Marcelino Martínez

Lore & Background

Marcelino was born in Ares, Province of A Coruña, Galicia. In 1959, he signed with Real Zaragoza from local Racing de Ferrol, remaining with Zaragoza until his retirement 11 years later. During his spell with the Aragonese, always in La Liga, he scored 117 goals in all competitions, contributing to three major titles including two Copa del Rey trophies. He was part of an attacking line dubbed Los Magníficos, which also featured Canário, Carlos Lapetra, Eleuterio Santos and Juan Manuel Villa.

In Their Own Story

The score was level against Independiente, and the Intercontinental Cup hung in the balance after a grueling replay. In the dying minutes, the ball found its way to Marcelino near the edge of the box. Time seemed to suspend itself as he controlled the pass with his chest, turning away from the defender. With a calmness that belied the magnitude of the moment, he struck the ball low and hard into the corner. The net rippled, and for the first time in history, the red-and-white scarf was raised not just in Spain, but as champions of the world. Marcelino didn't scream; he simply pointed to the sky, a quiet hero in a stadium roaring with disbelief.

Reader's Guide

Marcelino played 14 times for Spain, participating in the 1964 European Nations' Cup and the 1966 FIFA World Cup. In the 1964 final, he scored the decisive 2–1 goal against the Soviet Union via a header. At the time of his debut, he was the first Zaragoza player to represent the national team.

Did You Know?

• Marcelino scored the winning goal in the 1964 European Nations' Cup final.
• He was the first Real Zaragoza player to play for the Spain national team.
• His attacking line at Zaragoza was known as Los Magníficos.