Pedro Camilo Franco Ulloa (; born 23 April 1991) is a Colombian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
centre back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either ...
for Fortaleza CEIF. He is frequently used as a playmaker from the defensive end and also as a defensive midfielder if needed. He is mostly known for his anticipation of the ball, ball technique and passing.
Club career
Millonarios
Franco is a youth product of Colombian team
Millonarios
Millonarios Fútbol Club is a professional Colombian football team based in Bogotá, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the El Campín stadium.
Millonarios was initially created in 1937 by students f ...
. After making his debut in 2009 with the senior squad, he became a key defender for the Colombian capital's team. He was part of the team that won the
2012 Categoría Primera A season
The 2012 Categoría Primera A season (officially known at the 2012 Liga Postobón season for sponsorship reasons) was the 65th season of Colombia's top-flight football league.
Format
Both the Apertura and Finalización had an identical format. Ea ...
leading to the final on penalties, where he scored one of the penalties in victory.
In April 2013, Franco reached a remarkable 100th club career appearance.
Beşiktaş
In June 2013, Franco signed a 5-year deal with Turkish giants Beşiktaş for a fee of
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...
2.4 million. However, he did not play in any games for the Turkish side for several months, leading many to believe that would leave in the 2014 January transfer window. With no appearances in the league, Franco requested more playing time in order for potential spot in
2014 World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
with Colombia. Beşiktaş coach,
Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilić (; born 11 September 1968) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of EFL Championship side Watford.
Bilić, who played as a defender, began his career in 1988 with his hometown c ...
, promised to help him also guaranteeing that Franco would be included in Colombia's final list for the World Cup.
After months of struggling to earn his debut, Franco finally made his official first appearance for the club in 2014 after being subbed in against
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club located in the city of Trabzon. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, the men's football team has won seven Süper Lig championships. Trabzonspor also have a women's football team, ...
in the 66th minute. The game ended 1-1. On February 11, 2014, he scored his first goal for Beşiktaş in a 3–0 away win against Kasımpaşa.
San Lorenzo
On 15 January 2016, Franco joined San Lorenzo on a 6-month loan.
Return to Millonarios
After a mostly unsuccessful loan spell at San Lorenzo, on 5 July 2016 Franco returned to his hometown team
Millonarios
Millonarios Fútbol Club is a professional Colombian football team based in Bogotá, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. They play their home games at the El Campín stadium.
Millonarios was initially created in 1937 by students f ...
on a 1-year loan.
Boluspor
On 7 September 2017, signed with Turkish club
Boluspor
Boluspor is a Turkish professional football club located in the city of Bolu. The clubs plays in red and white kits, and have done so since their formation in 1965.América de Cali.
Blooming
On 13 January 2021, Franco signed with Bolivian side
Blooming
Bloom or blooming may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
* Bloom, one or more flowers on a flowering plant
* Algal bloom, a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system
* Jellyfish bloom, a collective n ...
, after being released by América de Cali on June 2020.
Fortaleza CEIF
On 14 August 2021, Fortaleza C.E.I.F. announced the signing of Franco, marking his return to Colombia after a short spell in Bolivia.
Alianza Petrolera
On 2 December 2022, Franco signed for Colombian side
Alianza Petrolera
Alianza Petrolera is a Colombian professional football team based in Barrancabermeja, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. The club was founded in 1991 and played in the Categoría Primera B until 2012. They play their home games at ...
.
International career
Franco played with the U-20 national team between 2009 and 2011. He won the 2011 edition of the Toulon Tournament where he was selected as the tournament's best defender, and played in the
2011 South American Youth Championship
The 2011 South American Youth Championship ( es, Campeonato Sudamericano Sub-20 “Juventud de America” Perú 2011, pt, Campeonato Sul-Americano Sub-20 “Juventude da America” Peru 2011) was a football competition for U-20 national teams in ...
. He also represented Colombia during the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in which his home nation hosted.
3 years after last playing for Colombia's youth national team, he was called up to the senior squad for the friendlies against
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and El Salvador. He debuted in a 3–0 win over El Salvador on 10 October, playing a full 90 minutes.
Copa Colombia
The Copa Colombia ( en, Colombia Cup, link=yes); officially known as Copa BetPlay Dimayor is an annual football tournament in Colombia. It is contested by the 36 professional clubs of DIMAYOR and is the nation's domestic cup competition, equiva ...
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), officially known as Spor Toto Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the ...
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
International
;Colombia U20
*
Toulon Tournament
The Toulon Tournament (officially the Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello) is a football (training match) tournament, which traditionally features invited national teams composed of youth players from U-17 to U-23 level. ...
South American Youth Football Championship
The South American Youth Football Championship, also known as U-20 South American Championship and es, Torneo Juventudes de América, "Campeonato Sudamericano Sub 20" or pt, Juventude da América (English: "America's Youth") is a South American f ...