Durán made his professional debut for Envigado on 13 February 2019 against Jaguares de Córdoba in the Copa Colombia,[4] having played for the club at youth level since he was 11 years old.[5] Durán scored his debut goal on 1 September, in his third appearance for the club, against Águilas Doradas Rionegro.[6] This made Durán the second-youngest goalscorer in Categoría Primera A, at the age of 15 years and 8 months.[7]
In October 2020, Durán was included in The Guardian's "60 of the best young talents in world football" list.[8]
Chicago Fire
On 11 January 2021, Chicago Fire announced an agreement to acquire Durán from Envigado on an initial three-year deal, with options in place for a further two years. The contract would begin on 1 January 2022.[9] The transfer fee was reported to be £1.5 million. The signing was sanctioned by Chicago Fire's technical director Sebastian Pelzer, who spotted 17-year old Durán while watching another player at his former club.[10]
Durán made his Chicago Fire debut on 26 February 2022 against Inter Miami.[11] He scored his first goal for the club on 14 May 2022 against FC Cincinnati.[12]
Aston Villa
On 16 January 2023, Premier League club Aston Villa announced an agreement to sign Durán: subject to a medical, personal terms and a work visa.[13] Durán left the Colombian camp for the 2023 South American U-20 Championship to fly to England to complete the transfer,[14] which was made official on 23 January.[15] The transfer fee was reported to be an initial £14.75 million, with the potential of a further £3 million in add-ons.[16]
On 4 February 2023, Durán made his Premier League debut as a late substitute in a 4–2 defeat to Leicester City.[17]
On 20 August 2023, Durán scored his first Aston Villa goal as a substitute in a 4–0 win against Everton.[18] On 31 August, Durán scored his first goal in a European competition in a 3–0 UEFA Europa Conference League victory over Scottish club Hibernian.[19] In September 2023, Durán scored a chested half-volley in a Premier League game against Crystal Palace, which went onto be awarded Aston Villa's Goal of the Season at the club's End of Season Awards ceremony.[20] On 13 May 2024, he scored his first brace at the club, by netting late goals in a 3–3 draw against Liverpool following a two-goal deficit, keeping his club's pursuit for a UEFA Champions League berth.[21]
While being linked with transfers to West Ham United and Chelsea, Durán was not included in Aston Villa’s preseason squad. He caused controversy by emulating West Ham’s “hammers” gesture in a livestream.[3] However, on 17 August 2024, Durán scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over West Ham, having started as a substitute, celebrating by reinstating his commitment to Villa.[22] He then scored consecutive winning goals as a substitute against Leicester City and Everton, with the latter being a widely lauded long-range effort.[23] On 2 October 2024, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal, securing a 1–0 victory against Bayern Munich by lobbing Manuel Neuer from distance.[24] Five days later, Durán signed a new contract with Aston Villa until 2030.[25] On the same day, his goal against Everton was named BBC Goal of the Month for September.[26] On 11 October, Jhon Durán was named Aston Villa's player of the month for September,[27] and his goal against Everton was also awarded the official Premier League Goal of the Month award for that month.[28]
Durán made his senior international debut for Colombia against Guatemala on 24 September 2022, replacing Radamel Falcao as a half-time substitute. On 28 March 2023, he scored his first international goal against Japan, on his first full appearance for the Colombian team.[29]
