Willington Ortiz

1971/79 Millonarios (COL) 328 games, 96 goals

(Colombia Championship: 301 games, 90 goals)

(Copa Libertadores: 27 games, 6 goals)

1980/82 Deportivo Cali (COL) 121 games, 46 goals

(Colombia Championship: 113 games, 44 goals)

(Copa Libertadores: 8 games, 2 goals)

1983/88 America Cali (COL) 226 games, 61 goals

(Colombia Championship: 169 games, 50 goals)

(Copa Libertadores: 57 games, 11 goals)

With the National Team :

49 caps, 12 goals

(Friendly matches: 21 caps, 5 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 17 caps, 5 goals)

(Copa America: 11 caps, 2 goals)

1st cap: February 15, 1973 against the GDR (0-2)

Last cap: June 30, 1985 against Venezuela (2-0)

Olympic: 3 caps

Willington José Ortiz Palacios

Born March 26, 1952 in Tumaco (COL)

Colombian, Attacking Midfielder, Striker, 1m69

Nickname: El viejo Willy (old Willy)

Willington Ortiz was born on March 26, 1952 in Tumaco, Colombia. He is a player with phenomenal speed and technical talent well above average. Center forward, winger or mainly attacking-midfielder, he shows impressive finishing qualities.

The young Colombian played his first match in 1972, it was a match against the Brazilian team Internacional Porto Alegre, he already scored his first goal, the first of a long series for Millonarios. In total, he will play there 7 years, he will score 96 goals in 328 matches, including 6 goals in Copa Libertadores.

During his time at Millonarios, he won 2 Colombian Championships and became a major player in the championship, if not already the best player in the country. He also made his international debut with the Colombian national team on February 15, 1973, at the age of 20.

In 1980, he joined the Deportivo Cali club after rejecting offers from many European clubs, including Spanish ones such as Valencia FC or Barcelona FC. Becoming one of the biggest transfers of the time, he quickly met the expectations of Deportivo fans. However, he left the club for America in 1982.

With the player, the club became one of the best clubs in the world, especially on continental soil where it reached the Copa Libertadores final 3 times, in 1985, 1986 and 1987, unfortunately losing all 3 finals.

Legend of Colombian football, he played in a total of 3 Copa America, and in 1975, reached the final of one of the editions, he lost the final 1-0 against Peru of a certain Teofilo Cubillas. He also participated in the Olympic Games in 1972, they were then held in Munich, Germany.

Playing a total of 49 matches for his country, he scored 12 goals and transformed into a playmaker. His dribbling skills were exceptional and with his speed he could easily eliminate opposing defenders.

He honored his last international cap on November 3, 1985 against Paraguay, a 2-1 victory. And in 2000, the player who retired in 1988 was elected the best Colombian player in history, ahead of Carlos Valderrama and René Higuita.

- Voted best Colombian footballer of the 20th century in 2000

- Voted among the 5 best players in the history of Colombia

- Received the Medal of Sports Merit of the city of Cali in 1989

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