José Santamaría facts for kids
Santamaría in 1976
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Emilio Santamaría Iglesias | ||
| Date of birth | 31 July 1929 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Date of death | 15 April 2026 (aged 96) | ||
| Place of death | Madrid, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Atlético Pocitos | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1948–1957 | Nacional | ||
| 1957–1966 | Real Madrid | 227 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 1952–1957 | Uruguay | 20 | (0) |
| 1958–1962 | Spain | 16 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1968–1971 | Spain (youth / Olympic) | ||
| 1971–1977 | Español | ||
| 1978–1980 | Spain U21 | ||
| 1980–1982 | Spain | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Emilio Santamaría Iglesias (born 31 July 1929 – died 15 April 2026) was a famous football player and coach. He was known as a strong central defender. Santamaría played for 18 years, first with Nacional in Uruguay and then with Real Madrid in Spain. With Real Madrid, he won an amazing 12 titles, including four European Cups. Santamaría was born in Uruguay but played for both the Uruguay and Spain national teams. After his playing days, he became a football manager, even coaching the Spanish national team for two years.
Contents
Playing for Top Clubs
Early Days in Uruguay
José Santamaría was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. His parents were from Spain. He started his football journey playing for a local team called Nacional. During his time there, he helped his team win five national championships! This showed everyone how talented he was.
Becoming 'The Wall' at Real Madrid
In 1957, when he was 28, Santamaría moved to Spain to play for the famous club Real Madrid. He stayed with Real Madrid until he retired from playing. In his very first season (1957–58), he played 34 games in both La Liga (the Spanish league) and the European Cup. Real Madrid won both of these big tournaments that year!
Santamaría became known as "The Wall" because he was such a strong and reliable defender. He was a key player for Real Madrid for many years. He helped the team win ten more major trophies during his time there. He retired at the age of 36 at the end of the 1965–66 season. Even in his last season, he played in two European Cup matches, helping Real Madrid win that trophy again. In total, he played 337 official matches for Real Madrid.
Playing for Two Countries
Representing Uruguay
José Santamaría was first asked to join the Uruguay squad for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. However, his club did not let him go because they needed him as a defender, not an attacker. Four years later, he was a very important player for Uruguay at the World Cup in Switzerland. He helped his team reach an impressive fourth place. He played 20 games for Uruguay in total.
Representing Spain
In 1958, Santamaría started playing for the Spain national team. His first game for Spain was on October 15 against Northern Ireland, which Spain won 6–2. He also played for Spain in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. In that tournament, he played in matches against Czechoslovakia and Mexico.
Coaching and Managing Teams
First Coaching Role
After retiring as a player, Santamaría became a coach. His first club coaching job was with RCD Español in Barcelona, starting in 1971. He coached the team for six years, helping them finish in the top four of the league twice. In the 1972–73 season, they even finished third, very close to winning the championship! He left his role with the club in December 1977.
Coaching the Spanish National Team
Santamaría also coached different youth teams for Spain, including the Under-21 team for two years. Later, he became the main manager for the Spanish national team for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. This World Cup was special because it was held in Spain! After the tournament, he finished his time as manager because the team did not advance past the second stage. After this, he decided to leave football and explore other interests.
A Life Well Lived
José Santamaría passed away in Madrid, Spain, on 15 April 2026. He was 96 years old. He left behind a great legacy in the world of football.
Honours
Nacional
- Uruguayan Primera División: 1950, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1957
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65
- Copa del Generalísimo: 1961–62
- European Cup: 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1965–66
- Intercontinental Cup: 1960
Individual
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1954
- World Soccer World XI: 1960
- IFFHS Uruguayan Men's Dream Team
See also
In Spanish: José Santamaría para niños
- List of Spain international footballers born outside Spain
