Dayro Moreno, Figure of Once Caldas in the South American Cup.
Photo: EFE – Luis Gandarillas
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Dayro Moreno celebrates his 40 years on Tuesday and is more in force than ever. After passing through the selection and achieving the 2026 World Cup classification, the scorer crosses one of the best moments of his career, more than two decades after having debuted as a professional.
The striker, who has the mind placed in the key duel of Once Caldas for the quarterfinals of the South American Cup this Wednesday against Independiente del Valle, wants to make history and arrives concentrated, with the illusion of guiding the club of their loves to a new international feat.
The top scorer in Colombia's history
Dayro Moreno has shown that at 40 years he continues with the outer scorer intact. Even, perhaps, more refined.
His career was always marked by questions about his discipline and his taste for nightlife, but curiously that facet also fed his legend. Today, despite everything, it turns more goals than anyone and is an idol that challenges the passage of time.
The figures support it: Dayro is the top gunner in the history of Colombian football. The table has it at the top with 370 goals, followed by Radamel Falcao García (356), Víctor Hugo Aristizábal (346) and Carlos Bacca (345). A brand that confirms that its name will be registered forever among the great scorers of the country.
A historical career
Dayro was born in Chicoral, Tolima, and debuted in 2003 with Once Caldas. With just 18 years he was champion of the Copa Libertadores 2004 against Boca Juniors, contributing 13 goals in that season.
He went to Atlético Paranaense in 2007 and then to Steaua Bucharest (2008-2009), where he played League and Champions, although he ended up dating indiscipline. Back to Once Caldas shone in the 2010 Libertadores, he won the completion with Juan Carlos Osorio and was Botín de Oro with 16 goals. Then he played in Tijuana, Junior and Millonarios, where he was a tournament scorer completion 2013 and Opening 2014.
In Mexico, he consolidated as a scorer at the Tijuana Club and then, back to Colombia, with Atlético Nacional he was champion of the South American Recopa and the 2017 Opening.
His passage through Antioquia ended in 2018 after a scandal with Jeison Lucumí. Then he played in Talleres de Córdoba (Argentina), East Petrolero (Bolivia) and Bucaramanga, where he was a scorer.
In 2023 he returned to Once Caldas, and in 2024 he reached 225 goals in the FPC, surpassing Sergio Galván Rey. A year later it would be unattainable in the Total scorers table, taking a long distance to Falcao García.
Precisely, Dayro Moreno also defended the Colombian team's shirt: he was in several qualifying processes, participated in the 2011 Copa América, in the 2016 Centenary and returned with Néstor Lorenzo for the 2025 qualifiers.
The South American scorer has the dream of living a World Cup
Although some see it impossible, Dayro Moreno never renounces their dreams. The last call to the selection for the final stretch of the qualifiers was the proof that, at age 40, it is still taken into account. His goal of being in the 2026 World Cup remains intact.
Colombia does not live a moment of abundance in scorers and none has the numbers that Dayro has. Today, with the Once Caldas shirt, it is also the top of the South American Cup with eight goals, a record that makes it fundamental in the continental tournament.
The striker wants to crown eleven Caldas in the South American, remembering that as a youth he was already in the historic conquest of the Copa Libertadores 2004. The past is inspiration, but now the goal is to put the Manizales club back at the top of the continent.
Today, being the most experienced on the squad, Dayro Moreno seeks to write a new chapter in his career. With his 40 years, his validity and his records, he wants to make history again and confirm that, despite everything that has been said about him, he is an eternal scorer.
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