Romel Morales


Romel Oswaldo Morales Ramírez is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Malaysia Super League club Johor [Darul Ta'zim F.C.|Johor Darul Ta'zim]. Born in Colombia, he plays for the Malaysia national team.

Club career

Morales started playing football at Churta-Millos football school in Bogotá. He then moved to River Plate at 14 years of age.

Banfield

In 2014, Morales moved to Argentinian club Banfield. He made his professional debut on 20 March 2016, replacing Walter Erviti in 1–1 draw against River Plate at the Más Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

PKNS

After six years in Argentina, Morales decided to continue his career in Malaysia, where he signed with PKNS. He made his debut on 3 February 2018, in a 2–2 draw against Terengganu II.

Melaka United

On 12 November 2019, Melaka United announced the signing of Morales for the following 2020 Malaysia Super League season.

Kuala Lumpur City

Morales joined Malaysia Super League club Kuala Lumpur City in January 2021. He was part of the team that won the 2021 Malaysia Cup and emerged as the top scorer of the competition with 10 goals. Morales was also part of the squad where the club reached the 2022 AFC Cup Final.

International career

After a five-year stay in the country, on 19 December 2023, Morales was naturalised as a Malaysian citizen. He made his official debut against Jordan during the group stage at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup held in Qatar. He scored his first goal for Malaysia on 25 January 2024 in a 90+14th stoppage time equalizer in the 3–3 draw against South Korea.
On 8 September 2024, Morales scored the only goal of the 2024 Merdeka Tournament final against Lebanon which ended Malaysia's 14 year title drought.

Career statistics

International goals

Senior

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.25 January 2024Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar3–33–32023 AFC Asian Cup
2.8 September 2024Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia1–01–02024 Pestabola Merdeka
3.14 October 2025Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia2–15–12027 AFC Asian Cup qualification
4.14 October 2025Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Malaysia3–15–12027 AFC Asian Cup qualification
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Honours

Club

Kuala Lumpur City
Johor Darul Ta'zim

Malaysia

Individual