Biography
Tall Colombian international striker Oscar Estupinan joined the Tigers in July 2022 and started the 2022/23 season as the Tigers’ centre forward in Shota Arveladze’s new look team. He began his City career in grand style, scoring braces against Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion then thumping home a close range hattrick against Coventry City, all before the end of August 2022. As the season progressed into the Autumn months his goals dried up but he continued to play an important role, coming off the bench as an impact sub for caretaker manager Andy Dawson. Under new manager Liam Rosenior Oscar returned to goalscoring form and took his tally into double figures with a late December winner at Birmingham City.
Oscar was deposed as first choice centre forward by Liam Delap at the start of the 2023/24 season, at the end of August 2023 City agreed a generous season-long loan fee with French Ligue 1 side Metz, where Estupinan reunited with former City team-mate Benjamin Tetteh. Estupinan suffered a nasty hamstring injury that sidelined him for three months, his sixth and final appearance for Metz came as a late substitute at the end of January 2024, after which he was recalled by the Tigers. A few days after his return Oscar was loaned to Salvador-based Brazil Serie A side Esporte Clube Bahia, a part of Manchester City’s BlueCo worldwide ownership group, where he spent six months and scored eight goals, including a brace against Cruzeiro in June 2024, in 21 appearances.
In July 2024 Estupinan’s loan was terminated early and he returned to Hull City for pre-season training led by new manager Tim Walter. Oscar started the 2024/25 season at the centre of the Tigers attack and netted a late equaliser from the penalty spot on the opening day of the season against Bristol City. But as the club’s transfer business took shape and new striker options were signed, it was evident that Oscar was once again surplus to requirements. He joined Mexican Liga MX side FC Juarez at the end of August 2024.
Oscar Eduardo Estupinan Vallesilla was born in Cali, Colombia’s second city, but came through the junior ranks at Once Caldas, a top flight Colombian side based in the city of Manizales. Debuting in May 2015 for El Blanco, Estupinan broke into the first team on a regular basis from January 2016 onwards, announcing his talent in February 2016 with two goals in a 4-0 defeat of Jaguares FC. Oscar netted eight goals in 16 senior appearances during the 2015/16 season and added another nine goals in 32 appearances during the 2016/17 season.
In June 2017 Estupinan transferred to Portuguese Liga Nos side Vitoria de Guimaraes where he scored regularly for the second eleven and made 12 senior domestic appearances, scoring once in May 2018 against Tondela. This performance led three days later to a starting place for Vitoria in the Supertaca Candido de Oliveira against Benfica – a Portuguese season closer played annually between League and Cup winners (or in the case of Guimaraes, the Cup runners-up). In September and December 2017 he also started two Europa League games against Turkish side Konyaspor.
In the first half of the 2018/19 season Estupinan made only 8 senior appearances for Vitoria, scoring a brace in a 7-0 Cup demolition of Valenciano. In January 2019 he was loaned to Barcelona SC, a club based in Ecuador’s second largest city Guayaquil. Back in South America, Oscar scored five goals in 13 senior appearances, form that led to a season long loan at Turkish side Denizlispor during the 2019/20 season. Despite his side finishing in the lower reaches of the Turkish Super Liga Estupinan netted 14 goals in 33 senior appearances, opening his account in September 2019 with a brace in a 4-0 Turkish Cup win over Hacettepe.
Returning to Portugal for the 2020/21 season, Oscar scored nine goals in 24 appearances for Vitoria and added a further 16 goals in 33 appearances during the 2021/22 season, a hot streak of form that attracted the attention of Acun Illicali’s resurgent Tigers team. When he left Vitoria in July 2022 he had scored 28 goals in 79 senior appearances.
Estupinan joined Mexican Liga MX side FC Juarez at the end of August 2024, an undiscolosed seven figure fee being paid for his services.
Estupinan was called up to the Colombian international senior squad for the first time in January 2022, but he had to wait until May 2022 to make his international debut in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia.
Details
Nationality: Colombia
Date/Place of Birth: 29 December 1996, Cali, Colombia
Hull City First Game: 30 July 2022, Bristol City H (Championship), 25 years, 213 days old
Hull City Final Game: [current player]
Clubs
Once Caldas (2014-2017), Vitoria de Guimaraes (2017-2022), Barcelona SC (2019, loan), Denizlispor (2019-2020, loan), Hull City (2022-2024), Metz (2023-2024, loan), Bahia (2024, loan), FC Juarez (2024-current)
Hull City Record
Career: 45 apps, 15 goals
Oscar Estupinan| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 30 (5) | 13 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2023/24 | 0 (4) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 2024/25 | 2 (0) | 1 | – | – | 0 (1) | 0 | – | – | – | – |