HMF, also known as 5- (hydroxymethyl) -2 furancarboxaldehyde and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, has been identified in a wide variety of thermal food heating processes such as milk, fruit juices, beverages and honey. The HMF molecule has several functionalities that arise from the presence of the hydroxyl and aldehyde groups, as well as from a furan ring. The oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) through the oxidation of its aldehyde group allows obtaining 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA) used as a precursor of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), renewable compounds used in the synthesis of various polyesters. This review covers the main studies that have been carried out to obtain HMFCA through heterogeneous catalysis.