[2] He met local amateur football coach Carlos de la Rosa, who would help him financially with boots, kit and travel expenses when his family were unable to do so.
[2] Vélez played his first organised football with Atalanta Luz de Sión, before being invited to join a district team named Todo bien por Killa in 2015, with whom he participated in the La Liga Promises 2015, where he faced a number of Spanish sides.
He was forced to return to playing on the streets, avoiding police and the mandatory isolation put in place by the Colombian government, as well as training with coach de la Rosa.
[2] As organised football gradually returned, Vélez made his debut with Barranquilla in the Categoría Primera B on 1 February 2021, coming on as a second-half substitute for Juan David Martínez in a 1–0 loss to Real Cartagena.
[2] However, the following year, Vélez followed Reyes in joining Atlético Junior, and made his debut in a 1–0 loss to Deportivo Pasto on 19 February 2023.