Yerry Fernando Mina González (born 23 September 1994) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Cagliari and the Colombia national team.
Mina began his career at Deportivo Pasto before joining Independiente Santa Fe in 2014, where he won the Categoría Primera A title, the 2015 Superliga Colombiana, and the 2015 Copa Sudamericana — during which he was named Young Player of the Year and included in the Team of the Year. In 2016, he transferred to Palmeiras, winning the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and being voted Best Centre Back in Brazil. He joined Barcelona in 2018, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey, before moving later that year to Everton in the Premier League, where he spent five seasons. After a brief spell at Fiorentina in 2023, he signed for Cagliari in 2024.
At international level, Mina represented the Colombia U23 before making his senior debut for the Colombia national team in 2016. He has earned over 50 caps and scored multiple goals as a centre-back, appearing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup where he was included in the FIFA World Cup Fantasy Team. Mina shares the record for most goals scored in a single World Cup by a defender. He also featured in the Copa América in 2016, 2019, and 2024 (where Colombia finished as runners-up), as well as the 2026 World Cup.
Club career Deportivo Pasto Born in Guachené, in the Cauca Department of Colombia, Mina was a Deportivo Pasto youth graduate, joining the side only at the age of 18. Promoted to the first team ahead of the 2013 season, he made his professional debut on 20 March 2013 at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali — starting at centre-back in a 1–0 defeat to Depor F.C. (Atlético Cali) in the Copa Postobón — under head coach Flabio Torres.
Mina made his Categoría Primera A league debut on 15 September 2013, starting in a 0–0 draw away at Deportivo Cali at the Palmaseca stadium. He scored his first professional goal on 18 October 2013, opening the scoring in the 8th minute with a header in a 2–2 home draw against Atlético Huila.
Mina also featured in Pasto's run in the 2013 Copa Sudamericana, starting at centre-back in both legs of the round-of-16 tie against Brazilian side Ponte Preta. In the away first leg on 25 September 2013 at the Estádio Moisés Lucarelli in Campinas, Pasto lost 2–0, with Mina starting alongside Camilo Pérez at centre-back in a side that conceded to Uendel and Fellipe Bastos. In the return leg at the Estadio Departamental Libertad in Pasto on 22 October 2013, he started as Pasto won 1–0 through a 52nd-minute goal, but the club were eliminated 2–1 on aggregate. Across his entire 2013 season with Pasto, Mina made 24 appearances and scored once in the league, before departing to join Santa Fe in Bogotá.
Independiente Santa Fe Mina joined Independiente Santa Fe of Bogotá in December 2013, initially on a one-year loan. He made his debut on 25 January 2014, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 home victory over Rionegro Águilas in the Categoría Primera A.
2014: Liga Finalización title Mina established himself as first-choice centre-back under head coach Gustavo Costas during the 2014 Torneo Finalización season. He scored his first goal for the club in the quarter-finals against Once Caldas, converting in the 85th minute in a 1–2 home defeat to keep Santa Fe alive in the tie. He scored twice more in the Finalización — including goals against Deportes Tolima (5–0, 90th+2 minute) and against Millonarios in the Clásico Bogotano (4–1, 16th minute, header) — as Santa Fe advanced to the final. The final was contested between Santa Fe and Independiente Medellín: after winning the first leg 2–1 away at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot, Santa Fe drew 1–1 at home in the Estadio El Campín on 21 December 2014, winning 3–2 on aggregate to claim the club's eighth national championship.
2015: Superliga, Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana In January 2015, Mina opened the scoring in the 33rd minute in Santa Fe's 2–0 home victory over Atlético Nacional in the second leg of the Superliga Colombiana final at El Campín, with Luis Páez adding a second on 59 minutes — overturning a 1–2 first-leg deficit to claim the title 3–2 on aggregate, the club's second Superliga triumph.
In the 2015 Copa Libertadores, Santa Fe were drawn into a group alongside Colo-Colo, Estudiantes de La Plata and Melgar. Mina scored in the group stage on 15 April 2015, heading in the third goal in a commanding 3–0 away victory over Colo-Colo at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano in Santiago on 68 minutes, with Luis Páez and Omar Pérez also scoring. Santa Fe reached the quarter-finals, where they faced Internacional of Brazil. After winning the first leg 1–0 at El Campín through a Dairon Mosquera goal, they were eliminated in the return leg in Porto Alegre on 27 May 2015, losing 2–0 — Mina scoring an own goal in the 87th minute — to go out 2–1 on aggregate.
Santa Fe then entered the 2015 Copa Sudamericana, qualifying via the Superliga title. Their route to the final took them past Nacional de Uruguay (2–0 away, 0–1 at home), Emelec of Ecuador (advancing on the away goals rule after a 2–1 defeat away and 1–0 home win), Independiente of Argentina in the quarter-finals, and Sportivo Luqueño of Paraguay in the semi-finals — progressing twice more on away goals. In the final against Huracán of Argentina, both legs ended 0–0 — the return at El Campín going to extra time, during which Mina was fouled to earn Huracán striker Ramón Ábila the only red card of the match — before Santa Fe won 3–1 on penalties through Omar Pérez, Leyvin Balanta and Luis Manuel Seijas, becoming the first Colombian club ever to win the Copa Sudamericana. Across his three seasons at Santa Fe (2014–2016), Mina made 67 appearances and scored 7 goals.
Palmeiras
On 1 May 2016, Mina was confirmed as the new signing of Palmeiras. He signed a five-year contract with the club eleven days later.
2016: Série A title Mina made his debut for the club on 4 July 2016, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 away victory over Sport Recife in the Campeonato Brasileiro. His first goal for the Verdão arrived eight days later on matchday 14, heading in to make it 1–0 in a 1–1 home draw against Santos at the Allianz Parque on 12 July 2016, before being substituted off injured just before half-time. On 13 July 2016, it was confirmed that the injury would rule him out for six to eight weeks and cost him a place at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
By late August 2016, Mina had fully recovered and returned as an undisputed starter in the backline. He scored his second goal of the season on matchday 23, heading in the equaliser in the second half during a 2–1 home victory over São Paulo at Allianz Parque on 7 September 2016, with Palmeiras coming from behind to win. Eight days later, on matchday 26, Mina scored with a chest finish in the 76th minute — his third goal in three consecutive clássicos — to seal a 2–0 victory for leaders Palmeiras over local rivals Corinthians at the Arena Corinthians on 17 September 2016, the first time a visiting side had beaten Corinthians at the stadium in 34 matches. He added a fourth league goal on matchday 27 against Coritiba as Palmeiras went on to clinch the Campeonato Brasileiro title in December 2016 — the club's first national championship in 22 years — finishing the campaign with 13 league appearances and 4 goals.
2017: Copa Libertadores
In the 2017 Copa Libertadores, Mina featured across Palmeiras's group stage campaign. On 24 May 2017, he opened the scoring in the 15th minute in a 3–1 home victory over Atlético Tucumán at the Allianz Parque, heading in to give Palmeiras top spot in the group — a result confirmed the following day by Xinhua as the Verdão secured their fourth win in six group matches. Palmeiras also defeated Peñarol 3–2 in the group stage, with goals from Willian, Dudu and Fabiano, though Mina did not score in that fixture.
In the round of 16, Palmeiras faced Barcelona S.C. of Ecuador in a two-legged tie. The first leg on 5 July 2017 in Guayaquil ended 1–0 to Barcelona, with Mina playing the full 90 minutes at centre-back. In the return leg at Allianz Parque on 9 August 2017, Palmeiras won 1–0 through a 51st-minute Moisés goal to level the tie at 1–1 on aggregate; Barcelona advanced on penalty shootout 5–4, with Mina again starting at centre-back.
Barcelona On 11 January 2018, FC Barcelona and Palmeiras reached an agreement for the transfer of Mina on a deal running for the remainder of the 2017–18 season and five more seasons, until 30 June 2023, making him the first Colombian player in the club's history. The transfer fee was reported as €11.8 million with a release clause set at €100 million, with Barcelona describing him as a powerful, aerially dominant centre-back signed to provide depth behind Gerard Piqué and Samuel Umtiti.
Mina made his debut on 8 February 2018 in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final away to Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium, replacing Gerard Piqué in the 83rd minute of a 2–0 win that sent Barcelona to the final. Three days later, on 11 February, he made his home and league debut at Camp Nou in a 0–0 La Liga draw against Getafe, starting alongside Lucas Digne in central defence and playing the full 90 minutes, with ESPN noting that he was "solid and strong in the tackle" and came close to scoring twice with headers.
Mina's first direct attacking contribution for Barcelona came on 9 May 2018 in a 5–1 home win over Villarreal at Camp Nou, when he was credited with an assist for Ousmane Dembélé's second goal in stoppage time: after entering the pitch in the 80th minute, he took part in a counter-attack where a deflection off his body left Dembélé through on goal to score Barcelona's fifth. This "fortuitous assist" had become one of the most replayed moments from his short spell with the club, particularly after Dembélé's subsequent rise to global prominence.
In total, Mina made six competitive appearances for Barcelona in the second half of the 2017–18 season — three in La Liga and three in the Copa del Rey — as the team completed a domestic double by winning both competitions under manager Ernesto Valverde. Despite his limited playing time, club media emphasised his professionalism and adaptation during his first month at the club, producing a dedicated video piece titled "Yerry Mina's first 30 days at FC Barcelona" which documented his integration into training sessions and the dressing room. He left the club in August 2018 to join Everton after just half a season in Spain, becoming one of several players moved on as Barcelona reshaped their defence ahead of the 2018–19 campaign.
Everton On 8 August 2018, Mina signed with Premier League club Everton from Barcelona in a deal worth €30 million, joining the club while recovering from a foot injury that had been sustained during the previous season.
2018–19: debut and first goal Mina's first appearance for the club came on 3 November 2018 when he entered as a last-minute substitute for Gylfi Sigurdsson in a 3–1 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park, with Richarlison scoring twice. The following week, on 11 November 2018, he made his full debut at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, replacing Kurt Zouma in the starting line-up and playing 90 minutes in a 0–0 draw — a performance that earned him the man-of-the-match award from Sky Sports, with manager Marco Silva praising him as having "done everything I expected."