Stefan Ortega Moreno was born on 6 November 1992 in Hofgeismar, Hesse, Germany. He came through the youth ranks at Arminia Bielefeld after earlier spells at smaller north Hessian clubs, making his senior debut for Arminia in October 2011. He went on to spend time at 1860 Munich before returning to Bielefeld, where he earned promotion to the Bundesliga in 2020 and was rated by Kicker magazine as the second-best goalkeeper in Germany's top flight that season.
Ortega joined Manchester City on a free transfer in July 2022 and, despite serving primarily as backup to Ederson, contributed to one of the club's most decorated periods. He played every match in City's 2022–23 FA Cup run, conceding just one goal in six games, and was part of the squad that won the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup that year. Perhaps his most notable individual moment came in May 2024 when he replaced the injured Ederson against Tottenham Hotspur and made a crucial one-on-one save in the 85th minute to preserve a 2–0 win, earning man of the match honours and helping City retain the Premier League title.
A composed, technically reliable shot-stopper, Ortega signed for Nottingham Forest in February 2026 on a short-term deal, where he is providing experienced cover in goal. He received his first senior Germany call-ups in November 2024 and March 2025 after years of involvement at youth level.