Matías Orozco
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1 December 2007 | ||
| Place of birth | Barranquilla, Colombia | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| Number | 39 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2022–2025 | Deportivo Cali | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025–2026 | Deportivo Cali | 25 | (1) |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | |||
| International career | |||
| 2026 | Colombia U20 | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 August 2026 | |||
Matías Orozco (born 1 December 2007) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Categoría Primera A club Deportivo Cali.[1]
Club career
Born in Barranquilla,[2] he played youth football for the Barranquilla School's youth academy where he was spotted at the age of 11 years-old by talent scout Agustín Garizábalo, who previously scouted Colombian players such as Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, Luis Muriel, Abel Aguilar, and Rafael Santos Borré. "If professional football were to end someday, Matías Orozco would perhaps be one of the few footballers who would continue playing football, purely for pleasure, because I can't imagine him doing anything else" Garizábalo said in 2025.[3]
A midfielder, he started playing as an attacking number ten before moving deeper. He joined the youth system at Deportivo Cali in 2022.[4][5] Orozco was promoted to train with the Deportivo Cali first team at the age of 16 years-old. He made his professional debut for the club in 2025 in the Copa Colombia under head coach Alberto Gamero, and became a regular start for the club the following year as an 18 year-old. He signed a new contract that year until 2029, with a release clause reported to be of $6 million.[2][6][7]
In August 2026 he joined Brighton & Hove Albion to replace former Cameroonian midfielder Carlos Baleba who left to join Manchester United a few days before.
International career
He became the captain of the Colombia national under-20 football team in 2026.[2]
References
- ↑ "Matías Orozco". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Matías Orozco, the star player for Deportivo Cali, has reportedly been sold to a major European league; find out the figures, the club, and the country". El Pais. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Figueroa, Francisco. "Matías Orozco, new benchmark of the Agustín Garizábalo Talent Scout". lachachara.org. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Marín, William (22 August 2026). "Going to the Premier League: the million-dollar sum that Cali will receive". Colombia.com. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Puerto, Guillermo (16 February 2026). "Matías Orozco, a youth academy product who is generating excitement at Deportivo Cali: how he arrived and his story at the club". futbolete.com. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Nieto, Camilo (24 August 2026). "¿Premier League para Matías Orozco? La revelación de Dudamel que sacude al Cali". deportesrcn.com. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ "The European giant that would acquire Matías Orozco, the jewel of Deportivo Cali, has been revealed". Bolavip. 23 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.