) 23 July 2003
Place of birth La Victoria, Colombia[1]
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Racing Santander
Number 19
Youth career
Talentos Gustavo Victoria
Supercampeones
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Bogotá 34 (3)
2023–2025 Bayer Leverkusen 7 (0)
2023 → 1. FC Nürnberg (loan) 0 (0)
2024–2025 → Hull City (loan) 30 (1)
2025– Racing Santander 33 (3)
International career‡
2021 Colombia U19 3 (0)
2021–2024 Colombia U20 30 (5)
2025– Colombia 11 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Colombia
South American Games
Bronze medal – third place2022 AsunciónTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:52, 16 August 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:55, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

Gustavo Adolfo Puerta Molano (born 23 July 2003) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Racing de Santander and the Colombia national team.

Club career

Beginnings

Born in La Victoria, Valle del Cauca, Puerta started playing football at the Talentos Gustavo Victoria Deportes school in Tuluá.[2] He also played for amateur side Supercampeones between the ages of ten and sixteen.[2]

Initially rejected by Colombian Categoría Primera A side Independiente Santa Fe in 2019 after a trial, Puerta went on to join Categoría Primera B side Bogotá in 2021.[3]

Bayer Leverkusen

On 31 January 2023, Puerta moved to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, before immediately being loaned to 1. FC Nürnberg in the 2. Bundesliga.[4]

He won the 2023–24 Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.[5]

Loan to Hull City

On 27 August 2024, Puerta signed for EFL Championship side Hull City on a season-long loan, with the club holding an option to buy in the summer of 2025.[6] He made his debut on 20 October 2024, in the 0–1 home loss to Sunderland.[7] On 12 January 2025, he scored his first goal for the Tigers in an FA Cup third round tie at home to Doncaster Rovers.[8]

Two months later, on 12 March 2025, Puerta scored his side's winner in their 2–1 victory over Oxford United, coincidentally his first league goal for Hull.[9] In the same match, moments before full-time, the Colombian received his second yellow card of the game for diving, which saw him sent off.[9]

On 19 April 2025, Hull announced that Puerta had activated a clause in his contract that would see him join the Tigers on a permanent basis from 1 July 2025.[10] Although he was initially meant to join Hull City, he was unable to join due to a transfer ban on the club.[11]

Racing Santander

On 1 September 2025, Racing de Santander announced the signing of Puerta on a four-year contract.[12] A week later, on 7 September, he scored his first goal on his debut in a 3–2 away victory over Almería.[13]

International career

Puerta has represented Colombia at under-20 level.[1] Serving as captain of the side he led it to third place at the 2023 South American U-20 Championship.[14] He was first called up to the Colombia national team for a set of friendlies in November 2025, and scored on his debut in a 2–1 win over New Zealand on 15 November 2025.[15]

Puerta was named in Colombia's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[16]

Style of play

Puerta is a central midfielder known for his passing accuracy, ball-carrying ability, and work rate. He is effective in possession, progresses the ball through midfield, and contributes defensively with his pressing.[17]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 16 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bogotá 2021 Categoría Primera B 11000—110
2022 Categoría Primera B 23310—243
Total 34310—353
Bayer Leverkusen 2022–23 Bundesliga 00000000
2023–24 Bundesliga 70003[b]0100
Total 700030100
1. FC Nürnberg (loan) 2022–23 2. Bundesliga 0000—00
Hull City (loan) 2024–25 Championship 30111—312
Racing Santander 2025–26 Segunda División 32310—333
Career total 103731301098

International

As of match played 7 July 2026
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Colombia 202521
202690
Total111

Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Gustavo Puerta
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
115 November 2025Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States New Zealand1–02–1Friendly

Honours

Bayer Leverkusen

Racing Santander

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gustavo Puerta at WorldFootball.net
  2. 1 2 Polanía, César (28 January 2023). "Ejemplo de superación: Gustavo Puerta, el 'gordito' al que no le creían en el fútbol" [Example of overcoming: Gustavo Puerta, the 'chubby boy' who did not believe in football]. elpais.com.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  3. ↑ "Gustavo Puerta fue rechazado por Independiente Santa Fe" [Gustavo Puerta was rejected by Independiente Santa Fe]. eldeportivo.com (in Spanish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  4. ↑ "Bayer 04 sign top Colombian talent Puerta – loan deal with Nürnberg". bayer04.de. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Bayer Leverkusen are 2023/24 Bundesliga champions!". Bundesliga. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  6. ↑ "Hull City complete Puerta loan deal". Hull City A.F.C. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  7. ↑ "Hull City Sunderland". BBC Sport. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  8. ↑ "Hull City 1–1 Doncaster Rovers". BBC Sport. 12 January 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Hull City 2–1 Oxford United". BBC Sport. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  10. ↑ "Puerta Clause Activated". Hull City A.F.C. 19 April 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  11. ↑ Reinert, Pedro. "Hull City move blocked by transfer ban – Midfielder heads back to club". sportwitness.co.uk.
  12. ↑ "El centrocampista colombiano Gustavo Puerta refuerza la plantilla del Racing 2025/26" [Colombian central midfielder Gustavo Puerta bolsters the squad of Racing 2025/26] (in Spanish). Racing Santander. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "UD Almería 2–3 R. Racing Club" (in Spanish). La Liga. 7 September 2025.
  14. ↑ Burkhardt, Dirk (2 August 2023). "Gustavo Puerta spielt sich bei Bayer 04 Leverkusen ins Rampenlicht" [Gustavo Puerta plays his way into the limelight at Bayer 04 Leverkusen]. WDR (in German). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  15. ↑ "Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "Puerta: Colombia playing with heart and soul". FIFA. 4 July 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
  17. ↑ Benson, Ryan; Jolly, Aryan (20 July 2026). "Bouaddi, Vite, Nakamura and the Breakout Players Who Could Be on the Move After Impressing at the 2026 World Cup". Opta Analyst.
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