Godín was born inRosario to Julio Godín and Iris Leal. Aged 4, during a family gathering, he nearly drowned after trying to catch fish in a river, but eventually swam to shore without the help of anybody.[7]
Godín started his professional career withCerro at the age of 17. After his good performances, he was transferred toPrimera División powerhouseNacional, where he quickly becamecaptain due to his maturity and professionalism.[7]
In August 2007, Godín signed a five-year deal withLa Liga sideVillarreal,[8] scoring in just his second game, a 3–2 away loss againstOsasuna on 7 October,[9] and participating in 24 matches in their best league placement ever (second). He consolidated his starting position in the subsequent seasons, mostly partnering ArgentineGonzalo Rodríguez in the heart of the back four.[10][11][12]
On 4 August 2010, after experiencing his bestseason at Villarreal – 36 games, three goals – Godín joinedAtlético Madrid on a five-year contract, after the two clubs agreed an initial fee believed to be around€8 million or£6.6 million.[13] He made his official debut for theColchoneros on the 27th, playing the entire2–0 win againstInter Milan in theUEFA Super Cup.[14]
Godín in action for Atlético in 2018
Godín signed a new contract with Atlético on 1 November 2013, keeping him at the club until 2018.[15] He scored four league goals duringthe campaign,[16][17][18] including one on the last matchday on 17 May 2014 againstBarcelona which equalised the game at 1–1 to earn his team its first league title in 18 years.[19] A week later, again through a header, he repeated the feat inthe final of theUEFA Champions League to put his team ahead, butReal Madrid eventually won 4–1.[20]
In 2015, Godín rejected a transfer toManchester City, managed by his former Villarreal bossManuel Pellegrini.[21] On 28 October 2017 he became the foreign player with most appearances for the club, surpassing fellow stopperLuis Perea after his 315th against Villarreal;[22] he was nominated for the2016 and2018Ballon d'Or awards.[23][6]
On 20 February 2019, Godín scored the second goal in 2–0 home victory overJuventus in theChampions League round of 16.[24] On 7 May, the 33-year-old announced he would be departing theMetropolitano Stadium after a nine-year tenure[25] and, on 1 June, he symbolically handed over the captain armband toKoke in the 1–1 draw againstSevilla.[26]
On 1 July 2019, Inter Milan announced they had signed Godínfor free on a three-year deal.[27] It was reported that he had already agreed to a pre-contract the previous January.[28] He made his debut inSerie A on 1 September,coming on forAntonio Candreva for the final 11 minutes of a 2–1 win atCagliari.[29]
Ina season in which Inter finished one point behind champions Juventus, Godín scored his firstNerazzurri goal on 13 July 2020 in a 3–1 home victory overTorino.[30] On 21 August he equalised against Sevilla in the2020 UEFA Europa League Final inCologne, a 3–2 loss for his side; only five other men had scored in the finals of European football's two top tournaments.[31]
On 24 September 2020, Godín joined Cagliari on a three-year contract.[32] He played his first match for them on 4 October, in a 5–2 away defeat toAtalanta where he also scored.[33]
Godín left on 12 January 2022 by mutual agreement.[34]
In April 2022, Godín said that one of the reasons for which he had returned to South American football was to play the Copa Libertadores, his return marking the first time he appeared in the tournament after a 15-year hiatus.[38] On 20 June, after failing to break into the starting team and aiming to play at the upcoming World Cup for Uruguay, he announced his departure in mutual terms.[39]
On 21 June 2022, Godín joinedVélez Sarsfield on a one-and-a-half-year contract.[40] He announced his retirement on 27 July 2023,[41] playing his last match when his team visitedHuracán on the last round ofthe season.[42]
Godín came out of retirement in February 2024, signing for Uruguayan amateurs Porongos.[43] In September, after winning the Copa Nacional de Clubes, he hung up his boots for the second and final time.[44][45]
In 2005, at the age of 19, Godín made his debut forUruguay in afriendly defeat againstMexico inGuadalajara. His first international goal came in another exhibition game, withSerbia and Montenegro in May 2006.[46] He represented the nation at the2007 Copa América, playing in the opening 0–3 defeat toPeru before losing his place toAndrés Scotti in Uruguay's run to fourth place.[47]
Godín was selected for the squad at the2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He started in the opening match againstFrance (0–0) inCape Town,[48] and played in a further four matches for the eventual semi-finalists.[49]
In 2011, Godín featured in Uruguay's successful2011 Copa América campaign, making one appearance as a late substitute in a 3–0 defeat ofParaguay inthe final after being bedridden for several days with avirus.[50][51] He also participated in the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, partneringDiego Lugano in defence in four of the team's five matches as they reached the semi-finals.[52][53]
Godín was selected by coachÓscar Tabárez for the2014 World Cup andcaptained the team in three of their four games due to Lugano's absence through injury.[54] On 24 June, he headed the only goal againstItaly in the final group fixture, sending the country through to theknockout stage.[55]
Godín was also selected for the2018 World Cup.[60] The following 25 March, at the2019 China Cup, he made his 126th appearance againstThailand, surpassingMaxi Pereira as the most capped player in the national team's history.[61]
Despite his lack of pace or significant athleticism, Godín was regarded by pundits as one of the best and most consistent defenders in the world, and as one of the leading centre-backs of his generation. During the 2018 World Cup, Jack Watson ofThe Independent described him as "the best central defender in the world."[6][65][66][67][68]
An intelligent centre-back, Godín was mainly known for his leadership, positioning and calm composure, which allowed him to organise his back-line, read the game and anticipate plays. Aggressive, competitive and physical, he was also known for his aerial ability and his capacity to time his jumps effectively, which enabled him to defend high balls, score goals with his head on set pieces, and beat out larger players to the ball in the air.[68][69][70][71][72]
Godín also stood out for his capacity to time his challenges, make blocks, interceptions and win the ball. Moreover, he was strong in one–on-one situations as his defensive positioning often allowed opposition players little time or space on the ball.[68][70][72][73] In addition to his defensive skills, he was also known for his technique, ball–playing ability and capacity to carry the ball out from the defence, which allowed him to start plays from the back and create chances for teammates.[70][71]
Godín married Sofia, daughter ofJosé Herrera, a Uruguayan international who played in Serie A for Cagliari alongside compatriotEnzo Francescoli.[74] He is close friends withAntoine Griezmann, who played with him at Atlético Madrid. During the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals match against France, the latter did not celebrate his goal out of respect for the former and also club teammateJosé María Giménez; Godín is also godfather to Griezmann's daughter.[75]
^"Diego Godín é reforço para a zaga" [Diego Godín is an addition for the defence] (in Portuguese). Atlético Mineiro. 12 January 2022. Archived fromthe original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved12 January 2022.
^López Frau, Alberto (21 June 2013)."Victoria fiel al manual del charrúa" [Win true to theCharrúa manual] (in Spanish). Marti Perarnau. Retrieved25 June 2021.
^"Real Madrid – At. Madrid" (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 17 May 2013. Archived fromthe original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved29 January 2015.
^"Premios BBVA a los mejores de mayo" [BBVA awards to best in May] (in Spanish). Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional. 19 May 2014. Retrieved24 May 2015.
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