_(cropped).jpg) Dos Santos withLA Galaxy in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Giovani dos Santos Ramírez[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1989-05-11)11 May 1989 (age 36)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Monterrey,Nuevo León, Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,winger,striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monterrey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2006 | Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Barcelona B | 27 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Barcelona | 28 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Tottenham Hotspur | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | →Ipswich Town (loan) | 8 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | →Galatasaray (loan) | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | →Racing Santander (loan) | 16 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Mallorca | 29 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Villarreal | 57 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | LA Galaxy | 77 | (26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | América | 39 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 312 | (66) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Mexico U17 | 8 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Mexico U20 | 6 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Mexico U23 | 9 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2018 | Mexico | 106 | (19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez (Spanish pronunciation:[ɟʝoˈβaniðosˈsantos]Brazilian Portuguese:[dusˈsɐ̃tus]; born 11 May 1989) is a Mexican former professionalfootballer. A versatileforward, dos Santos played as anattacking midfielder,winger, andsecondary striker.
Dos Santos began his football career at a very young age, being recruited by Spanish clubBarcelona and played for theirB team until age 18. He made his way up the ranks, eventually playing for the senior squad, making his debut in 2007. That year, he was named byWorld Soccer Magazine as one of the "Top 50 Most Exciting Teen Footballers".[4] After playing one season, Dos Santos was transferred toPremier League clubTottenham Hotspur in 2008 in search for more playing time. Though he would stay with the club until 2012, his time there was mostly spent away on loan, atIpswich Town,Galatasaray andRacing de Santander, with varying degrees of success.[5] Dos Santos went on to play forMallorca,Villarreal andLA Galaxy with his last club beingClub América.
Dos Santos was a member of theMexico under-17 team that won the2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Peru. He made his debut for the senior national team in a 1–0 victory overPanama on 9 September 2007, and representedEl Tri at the2010,2014, and2018FIFA World Cups, along with the2013 and2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. With Mexico, Dos Santos has won theCONCACAF Gold Cup in2009,2011 and2015, scoring in the2009 and2011 finals and winning the MVP award in 2009. He was also a member of Mexico's team that won the gold-medal at the2012 Summer Olympics.[6]
Born inMonterrey, Nuevo León,[7] Dos Santos joinedBarcelona's academy ofLa Masia at age 13[8] and played for Barcelona's Juvenil A category, where he helped his team to make a comeback in the league and win the regional title. This title allowed them to participate in the YouthCopa del Rey, where they faced other regional champions, among them their historic arch-rivals,Real Madrid. Dos Santos once again played a significant role during the tournament and helped the team win the national title of the Juvenil A category.
In 2006, Dos Santos was invited on the pre-season tour of Barcelona's senior squad; during a friendly match on 29 July 2006, he scored in his senior team debut game against Danish clubAGF Aarhus.[9] On 28 November 2006, Barcelona included Dos Santos in their 23-man squad for theFIFA Club World Cup in Japan.[10]
During mid-2007, Dos Santos was once again invited to join Barcelona's senior squad on their pre-season tour. On 29 August 2007, he received dual nationality[11] and was included in the official first team squad. He made his competitive and league debut on 2 September 2007 (at 18 years and 114 days) during a 3–1 home win againstAthletic Bilbao, coming on forThierry Henry in the 62nd minute.[12]
Dos Santos made hisUEFA Champions League debut on 20 September 2007 during a 3–0 home win againstLyon. He came on as a substitute forXavi in the 79th minute.[13]
On 17 May 2008, Dos Santos scored ahat-trick againstReal Murcia, with a final score of 5–3, granting a victory to Barça on the team's last game of the2007–08 season. It was also the last game Dos Santos played before joiningTottenham Hotspur.
On 18 June 2008, Dos Santos passed a medical and agreed terms to complete his move to Tottenham from Barcelona. Barcelona reported that the transfer fee was €6 million with an additional €5 million payable depending on appearances for Tottenham.[14][15][16]
Dos Santos was on target twice as Tottenham beat local Spanish side UD Tavernes in 8–0 on their 2008–09 pre-season tour. He also played in Spurs' other pre-season games including the 5–1 wins overLeyton Orient andNorwich City. He also scored the second goal in the 3–0 win overBorussia Dortmund to help Spurs to make it two wins out of two and take home the Feyenoord Jubileum Tournament trophy. He scored his first competitive goal for Spurs in theUEFA Cup on 26 February 2009 againstShakhtar Donetsk.[17] After 12 first team appearances, he was sent on loan toIpswich Town for the remainder of the season.[8]
Dos Santos returned to Tottenham at the start of the2009–10 season and his first game of the season came againstDoncaster Rovers in theLeague Cup, in which he provided an assist. He was substituted off, however, due to an ankle injury early on in a League Cup game againstPreston North End and managed to make only a substitute appearance in a 1–0 loss toWolverhampton Wanderers.
Dos Santos' commitment was questioned by then Tottenham bossHarry Redknapp, who warned him to stay away from nightclubs and revealed that he was often late for training on Mondays.[18][19]
Dos Santos scored and had an assist in Tottenham's UEFA Europa League group match againstShamrock Rovers on 29 September 2011 atWhite Hart Lane. On 7 January 2012, he scored a goal and completed an assist for a 3–0 win againstCheltenham Town in the third round of theFA Cup.
In March 2009, Dos Santos signed on loan atIpswich Town until the end of the season.[20] He made his debut on 14 March 2009, coming on as a substitute againstReading.[21] He scored his first league goal and the equaliser in the following game againstBurnley. He scored his second goal againstBristol City on Easter Monday, a 94th-minute penalty to equalise for Ipswich. He also claimed an assist and a goal from the penalty spot in Ipswich's 3–2 win over local rivalsNorwich City a week later.[22] He finished his loan with four goals in eight appearances.[8]
In January 2010, Dos Santos signed for Turkish clubGalatasaray on loan for the remainder of the2009–10 season, with an option to purchase him at the end of that period.[23] The move reunited the player withFrank Rijkaard, his former coach at Barcelona. On 31 January, Dos Santos made his debut coming on as a 58th-minute substitute forEmre Çolak in aSüper Lig game againstDenizlispor, a 2–1 victory.[24] He returned to Tottenham in the summer having failed to score for Galatasaray, and stayed there for half a season before being loaned to La Liga clubRacing de Santander in January.
On 31 January 2011, Dos Santos joined La Liga side Racing de Santander on loan until the end of the season from Tottenham.[25] He made his debut for his new club on 5 February 2011 as a substitute againstReal Zaragoza, drawing the game 1–1. He scored his first goal as a substitute againstVillarreal in the 68th minute on 27 February 2011. Dos Santos scored a brace in a 3–2 win league match overHércules.
It was reported that Dos Santos had told Tottenham that he wanted a move in the summer of 2012 or else he would leave on a free transfer during the next transfer window. His agent stated there was interest fromSerie A clubInter Milan[26] as well asSevilla.[27]
On 31 August 2012, Dos Santos signed a four-year deal with Spanish outfitMallorca, being introduced as their new number 9.[28][29] On 22 October, he made his debut for Mallorca, playing 60 minutes and assisting both goals in a 3–2 away defeat to Sevilla.[30] He played another 60 minutes on 28 October in a 5–0 home defeat to Real Madrid. Dos Santos scored his first goal for Mallorca againstEspanyol on 18 January 2013. Though Mallorca would finish theseason in 18th place and was relegated, Dos Santos was a mainstay in the squad, amassing 32 total appearances and finished as their top goal-scorer with six goals as well as seven assists.
On 9 July 2013, Dos Santos completed a much speculated move to recently promoted side Villarreal for a reported €6 million.[31] He finished the2013–14 season with 11 goals and 8 assists, helping the club finish the season in sixth place.
On 15 July 2015, theMajor League Soccer clubLA Galaxy announced the signing of dos Santos as aDesignated Player,[32] in a reported US$7 million deal.[33]
On 6 August, dos Santos made his competitive debut and scored his first competitive goal for the Galaxy in aCONCACAF Champions Leaguefixture against Trinidadian sideCentral FC. Three days later, he made his MLS debut and scored a goal and provided an assist in the 3–1 win overSeattle Sounders FC.
On October 2, it was reported that dos Santos madethat year'sFIFA Ballon d'Or longlist.[34]
In July 2016, dos Santos was included in the roster for the2016 MLS All-Star Game.[35] On 21 July 2016, he came off of the bench during the quarter-finals of theU.S. Open Cup, scoring within three minutes of coming onto the pitch. The goal help the Galaxy start a comeback leading to a 4–2 victory over Seattle Sounders to advance to the semi-finals for the first time in ten years.[36]
In July 2017, Dos Santos was included in the roster for the2017 MLS All-Star Game.[37]
On 1 March 2019, LA Galaxy announced they had exercised its one offseason buyout of a guaranteed contract on dos Santos, thus releasing him from the team.[38]
On 6 July 2019, Dos Santos officially joined Mexican sideClub América.[39] He played in theLiga MX for the first time after reaching a three-year agreement with América, being handed the number 10 shirt.[40] In his firstSúper Clasico againstGuadalajara on 28 September, dos Santos suffered a thigh injury following a tackle fromAntonio Briseño, with the defender piercing dos Santos' skin with his studs and leaving a deep gash in his right leg.[41] He was stretchered off the field and immediately taken to a nearby hospital. Club América later released a statement revealing the player had suffered a wound in the quadriceps of the right thigh and would require surgery, thereby ruling him out of action for up to six weeks.[42]
On 15 June 2021, Club América released dos Santos.[43]
Dos Santos participated at the 2001Danone Nations Cup that was held at theParc des Princes, Paris, where 40 countries also participated. Mexico would finish the tournament fifth, and Dos Santos won the Golden Boot award for top goalscorer.
During the2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, which his team won, Dos Santos assisted half of the goals of Mexico during the tournament, a feat that won him theAdidas Silver Ball as the second best player of the tournament, finishing behind only to Brazilian midfielderAnderson.
In the U-20 World Cup Qualifiers, Dos santos scored twice; once againstSt. Kitts and Nevis in the 86th minute and the second againstJamaica in the 56th minute. He was forced to sit out the last game for precautionary reasons againstCosta Rica, as he had received a yellow card in the previous match. The game ended in a 1–1 draw, but Mexico still qualified, finishing top of the regional group.
During the2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Mexico was placed in Group C, where they were drawn againstGambia,Portugal andNew Zealand. On 2 July 2007, Dos Santos and the rest of the Mexico team played against Gambia and won 3–0, with Dos Santos opening the scoring in the second half with a volley into the top left-hand corner from outside of the box. He then played against Portugal, where Mexico won 2–1, scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot. As Mexico had already qualified from the group, he was rested for the game against New Zealand. In the round of 16, Mexico played againstCongo and Dos Santos returned to the starting line-up and yet again opened the scoring with a goal from the penalty spot in a match that Mexico won 3–0. In the quarter-finals, Mexico was eliminated byArgentina by an own goal on the second-half, which was the only goal of the game in a 1–0. Dos Santos was awarded theAdidas Bronze Ball.
In June 2012, Dos Santos was called up to play with theunder-23 squad that would participate at the2012 London Olympics.[44] On 29 July, he started on the bench but later scored his first two goals againstGabon, earning Mexico a 2–0 win.[45] Dos Santos scored his third goal of the tournament on 4 August againstSenegal, scoring a crucial tie breaking goal in the 98th minute of extra time to give Mexico a 3–2 lead, which eventually led to a 4–2 win. He was in the starting XI for the semi-final match againstJapan and played the first half of the game, but was substituted out forRaúl Jiménez in the 46th minute due to an injury, which ultimately ruled him out of the final againstBrazil. Dos Santos was, however, on the bench and watched Mexico defeat Brazil 2–1 atWembley Stadium.[46]
Dos Santos earned his first selection in thesenior team roster whenHugo Sánchez picked him for exhibition games againstPanama andBrazil.[10] Dos Santos appeared for the first time for Mexico in a 1–0 victory over Panama on 9 September 2007 wearing the number 10 jersey.[47] The match was abandoned at half time because of heavy rain.[10] He scored his first two goals for Mexico on 24 June 2009 in a friendly match againstVenezuela, a game in which he was also namedMan of the Match.
Dos Santos scored his third goal for Mexico on 19 July in the2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final game againstHaiti in the 42nd minute and also recorded two assists in the 4–0 victory. On 26 July 2009, he helped Mexico end a ten-year drought of victory against theUnited States on American soil with a 5–0 victory that helped secure Mexico's fifthCONCACAF Gold Cup.[48] He was named player of the tournament.
On 5 September 2009, Dos Santos contributed to all three goals in a 3–0 win over Costa Rica in the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification stages. He scored the first goal from outside the penalty box with his preferred left foot and assisted in the following two goals.[49]
When his brotherJonathan dos Santos was cut from Mexico's final 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup, his fatherZizinho said that Giovani was very hurt and claimed he was unsure whether he would play in the World Cup.[50]
At the2010 World Cup, Dos Santos started in every game for Mexico as a right winger. He completed 138 passes without providing an assist.[51] He was voted runner-up for the FIFA Young Player of the Tournament award, which eventually went toThomas Müller ofGermany.[52]
Dos Santos was called up to play the2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup after a good mid-season loan to Racing de Santander. On 9 June 2011, he scored a brace againstCuba in a 5–0 win.[53] In the final match against theUnited States, he scored in a 4–2 win by dribbling inside the box against goalkeeperTim Howard and chipping the ball into the top-left corner overEric Lichaj – that goal was named as the best goal of the tournament.[54]
Dos Santos was called up byMiguel Herrera to play the2014 World Cup. He played in Mexico's World Cup opener againstCameroon, and on 29 June 2014, opened the scoring in a 2–1round of 16 defeat against theNetherlands with a left-footed long range strike.[55]
In May 2018, Dos Santos was named in Mexico's preliminary 28-mansquad for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia,[56] and in June, was ultimately included in the final 23-man roster for the tournament.[57]
A quick, skillful and creative player, Dos Santos was capable of playing in several offensive positions. He was usually deployed as a winger or as an attacking midfielder, and has even been used as a supporting striker. A technically giftedplaymaker who possesses great flair anddribbling skills, he was described as a "clever" and "sharp" player who had the capacity to both score goals and create chances for teammates.[58][59] As a youngster, he drew attention to himself as a precocious talent, and in 2010 he was named byDon Balón as one of the 100 best young players in the world born after 1989.[60]
Dos Santos is the son of former Brazilian footballerZizinho, who played for Mexico clubsAmérica andLeón in the late 1980s.[61] His mother, Liliana Ramírez, isMexican. Dos Santos has two brothers and two half-brothers; the elder, Éder, played for América'sreserves team as adefensive midfielder before retiring in 2009, and his younger brother,Jonathan, currently plays forAmérica.[62] Dos Santos has appeared on the cover of the MLS custom editions ofFIFA 16 andFIFA 17.[63][64]
| Club | Season | League | Cup1 | Continental2 | Other3 | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona B | 2006–07 | Segunda División B | 27 | 6 | — | — | — | 27 | 6 | |||
| Barcelona | 2007–08 | La Liga | 28 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 38 | 4 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2008–09 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 2009–10 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | ||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 3 | ||
| Ipswich Town (loan) | 2008–09 | Championship | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | |||
| Galatasaray (loan) | 2009–10 | Süper Lig | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |
| Racing Santander (loan) | 2010–11 | La Liga | 16 | 5 | — | — | — | 16 | 5 | |||
| Mallorca | 2012–13 | La Liga | 29 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 6 | ||
| Villarreal | 2013–14 | La Liga | 31 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 12 | ||
| 2014–15 | 26 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | 39 | 5 | |||
| Total | 57 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 3 | — | 73 | 17 | |||
| LA Galaxy | 2015 | MLS | 10 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2016 | 28 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 16 | ||
| 2017 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 6 | ||||
| 2018 | 14 | 3 | — | — | — | 14 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 77 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 88 | 29 | ||
| América | 2019–20 | Liga MX | 21 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2020–21 | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | 18 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 39 | 4 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 4 | |||
| Career total | 312 | 66 | 25 | 4 | 28 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 375 | 78 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2007 | 4 | 0 |
| 2008 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 11[a] | 5 | |
| 2010 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 19 | 5 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| Total | 106 | 19 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 June 2009 | Georgia Dome,Atlanta, United States |  Venezuela | 2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3–0 | |||||
| 3 | 19 July 2009 | Cowboys Stadium,Arlington, United States |  Haiti | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 4 | 26 July 2009 | Giants Stadium,East Rutherford, United States |  United States | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 5 | 5 September 2009 | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá,San José, Costa Rica |  Costa Rica | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 12 October 2010 | Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez,Ciudad Juárez, Mexico | Venezuela | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 7 | 1 June 2011 | Invesco Field at Mile High,Denver, United States |  New Zealand | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 2–0 | |||||
| 9 | 9 June 2011 | Bank of America Stadium,Charlotte, United States |  Cuba | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 10 | 4–0 | |||||
| 11 | 25 June 2011 | Rose Bowl,Pasadena, United States | United States | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 12 | 31 May 2012 | Soldier Field,Chicago, United States |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 13 | 3 June 2012 | Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, United States |  Brazil | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 14 | 8 June 2012 | Estadio Azteca,Mexico City, Mexico |  Guyana | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 29 June 2014 | Estádio Castelão,Fortaleza, Brazil |  Netherlands | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
| 16 | 27 June 2015 | Citrus Bowl,Orlando, United States | Costa Rica | 1–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 17 | 9 July 2015 | Soldier Field, Chicago, United States | Cuba | 6–0 | 6–0 | 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 18 | 9 October 2016 | Nissan Stadium,Nashville, United States | New Zealand | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 19 | 2 June 2018 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  Scotland | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
Barcelona
América
Mexico U17
Mexico U23
Mexico
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