 Borja playing forCortuluá in 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miguel Ángel Borja Hernández[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1993-01-26)26 January 1993 (age 33)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tierralta, Colombia | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Al Wasl | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Deportivo Cali | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Deportivo Cali | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Cúcuta Deportivo | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Cortuluá | 33 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | →La Equidad (loan) | 2 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | →Livorno (loan) | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | →Olimpo (loan) | 16 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Santa Fe (loan) | 33 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Cortuluá | 21 | (19) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Atlético Nacional | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | Palmeiras | 49 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | →Atlético Junior (loan) | 37 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | →Grêmio (loan) | 14 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Atlético Junior | 17 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | River Plate | 117 | (51) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | Al Wasl | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Colombia U20 | 15 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Colombia Olympic | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Colombia | 30 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:46, 9 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 July 2024 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Miguel Ángel Borja Hernández (born 26 January 1993) is a Colombian professionalfootballer who plays as aforward for theUAE Pro League clubAl Wasl and theColombia national team.
After moving between several Colombian clubs early in his career, he had his breakthrough in 2016 withCortuluá, scoring 19 goals to finish as the league’s top scorer. He then joinedAtlético Nacional, where he quickly established himself as a decisive figure, netting crucial goals in their triumphant2016 Copa Libertadores campaign. His performances earned him the prestigious title ofSouth American Footballer of the Year. In 2017, he made a high-profile move to Brazilian clubPalmeiras, winning theBrasileirão the following season. In 2022, he signed with Argentine giantsRiver Plate, where he captured multiple titles, including the2023 Primera División championship.
At youth level, Borja was part of theColombia under-20 squad that won the2013 South American Youth Football Championship. He also represented Colombia in the2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, reaching the quarter-finals. He made his senior debut for Colombia in November 2016 during a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstChile and scored his first two goals for the national team the following year in a 4–0 friendly win overChina. Borja was included in Colombia’s squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup and participated in the2021 Copa América, where his country achieved third place, as well as the2024 Copa América, where they finished as runners-up.
Borja began his career withDeportivo Cali, making his professional debut in 2011. That same year, he was transferred toCucuta Deportivo, club in which he had few chances to play. He would soon be transferred again, this time to play forCategoría Primera B side,Cortuluá. Borja would make a name for himself in the second division of Colombia, often being referred to as a 'fast' and 'complete goalscorer', as well as boasting impressive strength on the ball. His impressive performances with Cortuluá eventually led him to becoming an alternative striker forColombia's national under-20 team in 2013. On 17 January 2013, it was reported thatIndependiente Medellin had been interested in acquiring Borja's services. However, nothing was finalized and Borja was eventually sold to first division side,La Equidad. In his 2 disputable games, Borja scored 4 goals before being transferred toSerie A sideLivorno.
During the summer of 2013, it was confirmed that Borja would join Italian clubLivorno on loan. The loan consisted of a fee of €150,000 with an option to buy for €1.5 million.[4]
His debut forLe Triglie came on 20 October, coming off the bench in a 1–2 loss toSampdoria.
Borja made seven season appearances for the club but failed to score a goal. Livorno was eventually regulated to theSerie B after placing last for the season.
Shortly after Livorno were relegated, Borja was sent on loan to Argentine clubClub Olimpo, where he scored three in sixteen games.
Borja was loaned toIndependiente Santa Fe for the second half of 2015. That season, Borja scored ten goals in thirty-three matches. He won the2015 Copa Sudamericana with the team (he played seven matches with no goals).
For the 2016 season, he was sold toCortuluá who was 17th in the league the previous season. In the Apertura tournament of the season, Borja scored a record of nineteen goals in twenty-one matches, breaking the record of most goals scored by a player in a league tournament (the previous record was held byJackson Martínez, with eighteen goals in the2009 Finalizacion).[5][6] His team Cortuluá reached the Semifinals, which they lost toIndependiente Medellín.
He was transferred again on 8 June, this time toAtlético Nacional. On 6 July, during his first match for his new team, while playing againstSão Paulo in the semi-finals of theCopa Libertadores, he scored twice, a feat he repeated in the second leg a week after. Then, on 27 July 2016, he went on to score the definitive goal in the final series against Ecuadorian teamIndependiente del Valle, which Atlético Nacional ended up winning 2–1 on the aggregate. At the end of the year, Borja was included in the best 11 of the year.[7]
On 9 February 2017, it was announced that Borja had agreed to transfer to Brazilian sidePalmeiras. He signed a five-year deal for a fee believed to be around US$10.5 million.[8] Borja became the fourth most expensive transfer of Brazilian football.[9]
On 28 December 2019, Borja signed a one-year loan deal withAtlético Junior.[10] On 8 September 2020, in the first leg of the2020 Superliga Colombiana, which had been moved from January to September due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Borja scored a penalty in an eventual 2-1 loss againstAmérica de Cali.[11] However, this goal later proved to be crucial in the second leg, with Junior winning the second leg 2-0 and winning the title 3-2 on aggregate.[12]
On 5 August 2021, Borja signed withGrêmio until December 2022 on loaned fromPalmeiras, and was given the number 9 shirt.[13]
On 12 July 2022, Borja signed a contract with Argentine giantsRiver Plate, running until December 2025.[14]
Borja was included in Colombia's 23 mansquad for the2018 FIFA World Cup inRussia, making one substitute appearance in the group stage match againstSenegal.[15]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Deportivo Cali | 2011 | Primera A | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Cúcuta Deportivo | 2011 | Primera A | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Cortuluá | 2012 | Primera B | 22 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 4 | ||
| 2013 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 15 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 33 | 8 | 9 | 2 | — | — | 42 | 10 | ||||
| La Equidad | 2013 | Primera A | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 4 | |
| Livorno (loan) | 2013–14 | Serie A | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Olimpo (loan) | 2014 | Primera División | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 3 | ||
| Santa Fe | 2015 | Primera A | 33 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 11[a] | 0 | — | 49 | 10 | |
| Cortuluá | 2016 | Primera A | 21 | 19 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 24 | 22 | ||
| Atlético Nacional | 2016 | Primera A | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 12[b] | 11 | 2[c] | 0 | 27 | 17 |
| Palmeiras | 2017 | Série A | 24 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 7[d] | 0 | 8[e] | 4 | 43 | 10 |
| 2018 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12[d] | 9 | 12[e] | 7 | 44 | 20 | ||
| 2019 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5[d] | 2 | 10[e] | 3 | 25 | 6 | ||
| Total | 49 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 11 | 30 | 14 | 112 | 36 | ||
| Junior (loan) | 2020 | Primera A | 23 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 11[f] | 5 | 2[g] | 1 | 37 | 21 |
| 2021 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8[d] | 6 | — | 22 | 14 | |||
| Total | 37 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 59 | 35 | ||
| Grêmio (loan) | 2021 | Série A | 14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 5 | ||
| Junior | 2022 | Primera A | 17 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 8[h] | 5 | — | 27 | 16 | |
| River Plate | 2022 | Primera División | 18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 9 | |
| 2023 | 33 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 4[d] | 1 | 2[i] | 1 | 41 | 14 | ||
| 2024 | 35 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 11[d] | 6 | 1[i] | 0 | 49 | 31 | ||
| 2025 | 31 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 9[d] | 1 | 4[j] | 0 | 49 | 8 | ||
| Total | 117 | 51 | 11 | 2 | 24 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 159 | 62 | ||
| Career total | 359 | 143 | 49 | 15 | 98 | 46 | 39 | 16 | 547 | 220 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 30 | 9 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 November 2017 | Chongqing Olympic Sports Center,Chongqing, China |  China | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 4–0 | |||||
| 3 | 11 October 2018 | Raymond James Stadium,Tampa, United States |  United States | 4–2 | 4–2 | |
| 4 | 8 June 2021 | Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez,Barranquilla, Colombia |  Argentina | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 20 June 2021 | Estádio Olímpico Pedro Ludovico,Goiânia, Brazil |  Peru | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2021 Copa América |
| 6 | 9 September 2021 | Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia |  Chile | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 2–0 | |||||
| 8 | 24 March 2022 |  Bolivia | 2–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 9 | 6 July 2024 | State Farm Stadium,Glendale, United States |  Panama | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2024 Copa América |
Independiente Santa Fe
Atlético Nacional
Palmeiras[17]
Junior
River Plate
Colombia U20
Colombia
Individual
Miguel Borja is the Brand Ambassador[20] forBinomo[21] in LATAM from October to December 2024.
Colombia squads | |||||||||||||||||||
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Awards | |||||||||||||||
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