How Man Utd wonderkid Cristian Orozco performed for Colombia in under-17s World Cup knockout clash
Manchester United are about to add Colombia’s U17s captain Cristian Orozco to their ranks, so his exploits in the FIFA U17 World Cup are being watched keenly.
The signing of Cristian Orozco continues Man Utd’s aggressive youth recruitment policy, ensuring that the chances of missing out on the next Moises Caicedo are second to none.
Orozco is the captain of Colombia U17s, so this U17 World Cup comes at the perfect time for Man Utd fans to get an idea of who they is about to arrive at Old Trafford.
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After starting the tournament in fine form, his team was up against heavyweights France in the knockout game. Here’s how he fared.
Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Cristian Orozco’s performance for Colombia U-17
Colombia finished second in the group, behind Germany, and were handed a tough tie against France due to the same.
Orozco’s run in the U17 World Cup ended in the face of strong opposition from France, his side losing 2-0 despite putting up a valiant fight.
Orozco, in particular, showed glimpses of the all-action midfielder he could eventually become.
He kept the ball in circulation, finishing 31/35 passes, and more than half of his passes (22) came in the opposition half.
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In a game where France were expected to dominate territory and possession, those are very good figures for a defensive midfielder.
He even had four shots on goal, testing the goalkeeper once, in addition to winning five of his six duels. (stats courtesy of sofascore)
He threw himself into tackles and recovered the ball with gusto, with his athleticism standing out as a trait Ruben Amorim will love.
With Colombia’s run in the tournament ending, it will become harder for fans to keep track of his exploits, but he has shown enough in this small sample size of games for them to be very excited for his eventual arrival.
Mapping Orozco’s first season at Man Utd
A key advantage for Orozco is that he turns 18 in July, so, like Diego Leon, he can join the club for pre-season next summer.
Under Brexit rules, a non-English player can’t join an English club until the age of 18, so United have played a blinder by securing his signing now for him to join in July 2026.
Like Leon, expect Orozco to play a part in the pre-season, and they stay with the first-team training group while getting some games for the U21s.
A key advantage he has over someone like Sekou Kone is that he’s physically already very imposing, something the talented Malian had to work on in his debut season at Carrington.
Orozco plays arguably the most difficult position to break through in senior football, so any first-team minutes next season shouldn’t be taken for granted and brushed off.
If he brings his leadership and confidence to English football, then there’s no reason why he can’t emerge as a breakout prospect in the 2026/27 season.
