Giovani dos Santos

Lore & Background

Born in Mexico City, dos Santos joined Barcelona's academy of La Masia at age 13. He played for Barcelona's B team until age 18, then made his senior debut in 2007. He was named by World Soccer Magazine as one of the 'Top 50 Most Exciting Teen Footballers' in 2007. After one season at Barcelona, he transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. His time at Tottenham included loans to Ipswich Town, Galatasaray, and Racing de Santander. He later played for Mallorca, Villarreal, LA Galaxy, and Club América. Dos Santos was a member of the Mexico under-17 team that won the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He debuted for the senior national team on 9 September 2007 against Panama and represented Mexico at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2013 and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2009, 2011, and 2015, scoring in the 2009 and 2011 finals and winning the MVP award in 2009. He also won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In Their Own Story

The Azteca was a green ocean under the floodlights, the air thick with the smell of roasted corn and the low hum of ten thousand voices waiting. The ball sat on the spot twenty-two yards out, slightly left of centre. Giovani walked to it, the way he always did—slow, hands on hips, eyes scanning the wall. He placed his boot behind the ball, took two steps back, then one more. The crowd went quiet in that way only a free kick can make them quiet. He struck it with the inside of his left foot, and the ball rose, dipped, and kissed the underside of the crossbar before dropping into the net. For three seconds nobody moved. Then the stadium detonated. Somewhere in the stands, a father in a faded green jersey lifted his son onto his shoulders and both of them screamed the same word: *Giovani.*

Reader's Guide

Dos Santos began his career at Barcelona, making his competitive debut on 2 September 2007. He scored a hat-trick against Real Murcia on 17 May 2008 in his last game for Barcelona. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur on 18 June 2008 for a fee of €6 million plus potential add-ons. He scored his first competitive goal for Tottenham in the UEFA Cup on 26 February 2009. He was loaned to Ipswich Town in March 2009, scoring four goals in eight appearances. He was loaned to Galatasaray in January 2010, making his debut on 31 January 2010, but failed to score. He was loaned to Racing de Santander on 31 January 2011, scoring his first goal on 27 February 2011. He signed for Mallorca on 31 August 2012, finishing as their top scorer with six goals in the 2012–13 season. He joined Villarreal on 9 July 2013 for €6 million, scoring 11 goals and providing 8 assists in the 2013–14 season. He signed for LA Galaxy on 15 July 2015 as a Designated Player, making his debut on 6 August 2015. He was released by LA Galaxy on 1 March 2019. He joined Club América on 6 July 2019.

Did You Know?

• Dos Santos scored a hat-trick in his last game for Barcelona against Real Murcia on 17 May 2008.
• He won the CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP award in 2009.
• Dos Santos was included in the FIFA Ballon d'Or longlist in 2015.
• He scored within three minutes of coming off the bench in the 2016 U.S. Open Cup quarter-finals.