Brighton youngster says he has ‘things Bellingham has’

Brighton youngster Matías Orozco said earlier this month that he wanted to reach Colombia’s senior national team “as soon as possible”.

But he probably didn’t expect “as soon as possible” to mean two weeks later.

The 18-year-old has received his first senior call-up for Colombia’s upcoming friendlies against Mexico, Peru and Paraguay. It’s another big step in what has been a remarkable few weeks for the midfielder.

Brighton signed him from Deportivo Cali in August and immediately loaned him to Spain’s CD Castellón. He has since made his first appearances in European football and is now part of Colombia’s senior squad.

Speaking to El VBar Caracol, Orozco admitted he wasn’t even certain he had made the list when the announcement arrived.

“I feel like I don’t have the words to describe it,” he said. “I received the news in Madrid when I was sorting out the visa, finishing the visa process. There was uncertainty because I didn’t know whether I was in or not.”

“I received the news on the way back from Madrid. We stopped to eat and received the link with the players called up.”

“As soon as I heard my name, I just screamed in front of everyone. It was a moment of pride and something you only experience once.”

Family celebration after Brighton youngster gets the news

Dinner didn’t last much longer after that. Orozco revealed they instead took the food away so he could speak to his family.

“I received the news and we asked for the food to take away,” he explained. “On the way, I called the family group where we all are.”

“I started a video call and everyone joined. My mum just froze! It was something beautiful. Hopefully there will be more call-ups, but there’ll never be another one like the first.”

Orozco also spoke to La FM about what the first Colombia shirt he receives will mean. That one already has an owner.

“I’ve got a battle with my sister as well because she wants to steal all my shirts, but the first one will be for my mum,” he said. “Both [parents] have worked very hard and fought a lot, but my mum is the one who accompanied me most throughout my football journey.”

What he said about Jude Bellingham

The call-up also gave Orozco the chance to explain what sort of midfielder Colombia are getting. He isn’t particularly interested in restricting himself to a defensive midfield role.

“The number five role doesn’t appeal to me as much. I prefer playing more box-to-box,” he told La FM.

He gave a similar answer to El VBar Caracol when asked where he would prefer to play for the national team.

“Wherever they need me, wherever I’m asked to play,” Orozco said. “I feel comfortable being a box-to-box midfielder, getting into the opposition box. I’m open to whatever they need, but I feel most comfortable as a box-to-box.”

And if Brighton supporters want an idea of the type of player Orozco has been watching, he named two pretty significant midfielders. Jude Bellingham is the main one.

“I don’t know if I’m getting carried away or getting a bit big-headed,” he joked. “But I really like him and I feel I have some things Bellingham has. He’s my reference, along with Enzo Fernández.”

Orozco certainly isn’t short of ambition. He had previously identified reaching the senior Colombia side as one of his major dreams. Now that’s happened far sooner than expected.

“Recently they asked me about my dream, apart from becoming champion with Cali, and I said playing for the national team,” he explained. “Now the opportunity is here. I’ve been given it and I’m privileged by God”.

“Now it’s about growing. In these camps, the objective is to grow and improve. Hopefully I can build a path in the national team from a young age and achieve the dream of becoming a world champion, first by winning the Copa América.”

What Orozco thinks he can give Colombia

Nine players have received their first senior Colombia call-up in this squad, and Orozco is the youngest. He believes the national team is beginning to introduce a new generation.

“You look at the positions where there was the greatest need and there were already many experienced players with history, like James [Rodríguez] and Juanfer [Quintero],” he said.

“I feel it’s about renewing things a little, renewing the generation of the national team.”

As for why Colombia’s coaching staff may have noticed him, Orozco pointed towards his attitude as much as his football.

“What might have caught their attention is the hunger, the desire to be there. Even if it’s a friendly, there are no friendly matches for me.”

“It’s about growing and growing more. My technical, physical and tactical ability, and hopefully I can continue being called up.”

Orozco also believes age shouldn’t change the responsibility placed on him.

“I feel, and I’ve said it before, that however young we are, we have the same responsibility as the older players,” he explained. “If you get into this sport, it’s because you’re mentally prepared to take on those responsibilities.”

Spain hasn’t been completely straightforward

All this has happened while Orozco is still trying to settle into European football. He had previously admitted the intensity in Spain was considerably higher than he experienced in Colombia.

Now he says the adjustment at Castellón has been somewhat difficult.

“The adaptation has been a little complicated,” he told El VBar Caracol. “It’s a pace of football where they’re already three matchdays into the season.

“As things keep happening, it demands more and more from you. Arriving like that is difficult. But the group welcomed me well. It’s a very united group.”

“I feel that in these two matches the supporters have been incredible, at home and away. The way they experience football here is beautiful.”

Orozco offered La FM a little more detail about what his new life actually looks like.

His working day starts early. At around 7.15am, he’s already travelling to Castellón’s training ground. Breakfast comes first, followed by injury-prevention exercises, gym work and then training on the pitch. And there’s no escaping the gym.

“Every day, without exception, we have gym work,” Orozco explained.

Leaving home at 14 prepared him for Europe

Interestingly, Orozco believes leaving Colombia for Europe hasn’t been the hardest move of his life. That happened years earlier.

Asked whether moving from Barranquilla to Cali or Colombia to Europe had been more difficult, he chose the former.

“From Barranquilla to Cali, because I was very young,” he said. “At that age, a lot of people leave, but it was hard for me because of my parents and everything.”

“I arrived at Cali halfway through a season and there was already a group there, everything was already established.”

“Here they’re building a group, but I also had the opportunity to come over with my representative and that’s helped me a lot.”

That move ultimately led him to Deportivo Cali’s first team, Brighton and now Spain, where he got his first national team call-up.

He’s only 18, but with a brilliant mentality. And the senior Colombia call has arrived far sooner than anyone could reasonably have expected. Orozco wanted it ‘as soon as possible’… He certainly got his wish.

🇵🇾 Brighton in for Mauro Coronel as offers confirmed by club presidenthttps://t.co/hc3eAOTZRv #bhafc

— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) September 17, 2026