Martín Cáceres facts for kids
Cáceres with Uruguay in 2011
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Martín Cáceres Silva | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 April 1987 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||
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Current team
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Libertad | ||||||||||||
| Number | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| Defensor | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Defensor | 26 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Villarreal | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | → Recreativo (loan) | 34 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Barcelona | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | → Juventus (loan) | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | → Sevilla (loan) | 25 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Sevilla | 14 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2012 | → Juventus (loan) | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Juventus | 51 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2017 | Southampton | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Hellas Verona | 14 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Lazio | 10 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2019 | → Juventus (loan) | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Fiorentina | 56 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Cagliari | 14 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2022 | Levante | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | LA Galaxy | 36 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2025– | Libertad | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Uruguay U20 | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2022 | Uruguay | 116 | (4) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:36, 1 May 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||
José Martín Cáceres Silva (born 7 April 1987) is a professional footballer from Uruguay. He plays as a defender for Paraguayan Primera División club Libertad. He is mainly a centre-back, but he can also play on the sides of the field, usually as a right-back.
Martín Cáceres started his career at Defensor Sporting in Uruguay. In 2007, he moved to the Spanish club Villarreal. Over the years, he played for many clubs in Spain and Italy. He won six Serie A titles with Juventus. He also won the Champions League in 2009 with Barcelona. He played briefly in England for Southampton. Even though he is a very skilled player, his career has been affected by several injuries.
Cáceres has been a player for the Uruguay national team since he was 20 years old. He played for his country in four World Cups. He also played in three Copa América tournaments and the 2013 Confederations Cup. He helped Uruguay win the 2011 Copa América.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Uruguay and Spain
Martín Cáceres was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He began his football journey with his local team, Defensor Sporting. He quickly became a key player for them. In February 2007, he signed with the Spanish club Villarreal.
When he arrived in Spain, Villarreal loaned him to La Liga team Recreativo de Huelva. He played many games for Recreativo. He often played as a central defender, helping the team stay in the top division. He even scored a goal against Villarreal in a cup match.
Playing for Barcelona
On 4 June 2008, Cáceres joined Barcelona. This was a big move for him. During his only season at the Camp Nou, he did not play very often. This was due to injuries and the coach's choices.
He was the fourth-choice defender behind other strong players. He played in three games during the Champions League season. Barcelona won the Champions League that year, completing a "treble" (winning three major trophies). Cáceres was a substitute in the final game.
Loan to Juventus
On 6 August 2009, Barcelona loaned Cáceres to Juventus in Italy. He started well, scoring a goal in his first league game for Juventus. He played regularly at first, but injuries caused him to miss many games.
Time with Sevilla
Cáceres returned to Spain on 30 August 2010, joining Sevilla on loan. He played regularly for Sevilla, often as a right-back.
In May 2011, he suffered a serious injury during a match. He recovered quickly and even played in the last two games of the season. Sevilla finished fifth and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. In May 2011, Sevilla bought Cáceres permanently from Barcelona. However, in January 2012, he went back to Juventus on another loan.
Returning to Juventus
At Juventus, Cáceres wore the number 4 shirt, just like his fellow countryman Paolo Montero once did. He played his first game back for Juventus on 8 February 2012. He scored two goals in a cup match against AC Milan. On 25 March, he scored his first league goal against Inter Milan.
On 25 May 2012, Cáceres officially joined Juventus permanently. He signed a four-year contract. He missed much of the 2014–15 season due to an injury in October 2014. He returned in January 2015, scoring a goal against Napoli. However, he fractured his ankle in March and needed surgery.
Cáceres returned to play on 8 August 2015, helping Juventus win the Supercoppa Italiana. In February 2016, he suffered another serious injury to his Achilles tendon, which ended his season. Juventus announced that his contract would not be renewed, and he left the club on 30 June 2016.
Playing for Southampton
On 16 February 2017, Cáceres joined Premier League club Southampton in England. He signed a contract until the end of the season. He was a substitute in the EFL Cup final, which Southampton lost.
After three months, Cáceres played his only game for Southampton on 13 May. He left the club on 25 May 2017.
Back in Italy: Hellas Verona and Lazio
In August 2017, Cáceres returned to Italy, signing with Hellas Verona. He later joined Lazio on 8 January 2018. He scored one goal for Lazio in a match against Fiorentina.
Third Time at Juventus
On 29 January 2019, Juventus signed Cáceres again on a five-month loan. This was his third time playing for the club. He played his first game back on 2 February. He left Juventus at the end of that season.
Fiorentina and Cagliari
On 30 August 2019, Cáceres joined Fiorentina. He signed a one-year deal. In May 2020, he shared that he had tested positive for COVID-19 for 60 days.
Cáceres moved to Cagliari on 1 September 2021. He played alongside his national teammates Diego Godín and Nahitan Nández. He scored one goal for Cagliari in October.
Levante and LA Galaxy
Cáceres returned to Spain's top league on 30 January 2022, joining Levante. He played 10 games for them, but the team was relegated.
On 24 August 2022, Cáceres joined Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy in the United States. He scored his first goal for them on 15 May 2023. Cáceres was part of the team that won the MLS Cup 2024 on 7 December 2024. He did not play in any matches during the final part of the season due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Later Career
On 11 February 2025, at 37 years old, Cáceres moved to the Paraguayan Primera División. He signed a ten-month contract with Libertad.
International Career
Cáceres played for the Uruguay Under-20 team in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played in all their matches. Before that, he was named the best defender at the 2007 South American U-20 Championship.
He made his debut for the senior national team on 12 September 2007. In 2010, he was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. He played in the semi-finals and the third-place match.
Cáceres scored his first international goal on 23 June 2011 in a friendly game. He played a key role in the 2011 Copa América in Argentina. Uruguay won their 15th continental title. He scored the winning penalty in a shootout against the host team, Argentina, in the quarter-finals.
Cáceres played in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was also part of the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played four games, helping Uruguay reach the last 16.
Due to injuries, Cáceres missed the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario in 2016.
He was included in Uruguay's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in all their matches as they reached the quarter-finals.
In March 2019, Cáceres was named in the squad for the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. He played four times in the tournament. Uruguay was eliminated in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout.
Cáceres earned his 100th international game on 13 October 2020. This was during a World Cup qualifier match.
Playing Style
Martín Cáceres mainly plays as a central defender. However, he can also play as a left or right-back. He is known for his speed, strength, tackling skills, and ability to head the ball. He has also played as a wing-back or winger on both sides of the field.
When he played for Juventus, his determined style of play was compared to his fellow countryman, Paolo Montero.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Defensor | 2005–06 | Uruguayan Primera División | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | Uruguayan Primera División | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 | 4 | ||
| Total | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 | 4 | |||
| Recreativo (loan) | 2007–08 | La Liga | 34 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 36 | 3 | ||
| Barcelona | 2008–09 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 23 | 0 | |
| Juventus | 2009–10 | Serie A | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 21 | 1 | |
| Sevilla (loan) | 2010–11 | La Liga | 25 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 37 | 1 | |
| Sevilla | 2011–12 | La Liga | 14 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 | 1 | |
| Juventus (loan) | 2011–12 | Serie A | 11 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – | 14 | 3 | ||
| Juventus | 2012–13 | Serie A | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 89 | 6 | ||
| Southampton | 2016–17 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |
| Hellas Verona | 2017–18 | Serie A | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 3 | ||
| Lazio | 2017–18 | Serie A | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 2018–19 | Serie A | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| Juventus (loan) | 2018–19 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Fiorentina | 2019–20 | Serie A | 27 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 31 | 2 | |||
| Total | 56 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 4 | ||
| Cagliari | 2021–22 | Serie A | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 1 | ||
| Levante | 2021–22 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | – | – | – | 10 | 0 | |||
| LA Galaxy | 2022 | Major League Soccer | 6 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | Major League Soccer | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | ||
| 2024 | Major League Soccer | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Total | 36 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 339 | 22 | 41 | 5 | 36 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 415 | 27 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 116 | 4 | |
- Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cáceres goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 June 2011 | Estadio Atilio Paiva Olivera, Rivera, Uruguay |  Estonia |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 8 October 2015 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia |  Bolivia |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 3 | 17 November 2015 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay |  Chile |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 4 | 10 October 2017 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay | Bolivia |
1–1 | 4–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours and Achievements
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09
Juventus
- Serie A: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19
- Coppa Italia: 2014–15, 2015–16; runner-up: 2011–12
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2012, 2013, 2015
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2014–15
Southampton
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2016–17
Uruguay
See also
In Spanish: Martín Cáceres para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
