David Ospina


David Ospina Ramírez is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Categoría Primera A club Atlético Nacional, which he captains, and the Colombia national team.
Ospina began his career at Atlético Nacional, making his debut with the club in 2005. After achieving two domestic titles with Los Verdolagas, Ospina joined French side Nice. In 2014, he joined Arsenal on a four-year deal. During his time in London, Ospina won three trophies with the club: the FA Cup in 2015 and 2017, as well as the 2017 FA Community Shield. In 2018, Ospina was loaned out to Serie A club Napoli. The following year, Napoli permanently signed Ospina. In 2020, Ospina played a pivotal role in Napoli's conquering of the Coppa Italia. Following unsuccessful negotiations to renew his contract with Napoli, Ospina signed for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in 2022. In 2024, he returned to his home country, rejoining Atlético Nacional, with whom he won the Copa Colombia for the first time in his career.
Ospina has represented his country at a full international level since 2007. At youth level, Ospina represented Colombia at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. Notably, he was part of the Colombia squads that won gold at the 2005 Bolivarian Games and the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. Upon his senior debut against Uruguay, he became the youngest goalkeeper to make an appearance for Colombia. He has since earned 129 caps for his nation, making him his nation's most capped player of all time, appearing at four Copa Américas and two World Cups.

Club career

Early Career and Rise at Atlético Nacional

David Ospina began his professional football career with the youth academy of Atlético Nacional, one of Colombia’s most successful clubs, based in his hometown of Medellín. After progressing through the ranks, he made his senior debut in the Categoría Primera A in 2005 at the age of 17.
Ospina made an immediate impact during the 2005 Torneo Apertura, becoming a key figure in the Atlético Nacional side that secured the league title under manager Santiago Escobar. It was his first major trophy, coming just months after his debut, and helped solidify his reputation as a rising talent in Colombian football.
Local sports media began to praise Ospina's agility, composure, and maturity beyond his years.
By 2007, Ospina had firmly established himself as Atlético Nacional's first-choice goalkeeper. Under manager Óscar Héctor Quintabani, he was instrumental in helping the team achieve a historic domestic double, winning both the Apertura and Finalización. In the Apertura final, Nacional faced Atlético Huila, with Ospina’s strong goalkeeping performances proving decisive in their 2–1 aggregate victory. His contributions in the second leg, played on 17 June 2007, were particularly vital in securing the title.

OGC Nice

David Ospina’s six-year tenure at OGC Nice, from 2008 to 2014, was a transformative period that saw the Colombian goalkeeper evolve into one of Ligue 1’s most reliable shot-stoppers.

Arrival and Early Promise (2008–09)

Following three standout seasons at Atlético Nacional, Ospina joined OGC Nice in July 2008 for a reported €2 million fee. He was recruited as the long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris, who had departed for Olympique Lyonnais in a deal worth €8.5 million. Ospina initially served as backup to Lionel Letizi, using this period to acclimate to European football.
He debuted in the Coupe de la Ligue on 18 October 2008 and made his Ligue 1 debut a month later. On 17 January 2009, he earned his first league start and clean sheet in a 2–0 home win against AJ Auxerre.
In a 2–1 away victory over FC Lorient on 14 February 2009, Ospina’s standout saves were credited with securing the win.
He made 25 appearances in all competitions during the 2008–09 season, recording five clean sheets in Ligue 1.

Consolidation and Consistency (2009–2012)

In 2009–10, Ospina became the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper, playing 37 out of 38 Ligue 1 matches and achieving 10 clean sheets.
Despite Nice’s 15th-place finish, his performances earned him the nickname “the wall of Nice” among local supporters.
In 2010–11, under new manager Éric Roy, he improved further, registering 11 clean sheets in 37 Ligue 1 appearances. Key shutouts included a 1–0 win over Olympique de Marseille on 5 December 2010.
He repeated this consistency in 2011–12 with another 11 clean sheets over 37 league games. A potential transfer to Beşiktaş J.K. fell through in summer 2012, to the relief of supporters.

Breakthrough Season (2012–13)

Under new coach Claude Puel, Ospina led Nice to a 5th-place finish and UEFA Europa League qualification. He kept 11 clean sheets in 26 Ligue 1 appearances, including a 5–0 win over Valenciennes FC in May 2013.

Final Season and Farewell (2013–14)

In his final season at Nice, Ospina made 29 Ligue 1 appearances and posted 13 clean sheets—the highest of his time at the club. He starred in a 1–0 win against Olympique de Marseille on 18 October 2013, making several key saves.
Despite Nice finishing 17th, Ospina’s performances drew praise and ultimately led to his transfer to Arsenal F.C. in July 2014 for £3 million.
Across six seasons, Ospina made 199 appearances for Nice, including 189 in Ligue 1. He remains widely regarded as one of the club’s top keepers, earning the “Aiglon Crédit Agricole” Player of the Season.

Arsenal

2014–15 season

On 27 July 2014, Arsenal confirmed that Ospina had signed for the club for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £3 million, on a four-year contract. He was assigned the number 13 shirt, previously worn by Emiliano Viviano.
File:David Ospina, Petr Cech Emiliano Martinez Arsenal Members' Day 2015.jpg|thumb|left|David Ospina training alongside his Arsenal teammates Petr Čech and Emiliano Martínez in 2015
Ospina made his debut on 23 September 2014 in a 2–1 League Cup loss to Southampton. His UEFA Champions League debut came on 1 October 2014 against Galatasaray, replacing Alexis Sánchez after Wojciech Szczęsny was sent off. Despite conceding a penalty, he helped Arsenal secure a 4–1 victory with several crucial saves.
He sustained a thigh injury in October that ruled him out for the remainder of 2014. Upon recovery, Ospina returned in a 2–0 FA Cup win over Hull City and kept a clean sheet in his full Premier League debut, a 3–0 win over Stoke City.
Following Szczęsny's internal disciplinary issues, Ospina became the Premier League starter, keeping further clean sheets against Manchester City and Aston Villa. He played every league match thereafter, though he was an unused substitute in the 4–0 victory over Aston Villa in the FA Cup Final.
His performances earned him a place on the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2015 longlist.

2015–16 season

Ospina featured in a 2–1 UEFA Champions League loss to Dinamo Zagreb and a 2–1 League Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur. A costly error in a 3–2 defeat to Olympiacos saw Ospina drop a corner into his own net, leading to his removal from Champions League duties.
He also suffered a shoulder injury during international duty that sidelined him until November.

2016–17 season

Ospina served as Arsenal’s cup goalkeeper, starting in their opening Champions League group game against Paris Saint-Germain. He was named man of the match in a 1–1 draw for a standout performance, including several saves against Edinson Cavani.
He continued to feature in the Champions League and started all matches in Arsenal’s successful 2016–17 FA Cup run. In the final, Arsenal beat Chelsea 2–1 at Wembley Stadium, with Ospina making crucial saves including one against N'Golo Kanté.

2017–18 season

Ospina remained the designated goalkeeper for the UEFA Europa League and domestic cups. His first appearance was a clean sheet in a 1–0 Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers.
In the Europa League opener against FC Cologne, he made an early error that led to the German side scoring first, but Arsenal recovered to win 3–1.
Ospina's clean sheet in a 2–0 away win over AC Milan on 8 March 2018 in the Round of 16 helped restore form after four straight defeats. He also featured in the quarter-finals against CSKA Moscow and semi-finals against Atlético Madrid.
While his shot-stopping ability remained strong, questions persisted about his aerial command. Arsenal were eventually eliminated by Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals.

Napoli

Following the arrival of Bernd Leno at Arsenal, Ospina sought a loan move to secure more consistent playing time. On 15 August 2018, Serie A club Napoli reached an agreement for a one-year loan deal with an option to buy, a decision influenced by an injury to newly signed goalkeeper Alex Meret.

2018–19 season

Ospina quickly became a key figure in Napoli's squad, making 24 appearances across all competitions during his loan spell, including 17 in Serie A. He was noted for his composure and ball-playing ability, suiting Napoli's style under manager Carlo Ancelotti. A significant moment occurred on 17 March 2019, during a Serie A match against Udinese. Ospina suffered a serious head injury following a collision with striker Ignacio Pussetto. Despite treatment and briefly continuing with a bandage, he collapsed before halftime and was stretchered off and hospitalized. Scans revealed no serious damage.
On 4 July 2019, Napoli exercised their option, permanently signing Ospina from Arsenal for a reported €3.5 million.

2019–20 season

In the 2019–20 season, Ospina rotated with Alex Meret but became first-choice under manager Gennaro Gattuso for his superior ball distribution. He made 23 appearances, including 17 in Serie A.
A pivotal moment came in the Coppa Italia semi-finals against Inter. Ospina misjudged a corner, allowing Christian Eriksen to score directly, but later redeemed himself with key saves and assisted Dries Mertens’ equaliser via a long ball, securing a 2–1 aggregate win. Suspended for the final, Alex Meret started as Napoli beat Juventus 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.