Diego Godín facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Godín and the second or maternal family name is Leal.

Quick facts for kids
Diego Godín

Godín with Uruguay at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Personal information

Date of birth

16 February 1986 (age 39)

Place of birth

Rosario, Uruguay

Height

1.87 m

Playing position

Centre-back

Club information

Current club

Porongos (es)

Youth career

Estudiantes El Colla

2000–2003

Defensor

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2003–2006

Cerro

(6)

2006–2007

Nacional

(0)

2007–2010

Villarreal

(4)

2010–2019

Atlético Madrid

277

(17)

2019–2020

Inter Milan

(1)

2020–2022

Cagliari

(1)

2022

Atlético Mineiro

(1)

2022–2023

Vélez Sarsfield

(1)

2024–

Porongos (es)

(0)

Total

557

(31)

National team

2004–2005

Uruguay U20

(0)

2005–2022

Uruguay

161

(8)

Honours

Copa América

Representing Uruguay
Winner	2011

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:58, 28 September 2024 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

Diego Roberto Godín Leal (born on 16 February 1986) is a Uruguayan professional footballer. He plays as a centre-back (a defender who plays in the middle of the field) for Porongos. Many people think he is one of the best defenders of his time.

Godín started his career in Uruguay with clubs like Cerro and Nacional. He spent most of his career in Spain, playing for Villarreal and Atlético Madrid. With Atlético Madrid, he won eight titles, including the La Liga championship in the 2013–14 season. He also played in Italy, Brazil, and Argentina before retiring in 2023.

Godín played for the Uruguay national team from 2005 to 2022. He has played more games for Uruguay than anyone else. He represented his country in four World Cups and six Copa América tournaments. He helped Uruguay win the Copa América in 2011.

Early Life and Start in Football
- Starting His Professional Journey
Playing for Atlético Madrid
Moving to Other Clubs
International Career with Uruguay
How Godín Played
Personal Life
Career Statistics
- Club
- International
Trophies and Awards
See also

Early Life and Start in Football

Godín was born in Rosario. When he was just four years old, he had a scary moment. He almost drowned while trying to catch fish in a river. Luckily, he was able to swim to shore all by himself.

Starting His Professional Journey

Godín began his professional football career at age 17 with Cerro. He played very well there. Because of his strong performances, he moved to Nacional, a top team in Uruguay. He quickly became the team's captain because he was so mature and professional.

In August 2007, Godín signed a five-year contract with Villarreal in Spain. He scored his first goal for them in his second game. This was a 3–2 loss against Osasuna on 7 October. He played in 24 matches that season. Villarreal finished second in the league, which was their best result ever. Godín became a regular starter, often playing alongside Gonzalo Rodríguez in defense.

Playing for Atlético Madrid

On 4 August 2010, Godín joined Atlético Madrid. He signed a five-year contract with the club. He made his first official appearance for Atlético on 27 August. This was in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup, where they beat Inter Milan 2–0.

Godín in action for Atlético in 2018

Godín signed a new contract with Atlético on 1 November 2013, which kept him at the club until 2018. He scored four goals in the league that season. One of his most important goals came on 17 May 2014. He scored against Barcelona, making the game 1–1. This goal helped his team win their first league title in 18 years! A week later, he scored again with a header in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final. This goal put his team ahead, but Real Madrid eventually won 4–1.

In 2015, Godín turned down an offer to join Manchester City. Their coach, Manuel Pellegrini, used to be his boss at Villarreal. On 28 October 2017, Godín became the foreign player with the most appearances for Atlético Madrid. He played his 315th game, passing Luis Perea. He was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or award in 2016 and 2018.

On 20 February 2019, Godín scored a goal in a 2–0 win against Juventus in the Champions League. On 7 May, Godín announced he would leave Atlético Madrid after nine years. On 1 June, he passed his captain's armband to Koke in his final game.

Moving to Other Clubs

Inter Milan and Cagliari

On 1 July 2019, Godín joined Inter Milan in Italy for free. He signed a three-year deal. He played his first game in Serie A on 1 September. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Cagliari.

In the 2019–20 season, Inter finished just one point behind champions Juventus. Godín scored his first goal for Inter on 13 July 2020. This was in a 3–1 home win against Torino. On 21 August, he scored in the 2020 UEFA Europa League Final against Sevilla. Inter lost that game 3–2. Godín was one of only a few players to score in the finals of both of Europe's top football tournaments.

On 24 September 2020, Godín moved to Cagliari on a three-year contract. He played his first match for them on 4 October. He also scored a goal in that game, but Cagliari lost 5–2 to Atalanta. He left Cagliari on 12 January 2022.

Atlético Mineiro and Vélez Sarsfield

On 12 January 2022, Godín, at 36 years old, signed a one-year deal with Atlético Mineiro in Brazil. He scored in his first game on 6 February, a 3–0 win. On 20 February, he helped Atlético win the 2022 Supercopa do Brasil in a penalty shootout.

In April 2022, Godín said he returned to South America to play in the Copa Libertadores. This was his first time in the tournament in 15 years. On 20 June, he announced he was leaving Atlético Mineiro. He wanted to play more to be ready for the upcoming World Cup with Uruguay.

On 21 June 2022, Godín joined Vélez Sarsfield in Argentina. He signed a contract for one and a half years. He announced his retirement on 27 July 2023. His last match was against Huracán.

Coming Out of Retirement

Godín came out of retirement in February 2024. He signed to play for an amateur team in Uruguay called Porongos.

International Career with Uruguay

In 2005, at 19, Godín played his first game for Uruguay. This was a friendly match against Mexico. He scored his first international goal in May 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro. He played for Uruguay in the 2007 Copa América.

Godín was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He started in the first game against France. He played in four more matches as Uruguay reached the semi-finals.

Godín playing for Uruguay in 2010

In 2011, Godín was part of Uruguay's team that won the 2011 Copa América. He came on as a substitute in the final, where Uruguay beat Paraguay 3–0. He also played in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, helping his team reach the semi-finals.

Coach Óscar Tabárez picked Godín for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was the captain in three of Uruguay's four games because their usual captain was injured. On 24 June, he scored the only goal against Italy with a header. This goal sent Uruguay to the next stage of the tournament.

In May 2015, Godín was named captain for Uruguay in the 2015 Copa América. He was also chosen for the Copa América Centenario squad. He scored a header in the first game against Mexico. He played his 100th game for Uruguay in the next match against Venezuela.

Godín also played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On 25 March, at the 2019 China Cup, he played his 126th game against Thailand. This made him the player with the most games for the national team, passing Maxi Pereira.

In June 2019, Godín led the team to the quarter-finals of the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. He did the same two years later. On 10 October 2021, he played his 150th game for Uruguay. This was a 3–0 loss to Argentina in a World Cup qualification match.

How Godín Played

Even though he wasn't the fastest or most athletic, Godín was known as one of the best and most consistent defenders in the world. Many experts thought he was one of the top centre-backs of his time. During the 2018 World Cup, one writer called him "the best central defender in the world."

Godín was a very smart defender. He was known for his leadership, good positioning, and calm attitude. These skills helped him organize his team's defense, understand the game, and predict what would happen next. He was also strong, competitive, and good in the air. He could jump well to defend high balls and score goals with his head from set pieces.

Godín was also great at timing his tackles, blocking shots, and winning the ball. He was strong in one-on-one situations, meaning it was hard for opposing players to get past him. Besides his defensive skills, he was also good with the ball. He could pass the ball well and carry it out from the back, helping his team start attacks.

Personal Life

Godín is married to Sofia. Her father, José Herrera, was also a Uruguayan football player. Godín is good friends with Antoine Griezmann, who played with him at Atlético Madrid. During the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals match between Uruguay and France, Griezmann scored a goal but did not celebrate. He did this out of respect for Godín and his other club teammate José María Giménez. Godín is also the godfather to Griezmann's daughter.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Cerro	2003	Uruguayan Primera División	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
	2004	Uruguayan Primera División	14	0	1	0	—		—		15	0
	2005	Uruguayan Primera División	17	1	0	0	—		—		17	1
	2005–06	Uruguayan Primera División	30	5	0	0	—		—		30	5
	Total		63	6	1	0	—		—		64	6
Nacional	2006–07	Uruguayan Primera División	26	0	4	0	16	2	—		46	2
Villarreal	2007–08	La Liga	24	1	3	0	7	0	—		34	1
	2008–09	La Liga	31	0	0	0	7	0	—		38	0
	2009–10	La Liga	36	3	2	0	6	0	—		44	3
	Total		91	4	5	0	20	0	—		116	4
Atlético Madrid	2010–11	La Liga	25	0	1	1	3	1	1	0	30	2
	2011–12	La Liga	27	2	1	0	13	1	—		41	3
	2012–13	La Liga	35	1	5	0	1	0	1	0	42	1
	2013–14	La Liga	34	4	5	2	10	2	2	0	51	8
	2014–15	La Liga	34	3	3	0	9	1	2	0	48	4
	2015–16	La Liga	31	1	3	0	12	0	—		46	1
	2016–17	La Liga	31	3	5	0	11	0	—		47	3
	2017–18	La Liga	30	0	3	1	12	0	—		45	1
	2018–19	La Liga	30	3	2	0	6	1	1	0	39	4
	Total		277	17	28	4	77	6	7	0	389	27
Inter Milan	2019–20	Serie A	23	1	2	0	11	1	—		36	2
Cagliari	2020–21	Serie A	28	1	0	0	—		—		28	1
	2021–22	Serie A	11	0	1	0	—		—		12	0
	Total		39	1	1	0	—		—		40	1
Atlético Mineiro	2022	Série A	1	0	1	0	2	0	5	1	9	1
Vélez Sarsfield	2022	Argentine Primera División	6	1	0	0	2	0	—		8	1
	2023	Argentine Primera División	13	0	1	0	—		—		14	0
	Total		19	1	1	0	2	0	—		22	1
Career total			539	30	43	4	128	9	12	1	722	44

International

Godín (right) and Austria's Marc Janko in March 2014

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Uruguay	2005	1	0
	2006	9	3
	2007	8	0
	2008	9	0
	2009	9	0
	2010	7	0
	2011	9	0
	2012	9	0
	2013	14	0
	2014	11	1
	2015	11	3
	2016	9	1
	2017	7	0
	2018	11	0
	2019	11	0
	2020	4	0
	2021	14	0
	2022	8	0
Total		161	8

Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Diego Godín
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 May 2006	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro	Serbia and Montenegro	1–1	1–1	Friendly
2	16 August 2006	Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt	Egypt	1–0	2–0
3	18 October 2006	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Venezuela	1–0	4–0
4	24 June 2014	Arena das Dunas, Natal, Brazil	Italy	1–0	1–0	2014 FIFA World Cup
5	8 October 2015	Estadio Hernando Siles, Paz, Bolivia	Bolivia	1–0	2–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	13 October 2015	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Colombia	1–0	3–0
7	17 November 2015	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Chile	1–0	3–0
8	5 June 2016	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States	Mexico	1–1	1–3	Copa América Centenario