Johan Andrés Mojica Palacio (born 21 August 1992) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for club Getafe and the Colombia national team.
Mojica began his career in Colombia with second-division side Academia, before joining Llaneros in 2012. He later had loan spells at Deportivo Cali and Rayo Vallecano, before being permanently signed by Rayo in 2014. That same year, he was loaned to Valladolid, where he was included in the 2014–15 Segunda División Team of the Year. In 2017, he joined Girona (initially on loan, later permanent), helping the club earn promotion to La Liga. He subsequently spent a short loan spell at Atalanta in Serie A, before joining Elche—first on loan and later on a three-year deal. In 2022, Mojica signed with Villarreal, and in July 2024 moved to Mallorca.
Mojica made his senior debut for Colombia in March 2015. He represented the side at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2026, and was also part of the squad that reached the final of the 2024 Copa América, where Colombia finished runners-up to Argentina.
Club career Academia Born in Cali, Mojica began his professional career with Academia F.C. in Bogotá, competing in the Categoría Primera B. He made his first-team debut on 25 June 2011 in a 1–1 home draw against Expreso Rojo. During his early period with Academia, Mojica was primarily deployed as an attacking full-back and occasionally further up the pitch, and was known for his dribbling skills as well as his deep crosses.
Llaneros In 2012, Mojica transferred to Llaneros F.C., a recently founded second-division club based in Villavicencio. He quickly became one of their standout players. His performances in the Categoría Primera B earned attention from several Categoría Primera A clubs.
Deportivo Cali In January 2013, Mojica signed for Deportivo Cali, joining the first-team setup under manager Leonel Álvarez. He made his Categoría Primera A debut on 30 March 2013 in a 3–0 away win over Itagüí. Mojica's performances at Cali were noted, which attracted the attention of European scouts.
By mid-2013, Mojica's form in the Colombian top flight led to an opportunity to move abroad. On 5 July 2013, he joined Rayo Vallecano in Spain's La Liga on loan.
Rayo Vallecano Mojica moved from Colombia to Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in July 2013 on a season-long loan. He made his La Liga debut on 15 September 2013, coming on as a substitute in a 5–0 away defeat to Málaga. After the campaign, Rayo signed him permanently in July 2014 but immediately loaned him to second-division side Real Valladolid for more playing time.
Valladolid (loan) At Valladolid, Mojica was converted from left-back to a more attacking left winger. On 21 December 2014, he scored two goals in a 7–0 home win over Barcelona B in the Segunda División. Mojica finished the 2014–15 season with seven goals and several assists, earning a place in the league's Team of the Season. His loan was extended for 2015–16, during which he provided multiple assists and scored twice. In total, Mojica recorded nine goals across two seasons at Valladolid.
Girona In January 2017, Mojica joined Girona FC on loan from Rayo. He helped the Catalan club secure promotion to La Liga for the first time at the end of the 2016–17 season. His loan was renewed for the 2017–18 campaign, where Mojica became a regular in Girona's debut top-flight season. He made 30 La Liga appearances that year and contributed several assists as Girona achieved a mid-table finish. In June 2018, Girona purchased Mojica outright on a four-year contract following his successful loan spell. However, his progress was stalled by a serious knee injury suffered in August 2018, which sidelined him for most of the 2018–19 season. He managed only one appearance that year as Girona were eventually relegated from La Liga.
Atalanta (loan) On 22 September 2020, after Girona remained in Segunda División, Mojica moved to Atalanta in Italy on a season-long loan with an option to buy. He made his debut in Serie A shortly after joining. Mojica went on to appear 13 times in total for Atalanta (including 11 league matches and two in the UEFA Champions League), but he did not register any goals. In January 2021, Atalanta terminated the loan early due to limited playing opportunities, and Mojica returned to Spain.
Elche On 15 January 2021, Mojica signed with Elche CF on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. In August 2021, Elche secured Mojica on a permanent three-year deal. He scored his first top-flight goal on 22 September 2021, volleying home an equalizer in a 4–1 away match against Villarreal. Later in the campaign, on 16 April 2022, Mojica opened the scoring with a left-footed strike in a 3–0 victory over Mallorca, celebrating with a special dedication as he and his wife were expecting a child. In total, he scored two goals and provided five assists during 2021–22, playing a key role as Elche comfortably avoided the drop.
Villarreal On 1 September 2022, Mojica transferred to Villarreal CF on a four-year contract, with the club reportedly paying a €5.5 million fee for his services. On 8 September 2022, he started at left-back in a UEFA Europa Conference League group stage match, Mojica played the full 90 minutes and provided an assist for Samuel Chukwueze’s goal in a 4–3 win over Lech Poznań. He made 17 league appearances (no goals) for Villarreal in the 2022–23 season.
In July 2023, Villarreal loaned Mojica out to CA Osasuna for the 2023–24 campaign.
Mallorca On 23 July 2024, Mojica signed a three-year contract with RCD Mallorca, returning to La Liga on a permanent move. He quickly established himself as Mallorca's first-choice left-back. On 23 November 2024, Mojica set up a goal to assist teammate Robert Navarro, and in the 91st minute he scored a dramatic game-winning goal with a powerful strike from an indirect free-kick inside the box.
Getafe On 13 August 2026, after Mallorca's relegation, Mojica agreed to a one-year deal with Getafe also in the top tier.
International career On 22 March 2015, Mojica was called up by Colombia national team for the friendlies against Bahrain and Kuwait."Estaba esperando el llamado a la selección Colombia": Johan Mojica ("I was waiting for the call of the Colombia national team": Johan Mojica) ; El País, 22 March 2015 He made his international debut four days later, coming on as a second-half substitute for Juan Fernando Quintero and scoring the fifth in a 6–0 win.Colombia goleó 6–0 a Bahrein con doblete de Radamel Falcao, en partido amistoso (Colombia thrashed Bahrein by 6–0 with a Radamel Falcao double, in a friendly match). . Libero. 26 March 2015 .
He was included in Colombia's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He started in all of Colombia's matches, including the round of 16 match against England, where Colombia lost 3–4 on penalties following a 1–1 draw.
On 14 June 2024, Mojica was included into the squad for the 2024 Copa América. He was a starter in six of seven Colombia's matches, just replaced with Deiver Machado into third group phase match against Brazil, but entering at second half and maintaining his starter status till the final.
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 as a starter on 17 June in a 3–1 victory over Uzbekistan.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAcademia2011Primera B19040——2302012Primera B140100——240Total3301400000470Llaneros2012Primera B17000——170Deportivo Cali (loan)2013Primera A14060——200Rayo Vallecano (loan)2013–14La Liga12030——150Rayo Vallecano2016–17Segunda División6010——70180400000220Valladolid (loan)2014–15Segunda División33740—203972015–16Segunda División31200——312Total649400020709Girona (loan)2016–17Segunda División10000——1002017–18La Liga30021——321Girona2018–19La Liga1000——102019–20Segunda División33000—30360Girona total740210030791Atalanta (loan)2020–21Serie A1100020—130Elche (loan)2020–21La Liga17000——170Elche2021–22La Liga33210——3422022–23La Liga3000——30Elche total532100000542Villarreal2022–23La Liga1703070—270Osasuna (loan)2023–24La Liga300102110341Mallorca2024–25La Liga36100—103712025–26La Liga35000——350Total711000010721Career total402123511117045514
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsColombia2015212018602019102020402021402022402023102024140202550202680Total491
Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mojica goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Johan MojicaNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition126 March 2015Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain5–06–0Friendly
Honours Colombia Copa América runner-up: 2024
Individual Segunda División Team of the Year: 2014–15
References
External links
Profile at the Villarreal CF website