Mágico González facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mágico González

Personal information
Date of birth	(1958-03-13) 13 March 1958 (age 67)
Place of birth	San Salvador, El Salvador
Height	1.73 m
Playing position	Forward, attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1975–1976	ANTEL	45	(13)
1976–1977	Independiente Nacional	32	(7)
1977–1982	FAS	63	(39)
1982–1984	Cádiz	75	(29)
1985	Valladolid	9	(2)
1986–1991	Cádiz	119	(28)
1991–1999	FAS
Total		343+	(118+)
National team
1976–1998	El Salvador	62	(21)
Honours Men's football Representing  El Salvador CONCACAF Championship Runner-up 1981 Honduras Third 1977 Mexico Central American Games Gold 1977 El Salvador
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Jorge Alberto González Barillas (born March 13, 1958) is a famous Salvadoran former professional footballer. He is known as El Mágico ("The Magical One" or "The Wizard"). He mostly played as a forward.

Mágico González played for FAS in El Salvador and Cádiz in Spain. His career lasted 24 years. Many people say he was the most skilled footballer ever from El Salvador. He is also seen as one of the best players from the CONCACAF region.

González played for the El Salvador national team for over two decades. He took part in the 1982 World Cup and the 1998 Gold Cup.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Football

Born in San Salvador, Mágico González began his professional career in 1975. He played for ANTEL and Independiente. After two seasons, he moved to FAS in El Salvador's top league.

While playing in El Salvador, he was first called Mago. When he moved to Spain, his nickname changed slightly to Mágico.

Playing for Cádiz

In 1982, both Atlético Madrid and Cádiz wanted to sign González. He chose Cádiz, even though Atlético Madrid was a bigger club. His first game in Spain was a friendly match. His league debut was on September 5, 1982, for Cádiz in the Segunda División. He scored a goal in that game.

Fans loved him because of his amazing moves and goals. He played 33 games and scored 14 goals in his first season. His team, Cádiz, was promoted to La Liga, Spain's top division.

In 1983 and 1984, Cádiz traveled to the United States. González was the main attraction the first year. The next year, Barcelona and superstar Diego Maradona joined them. Maradona later said that González was "without a doubt amongst the greatest ten players I have ever seen play in all my life. Better than myself and even better than Pelé".

González played his first game in the top division on September 11, 1983. Cádiz was relegated (moved down a league) that season.

Even after relegation, big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain from France and Italian teams like Atalanta wanted to sign him. But González decided to stay with Cádiz. He later moved to Real Valladolid for a short time in 1985. He played only nine games there. He returned to Cádiz exactly one year later.

Under coach Víctor Espárrago, González truly shined again for Cádiz. He played four more seasons in the top league. In total, he scored 58 goals in 194 league games for Cádiz. He left the club on June 6, 1991, when he was 33 years old.

Later Career and Tributes

Stadium Jorge "El Magico" González

After leaving Cádiz, González returned to El Salvador and played for FAS again. He stayed with FAS until 1999, when he retired from playing. He then worked as an assistant coach in Houston, Texas, for a short time. After that, he returned to his home country.

In 2001, Cádiz held a special game called a testimonial match to honor González. The money raised went to help victims of an earthquake in El Salvador. In 2003, the Salvadoran National Assembly gave González a very high honor, the Hijo Meritísimo. They also renamed the national stadium, Flor Blanca, after him. It is now called the Mágico González Stadium.

On August 28, 2004, another testimonial game was played in his honor in El Salvador. It was held at the Mágico González Stadium. The game was between a team of international stars and a team of former FAS players. González played one half for each team and scored three goals.

International Career

Many experts believe that if González had been from Argentina or Brazil, he would have been known as one of the best players in the world. He would have been ranked with legends like Maradona and Pelé. He played his first game for El Salvador on December 1, 1976. This was a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Costa Rica.

He played a key role in helping El Salvador qualify for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. This was only the second time in history El Salvador reached the World Cup. He played in all three group-stage matches during that tournament.

González played for his country in 31 World Cup qualifying games. He scored 21 goals in total for the national team.

Playing Style and Impact

Mágico González was a slim and very creative forward. He had amazing ball control and technical skills. He was also known for his quick feet and using tricks and feints like the flip flap and the Cruyff turn. He was very accurate with the ball and fast when he had possession.

He is widely considered the greatest Salvadoran footballer of all time. He is also seen as one of the best Latin American footballers ever. In 1999, he was named his nation's Player of the Century.

González was a versatile forward, meaning he could play in many positions. He could play as a winger or a second striker. Sometimes, he played as a centre-forward or a playmaker (number 10 role). He even played as a midfielder sometimes. He often wore the number 11 shirt. His playing style inspired Maradona, who admired him greatly. Maradona said, "We, in training, always tried to imitate him [González], but we couldn't."

Personal Life

González grew up in a family that did not have much money. He was born in the Luz neighborhood of San Salvador. He had seven brothers and one sister. His older brother, Mauricio González Pachín, was also a well-known local footballer.

Mágico married Ana María Ruano. Her father, Alfredo Ruano, was also a Salvadoran football legend. Mágico's son, Rodrigo, also played in El Salvador's top football league.

Honours

FAS

• Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador: 1977–78, 1978–79, 1981, 1994–95, 1995–96
• CONCACAF Champions League: 1979

El Salvador

• Central American Games: 1977
• CONCACAF Championship runner-up: 1981; third place: 1977

Individual

• CONCACAF Team of the Century: 1998
• Best Salvadoran player of the 20th century according to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics: 1999
• Cádiz CF Hall of Fame: 2001
• El Salvador Hall of Fame: 2004
• Football Hall of Fame: 2013

See also

In Spanish: Mágico González para niños