Jhon Andrés Córdoba Copete (; born 11 May 1993) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Russian Premier League club Krasnodar and the Colombia national team.
A powerful striker noted for his pace and strength, Córdoba began his senior career with Envigado before moving abroad to Chiapas in Mexico in 2012. After spells in Spain with Espanyol and Granada, and in Germany with Mainz 05, he joined Köln in 2017. There, he finished as the club's top scorer and secured promotion to the Bundesliga. He later played for Hertha BSC before transferring to FC Krasnodar in 2021, where he helped the club win their first Russian Premier League title in 2025. Subsequently, Córdoba was recognised as Russian Footballer of the Year for 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons.
At international level, Córdoba was part of the Colombia U20 side that won the South American U20 Championship in 2013. He made his senior debut in 2019 and has since earned over 15 caps, featuring at the 2024 Copa América, where Colombia finished runner-ups.
Club career
Envigado and professional breakthrough A youth product of Envigado, Córdoba made his senior debut in 2009, scoring on his debut against Itagüí.Jhon Cordoba debuto con gol en envigado 2009 He broke through during the 2011 Torneo Finalización, notably scoring a brace in a 3–2 defeat away to Once Caldas on 1 October 2011, and netting the winner against Independiente Medellín two weeks later. He remained a starter into the 2012 Apertura, finishing as Envigado's top league scorer with six goals in 16 matches.
Chiapas On 9 July 2012, Córdoba moved to Mexico, joining Querétaro and being loaned immediately to Jaguares de Chiapas. He made his Liga MX debut on 20 July 2012 against Tigres UANL, and scored his first Liga MX goal in a 4–0 home win over San Luis on 7 October 2012. He went on to score three goals in total for Chiapas during the 2012–13 campaign.
Espanyol (loan) On 2 September 2013, Córdoba joined Espanyol on a one-year loan with an option to buy. He scored his first La Liga goal for the club on 30 November 2013 in a 2–1 loss away to Real Sociedad. His second league goal came on 25 January 2014 in a 2–2 draw against Valencia. He finished the season with four goals, proving a reliable attacking option.
Granada On 12 August 2014, Córdoba signed a five-year deal with Granada. He scored the winner in a 1–0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés on 20 September 2014, converting a defensive error on his first start for the club. He later described it as “my debut as a starter” and said he took the opportunity by scoring.
Mainz 05 Córdoba joined Mainz 05 on loan from Granada on 31 August 2015, and on 2 March 2016 scored the late winner in a 2–1 upset at Bayern Munich. Mainz exercised their option to sign him permanently in May 2016. He also scored in Mainz's 3–2 UEFA Europa League group stage win against Qabala on 29 September 2016.
1. FC Köln On 28 June 2017, Córdoba transferred to 1. FC Köln on a four-year deal. In the 2018–19 season he scored 20 league goals as Köln won the title and promotion. On 6 May 2019 he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over SpVgg Greuther Fürth, clinching the championship.Greuther Fuerth gegen FC Koeln 2019 Bundesliga 2 On 18 January 2020 he registered his first Bundesliga brace in a 3–1 win over VfL Wolfsburg.
Hertha BSC On 15 September 2020, Córdoba joined Hertha BSC on a four-year contract.Cordoba Transfer 2021 He scored on his Bundesliga debut for the club in a 4–1 away win at Werder Bremen on 19 September 2020. He finished the season as the club's joint-top scorer with seven goals.
Krasnodar On 18 July 2021, Hertha announced an agreement to sell Córdoba to FC Krasnodar. He signed a four-year contract with Krasnodar on 23 July 2021. His contract was suspended in March 2022 amid the league's hiatus, before he returned to action later that year. On 5 November 2024, Krasnodar announced his extension through 30 June 2027. In the 2024–25 season he scored in the decisive final-round win over Dynamo Moscow as Krasnodar clinched their first Russian Premier League title, and was later voted the league's Footballer of the Year by fellow players.
On 30 November 2025, Córdoba scored his 69th goal for Krasnodar, becoming the top scorer in club history, overtaking Fyodor Smolov. With the same goal, he also took the top spot in club history for goals plus assists with 96.
On 21 March 2026, Córdoba scored four goals against Pari Nizhny Novgorod. He became the 2025–26 Russian Premier League top scorer with 17 goals and was voted league's Footballer of the Year for the second consecutive season.
International career
Youth
2013 South American Youth Championship Córdoba was selected to wear the number 9 jersey to represent Colombia at the 2013 South American Youth Championship. He scored the decisive goal in the opening match against Paraguay, securing a 1–0 victory. In the following game against Bolivia, he netted two goals in a commanding 6–0 win despite missing several promising opportunities. Consequently, he was not selected for the final group stage match against Argentina, as Colombia had already secured a spot in the next round. Córdoba scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Uruguay, propelling Colombia to the top of their group. Following their triumph in the South American championship, he tallied four goals, significantly contributing to his nation's success. This achievement made him Colombia's second-highest scorer in the tournament, just behind Juan Fernando Quintero, who scored five goals.
2013 U-20 FIFA World Cup In the opening match against Australia, Córdoba missed several opportunities while Colombia trailed 1–0. However, he redeemed himself by scoring in the 78th minute, securing a 1–1 draw.Colombia 1–1 Australia; FIFA.com, 22 June 2013 In the final group match against El Salvador, Córdoba successfully converted a penalty, contributing to a 3–0 victory. He played in the round of 16 match against South Korea, where Colombia was eliminated in a penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw.
Senior He was first called up in the preliminary list for friendly matches against Chile and Algeria on 12 and 15 October 2019 respectively. In 2020, he was called up to the Colombia preliminary squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification against Venezuela and Chile on 26 and 31 March 2020 respectively. However, he made his first appearance for the senior team as late as 2023.
He made his debut on 16 November 2023 in a 2–1 victory over Brazil during the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored his first international goal in a 3–2 win against Romania in an international friendly.
On 28 June 2024, he scored his first competitive international goal in a 3–0 victory over Costa Rica during the group stage of the 2024 Copa América. He also won a penalty for his team in the match. He scored his second competitive international goal against Panama in the quarter-finals.
On 25 May 2026, he was named in head coach Néstor Lorenzo's final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He made his FIFA World Cup debut on 24 June in a 1–0 victory over the DR Congo, coming on as a substitute for Luis Javier Suárez in the 58th minute.
On 3 July, during his third appearance at the tournament in the Round of 32 against Ghana, he suffered a hamstring tear in the opening minutes of the match and was forced off injured. It was subsequently confirmed that he would miss the remainder of the tournament, with an expected recovery period of four weeks.
Style of play Córdoba is a striker noted for his physical attributes, including height and strength, as well as for his shooting ability and pace. His stature has contributed to his effectiveness in aerial play, and he has occasionally been compared to Didier Drogba.Colombian ‘Drogba’ to Jaguares of Chiapas; FutN Soccer, 4 July 2012Europa viene a la 'caza' de jóvenes talentos del Sudamericano (Europe comes to 'hunt' Sudamerican talents); Urgente 24, 9 January 2013 Jhon Córdoba, el Drogba que tiene Envigado y todo Colombia (Jhon Córdoba, the Drogba who Envigado and all Colombia has); Goal.com, 12 June 2012
Personal life Córdoba's father Manuel was also a professional football striker.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsEnvigado2010Categoría Primera A1000——10201120582——287201216620——186Total371110200004713Chiapas2012–13Liga MX17141——212Espanyol (loan)2013–14La Liga28450——334Granada2014–15La Liga22521——246Mainz 05 (loan)2015–16Bundesliga 22500——225Mainz 052016–172952261—378Total511022610059131. FC Köln2017–18Bundesliga 1801131—2222018–192. Bundesliga 312021——33212019–20Bundesliga291321——3114Total78335331008637Hertha BSC2020–21Bundesliga 21700——217Krasnodar2021–22Russian Premier League15610——1662022–232314147——37212023–24271553——32182024–25251251——30132025–262817125—1041222026–275100——51Total123653716001016181Career total37713665259210452163
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsColombia2023202024134202542202650Total246
Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first.
+ List of international goals scored by Jhon Córdoba No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 26 March 2024 Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain 1–0 3–2 Friendly 2. 15 June 2024 Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford, United States 2–0 3–0 3. 28 June 2024 State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States 3–0 3–0 2024 Copa América 4. 6 July 2024 1–0 5–0 5. 4 September 2025 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia 2–03–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification 6. 9 September 2025 Estadio Monumental, Maturín, Venezuela 6–3 6–3
Honours 1. FC Köln 2. Bundesliga: 2018–19
Krasnodar Russian Premier League: 2024–25
Colombia U20 South American Youth Championship: 2013
Individual Russian Premier League top scorer: 2025–26 (17 goals). Russian Premier League Player of the Month: October 2024 Russian Premier League Goal of the Month: October 2024 (on 28 October 2024 against Krylia Sovetov Samara) Russian Premier League Forward of the Season: 2025–26 Footballer of the Year in Russia: 2024–25, 2025–26
References
External links