Teófilo Gutiérrez facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Gutiérrez and the second or maternal family name is Roncancio.

Quick facts for kids
Teófilo Gutiérrez
Personal information
Gutiérrez with Colombia at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Full name	Teófilo Antonio Gutiérrez Roncancio
Date of birth	(1985-05-17) 17 May 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Atlético Junior
Number	29
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006	Barranquilla	40	(16)
2007–2009	Atlético Junior	75	(42)
2010–2011	Trabzonspor	17	(4)
2011–2012	Racing Club	40	(20)
2012	→ Lanús (loan)	0	(0)
2012	→ Atlético Junior (loan)	18	(5)
2012–2013	Cruz Azul	21	(6)
2013–2015	River Plate	47	(22)
2015–2017	Sporting CP	23	(11)
2016–2017	→ Rosario Central (loan)	21	(5)
2017–2021	Atlético Junior	129	(30)
2021–2022	Deportivo Cali	50	(11)
2023	Atlético Bucaramanga	13	(0)
2023	Deportivo Cali	17	(3)
2024	Real Cartagena	23	(3)
2025–	Atlético Junior	12	(1)
International career^‡
2009–2017	Colombia	51	(15)
2016	Colombia Olympic	6	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 October 2017

Teófilo Antonio "Teo" Gutiérrez Roncancio (born on May 17, 1985) is a Colombian professional footballer. He plays as a forward for Atlético Junior. Teo also played for the Colombian national team. He was the captain for Colombia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

Early Life and Football Beginnings
Club Career Highlights
International Career with Colombia
Style of Play
Career Statistics
Honours and Awards
See also

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Teófilo Gutiérrez grew up in Barranquilla, Colombia. He lived in the La Chinita neighborhood with his six brothers. He started his football journey at a young age.

Club Career Highlights

Starting with Barranquilla F.C.

Gutiérrez began his professional career in 2006. He played for Barranquilla F.C., which is Atlético Junior's second division team. He scored 16 goals in 28 games. This great performance led him to join Junior's main team in 2007.

Success with Atlético Junior

Teo on the training field of Atlético Junior in 2009

In his first years with Atlético Junior, Teo worked hard to become a regular player. He scored his first goal on September 2, 2007. This was in a 4–2 win against Once Caldas. During the 2008 season, he became a starter. He scored 11 goals, finishing as one of the top scorers.

In 2009, Gutiérrez was in amazing form. He scored 16 goals and won the Golden Boot award. He also scored six goals in the playoffs, including two hat-tricks. The IFFHS named him the fourth best first division scorer in the world for 2009. He scored 30 goals that year.

Playing in Turkey with Trabzonspor

In January 2010, Teo moved to Turkey. He joined Süper Lig club Trabzonspor. He scored his first goals for the club in the 2010 Turkish Super Cup. He scored a hat trick and was named man of the match. He also scored in his league debut and in the Europa League. He later left the club.

Time with Racing Club

In February 2011, Gutiérrez joined Argentine team Racing Club. He quickly made an impact, scoring two goals in his second game. He continued to score many goals, including in the Avellaneda derby. He finished the 2011 Clausura season with 11 goals in 16 games. This made him the league's top scorer. He continued his strong performance in his second season. He scored important goals for the team. He later left the club.

Loan Spells at Lanús and Junior

After leaving Racing Club, Teo had a short loan spell at Lanús. He played in the 2012 Copa Libertadores. He then returned to Junior for a six-month loan.

Moving to Cruz Azul

In December 2012, Gutiérrez moved to Mexican side Cruz Azul. He signed a three-year contract. He scored important goals for Cruz Azul, even when he was a substitute. He helped the team win the 2013 Copa MX Clausura. He scored a key goal in the quarter-final.

Winning Titles with River Plate

River-plate-2014-primera-división-sudamericana

Teo played a pivotal role in River Plate's conquering of the 2014 Copa Sudamericana

In August 2013, Teo joined River Plate in Argentina. He said it was his dream to play for the club. He scored his first goal on August 25. He helped River Plate win the 2014 Torneo Final, scoring 6 goals.

Under coach Marcelo Gallardo, he scored 10 goals in 10 games in 2014. In December 2014, River Plate won the 2014 Copa Sudamericana. This was Teo's second title with the club. Because of his great play, he was named the 2014 South American Footballer of the Year. He was only the second Colombian to win this award. In February 2015, River Plate won the 2015 Recopa Sudamericana. Teo played in both games. He scored and assisted in a 3–0 win in the 2015 Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. He scored in his last game for River Plate in May 2015.

Playing for Sporting CP

Teo lining up for Sporting CP in a UEFA Champions League match against CSKA Moscow in 2015

On July 19, 2015, Teo signed a three-year contract with Sporting CP. He scored in the Champions League play-off matches. Sporting CP later played in the Europa League.

He scored important goals for Sporting CP in the league. On December 10, he scored against Beşiktaş and had a memorable goal celebration. He scored two goals in a 5–1 win over FC Arouca. His last goal for the club was in May 2016.

Loan to Rosario Central

In August 2016, Gutiérrez was loaned to Rosario Central in Argentina. He scored a goal against Boca Juniors in November 2016. He was sent off for his celebration, which referenced River Plate, Boca Juniors' rival. He also played in the 2016 Copa Argentina Final. He scored from a penalty in his last game for the club in June 2017.

Return to Atlético Junior and More Titles

On June 26, 2017, Teo returned to his hometown team, Atlético Junior. He made his debut with a goal in a 3–0 win. He led his team to win the Copa Colombia in 2017. He scored in the final. The next season, Junior won the 2018 Finalizacion tournament. Teo scored in the final. Junior also won the 2019 Apertura on penalties. This made them two-time consecutive champions. He left the club in July 2021.

Time with Deportivo Cali

On August 6, 2021, Gutiérrez signed with Deportivo Cali. On December 22, Deportivo Cali won the 2021 Finalizacion tournament. Teo played in both final games.

Atletico Bucaramanga and Deportivo Cali (Second Stint)

In 2023, Teo played for Atlético Bucaramanga. He later returned to Deportivo Cali for a second time. In 2024, he joined Real Cartagena. As of July 2025, he is back playing for Atlético Junior.

International Career with Colombia

Gutierrez during Colombia's 2014 World Cup quarter-final match against Brazil

Gutiérrez scored in his first game for Colombia on August 7, 2009. This was in a 2–1 win against El Salvador. He scored his first competitive goal in a World Cup qualifying game.

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Teo scored six goals. This included two goals against Uruguay. He also scored Colombia's first goal in a 3–3 draw against Chile. This result helped Colombia qualify for the 2014 World Cup. In June 2014, he was part of Colombia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He wore the number 9 shirt.

In Colombia's first match of the tournament, Gutiérrez scored the second goal. This was in a 3–0 win against Greece. He was named in Colombia's preliminary squad for the 2018 World Cup. However, he did not make the final team.

Style of Play

Teófilo Gutiérrez is known as a skilled forward. He is good at getting into scoring positions. He can also score goals from far away. He has excellent passing and technical skills. This is because he started his youth career as a playmaker. He can create plays and make clever passes to his teammates. He often connects the midfielders and the forwards. Famous footballer Juan Román Riquelme once called him "one of the best players in Argentinian football."

Career Statistics

Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gutiérrez goal.

List of international goals scored by Teófilo Gutiérrez
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	7 August 2009	Robertson Stadium, Houston, United States	El Salvador	1–1	2–1	Friendly
2	5 September 2009	Estadio Atanasio Girardot, Medellín, Colombia	Ecuador	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	3 September 2011	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States	Honduras	1–0	2–0	Friendly
4	3 September 2011	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States	Honduras	2–0	2–0	Friendly
5	6 September 2011	Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States	Jamaica	1–0	2–0	Friendly
6	7 September 2012	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Uruguay	2–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	7 September 2012		Uruguay	3–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	11 September 2012	Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile	Chile	3–1	3–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	22 March 2013	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Bolivia	3–0	5–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	11 June 2013	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Peru	2–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	11 October 2013	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Chile	1–3	3–3	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	31 May 2014	Estadio Pedro Bidegain, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Senegal	1–0	2–2	Friendly
13	14 June 2014	Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Greece	2–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup
14	14 November 2014	Craven Cottage, London, England	United States	2–1	2–1	Friendly
15	8 October 2015	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Peru	1–0	2–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification