Óscar Cortés (footballer, born 2003)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Cortés and the second or maternal family name is Cortés.

Óscar Cortés

Cortés playing for Lens in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Óscar Manuel Cortés Cortés[1]
Date of birth	(2003-12-03) 3 December 2003 (age 21)[1]
Place of birth	Tumaco, Colombia[2]
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Rangers (on loan from Lens)
Number	7
Youth career
	Millonarios
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–2023	Millonarios	20	(5)
2023–	Lens	4	(1)
2023–	Lens II	6	(3)
2024–	→ Rangers (loan)	13	(1)
International career^‡
2022–	Colombia U20	13	(4)
2023–	Colombia	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:40, 20 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:29, 30 August 2023 (UTC)

Óscar Manuel Cortés Cortés (born 3 December 2003) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Scottish Premiership side Rangers, on loan from Ligue 1 club Lens.

Club career

Millonarios

Born in Tumaco, Cortés progressed through the academy of Millonarios, making his debut in the 2022 season.[3] He signed his first professional contract in May of the same year.[3]

On 12 January 2022, Cortés made his debut for Millonarios' first team in the opening match of the Apertura against Deportivo Pasto. He came on as a substitute in the 89th minute for Macalister Silva in a match that ended with Millonarios winning 1–0.[4] In February, Cortés formed part of Millonario's under-20 squad, which competed at the 2022 U-20 Copa Libertadores.[5] On 12 May, he scored his first professional goal in a second-leg Copa Colombia match against Jaguares de Córdoba, contributing to Millonarios' 1–1 tie in the game and aiding the team in advancing to the quarter-finals 4–1 on aggregate.[6]

After an impressive performance for Colombia at the 2023 South American U-20 Championship, Cortés drew the attention of Serie A club Torino, who have been linked with a potential move for the player.[7] Upon his return to Millonarios, Cortés scored his first brace for the club on 18 February during a league match against Jaguares. His performances contributed to Millonarios' 2–1 home victory, securing three important points for the team.[8] On 2 March, a remarkable display by Cortés played a pivotal role in Millonarios' victory over Ecuadorian side Universidad Católica in the second round of the 2023 Copa Libertadores. Cortés' contribution included assisting Millonario's equalizing goal and creating the game-winning play that ultimately secured a 2–1 aggregate victory for Millonarios, advancing them to the third round of the tournament to face Brazilian powerhouse Atlético Mineiro.[9]

Lens

On 14 July 2023, Cortés transferred to French Ligue 1 club RC Lens.[10] The fee reported for the transfer was $5 million (€4.4M).[10] He scored his first goal with Lens on 16 December 2023 in a 2–0 home victory against Reims.[11]

Loan to Rangers

On 1 February 2024, Cortés moved on loan to the Scottish club Rangers.[12] On 24 February 2024, Cortés scored his first Rangers goal in a 5-0 win over Hearts at Ibrox. On 3 June 2024, Rangers announced that Cortés had signed another loan deal for the 2024-25 season, with an obligation to buy in the summer of 2025.

International career

Youth

Cortés has represented Colombia at under-20 level.[2] He starred at the 2023 South American U-20 Championship as Colombia finished third, helping his team qualify to the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia and the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.[13][14][15] With three goals to his name, he emerged as Colombia's leading scorer in the tournament, thanks to his brace against Peru in the group stage and a goal he scored during Colombia's impressive 3–0 victory over Paraguay in the final stage.[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of 20 January 2025[17]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Millonarios Fútbol Club	2022	Categoría Primera A	9	0	1[a]	1	—		0	0	10	1
	2023	Categoría Primera A	11	5	0	0	—		8[b]	1	19	6
	Total		20	5	1	1	—		8	1	29	7
Lens II	2023–24	National 3	6	0	—		—		—		6	0
Lens	2023–24	Ligue 1	4	1	0	0	—		0	0	4	1
Rangers (loan)	2023–24	Scottish Premiership	6	1	1[c]	0	—		0	0	7	1
Rangers (loan)	2024–25	Scottish Premiership	7	0	0	0	—		0	0	7	0
Career total			43	7	2	1	—		8	1	53	9

1. Appearances in the Copa Colombia
2. Four appearances in Copa Libertadores, four appearances in Copa Sudamericana
3. Appearances in the Scottish Cup

International

As of match played 16 June 2023

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Colombia	2023	1	0
Total		1	0

Honours

Millonarios

• Copa Colombia: 2022
• Categoría Primera A: 2023-I

Individual

• FIFA U-20 World Cup Bronze Boot: 2023[18]

References

1. "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Colombia (COL)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
2. Óscar Cortés at WorldFootball.net
3. "Quién es Óscar Cortés, el goleador de Colombia ante Perú" [Who is Óscar Cortés, Colombia's top scorer against Peru]. colombia.as.com (in Spanish). 21 January 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
4. "¿Óscar Cortés, la joya juvenil de Millonarios, se va del club? Entrevista". 19 February 2023.
5. ""Óscar Cortés es un jugador diferente, con técnica, con condiciones y un potente remate"". 20 February 2023.
6. "Jaguares de Córdoba vs. Millonarios - 12 mayo 2022 - Soccerway".
7. "Torino enviará emisarios para ver a Óscar Cortés y entablar acercamientos". 11 February 2023.
8. "Millonarios vence a Jaguares con 2 goles de Óscar Cortés". 18 February 2023.
9. "Cortés en modo Sub 20 para la clasificación de Millonarios a tercera fase de Libertadores". 3 March 2023.
10. description!, beIN SPORTS. "Lens Confirms Óscar Cortés as New Player". beIN SPORTS. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
11. "RC Lens win at home, jump to fifth". Ligue1 COM. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
12. "RANGERS SIGN OSCAR CORTES FROM RC LENS". Rangers. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
13. Osorio Guillott, Andrés (25 January 2023). "Óscar Cortés: la nueva esperanza de Tumaco" [Óscar Cortés: the new hope of Tumaco]. elespectador.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 February 2023. (subscription required)
14. "Óscar Cortés y el alto precio que le habría puesto Millonarios" [Óscar Cortés and the high price that Millionaires would have put on him]. caracol.com.co (in Spanish). 7 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
15. Alarcon, Leonardo (8 February 2023). "Millonarios puso precio a Óscar Cortés. ¿Exagerado?" [Millionaires put a price on Óscar Cortés. Exaggerated?]. colombia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 February 2023.
16. "Uruguay, Brazil among those standing out so far at South American U20 Championships". 5 February 2023.
17. Óscar Cortés at Soccerway
18. "Casadei claims a golden double". 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.