Walter Iván Alexis Montoya

In January 2026, Walter Montoya turned down offers from Boca Juniors and River Plate and signed for Gimnasia y Tiro in Salta.

He started at Unión de Machagai, the club in his home town, in 1999, and stayed until 2006. At 13 he moved to Rosario, spending four years at the Jorge Griffa academy before joining Rosario Central in 2010. His professional debut came on 4 September 2014, in a Copa Sudamericana tie against Boca Juniors. Over three seasons in the first team he made 46 appearances and scored three goals.

The move to Sevilla in January 2017 was reported by La Nación and Impulso Negocios at around €5 million. Montoya played five matches in a single season in Spain before joining Cruz Azul in Mexico, a transfer announced on 27 December 2017.

His time at Cruz Azul ran to 2021 and brought 49 appearances and one goal, though much of 2019 was spent elsewhere. A loan to Grêmio in January produced 11 matches and two goals in Brazil, and was cut short at his own request. He moved on to Racing Club, where he played 27 times without scoring.

A second spell at Rosario Central followed in 2022, then 15 matches for Central Córdoba in Santiago del Estero. His most productive recent run came at Defensor Sporting in Uruguay from mid-2024: 34 appearances and seven goals. From there he joined Godoy Cruz in 2025, wearing the number 59.

He has never played for Argentina at any level. Speaking to ESPN, Montoya described a call-up to the national team as a goal that had stayed out of reach.