Roque Santa Cruz facts for kids
Santa Cruz with Paraguay in 2011
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 August 1981 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Asunción, Paraguay | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||
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Current team
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Libertad | ||||||||||||
| Number | 24 | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1997 | Olimpia | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Olimpia | 24 | (13) | ||||||||||
| 1999–2007 | Bayern Munich | 155 | (31) | ||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Bayern Munich II | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Blackburn Rovers | 57 | (23) | ||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Manchester City | 20 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 2011 | → Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | → Betis (loan) | 33 | (7) | ||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | → Málaga (loan) | 31 | (8) | ||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Málaga | 43 | (9) | ||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Cruz Azul | 10 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | → Málaga (loan) | 17 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Olimpia | 148 | (66) | ||||||||||
| 2022– | Libertad | 89 | (16) | ||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 1999 | Paraguay U20 | 13 | (6) | ||||||||||
| 2000 | Paraguay U23 | 4 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 1999–2016 | Paraguay | 112 | (32) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 May 2024 | |||||||||||||
Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero (born 16 August 1981) is a professional footballer from Paraguay. He plays as a striker for the Paraguayan Primera División team Libertad. Many people think he is one of the best players in Paraguay's history. He is the top goal scorer for the Paraguay national team and has played for them over 100 times.
Santa Cruz began his career at Olimpia in Paraguay, making his first-team debut when he was only 15 years old. He quickly became a star and helped Olimpia win three league titles. In 1999, he moved to the famous German club Bayern Munich.
At Bayern, he was part of a very successful team. He won many titles, including the German league (Bundesliga), the German cup (DFB-Pokal), and the prestigious UEFA Champions League. After eight years in Germany, he moved to England to play for Blackburn Rovers, where he had a fantastic first season, scoring 19 goals.
Later, he played for Manchester City and had loan spells at clubs in Spain like Real Betis and Málaga. He has represented Paraguay in three World Cups (2002, 2006, and 2010) and several Copa América tournaments.
Contents
Club career
Olimpia Asunción
Santa Cruz joined the youth team of Olimpia Asunción when he was nine years old. He was a great goal scorer, and at age 15, the first-team coach invited him to train with the main squad. He made his professional debut in 1997.
By 1998, he was scoring important goals in international competitions like the 1998 Copa Mercosur. His talent caught the eye of big European clubs, especially after he scored two goals against the famous goalkeeper José Luís Chilavert. In 1999, he helped Olimpia win the league title again before moving to Germany.
Bayern Munich
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In 1999, Santa Cruz joined Bayern Munich, one of the biggest clubs in the world. He scored his first goal for the team soon after arriving. During his time at Bayern, he played alongside other famous strikers like Giovane Élber, Roy Makaay, and Claudio Pizarro.
He faced some injuries, which sometimes limited his playing time. However, he was part of a team that won many trophies. He won five Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokal cups, and the 2001 UEFA Champions League. After eight successful years, he decided to look for a new challenge and moved to England.
Blackburn Rovers
In 2007, Santa Cruz signed for Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League. He had an amazing first season, scoring 19 goals in the league. This made him one of the top scorers in England that year. He even scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Wigan Athletic.
His great form attracted attention from other clubs. After a second season with Blackburn, he was signed by Manchester City in 2009.
Manchester City and Loans
Santa Cruz's move to Manchester City reunited him with his old manager from Blackburn, Mark Hughes. He scored a few goals for City, but injuries and changes in management meant he didn't play as often as he wanted.
Because he wasn't getting much playing time, he went on loan to other clubs. He briefly returned to Blackburn Rovers and then moved to Spain to play for Real Betis and later Málaga. He had a good time in Spain, scoring goals and enjoying his football.
Later Career
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After his loan, Santa Cruz signed a permanent deal with Málaga in 2013. He played there for a few more seasons before a short spell in Mexico with Cruz Azul.
In 2016, he made a celebrated return to his first club, Olimpia Asunción, in Paraguay. He was very successful, winning four league titles in a row and becoming a fan favorite once again.
In 2022, at the age of 40, he joined another top Paraguayan club, Libertad, where he continues to play and score important goals. In 2024, he became one of the oldest players ever to score in the Copa Libertadores, South America's biggest club competition.
International career
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Santa Cruz has had a long and successful career with the Paraguay national team. He made his debut in 1999 at just 17 years old. That same year, he played in the 1999 Copa América and scored three goals.
He played for Paraguay in three World Cups:
- 2002 World Cup: He scored a goal against South Africa in the group stage.
- 2006 World Cup: He was a key player for the team.
- 2010 World Cup: He helped Paraguay reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, where they narrowly lost to the eventual champions, Spain.
Santa Cruz is Paraguay's all-time leading goal scorer, with 32 goals in 112 matches. He also helped his country finish as runners-up in the 2011 Copa América.
Style of play
Santa Cruz is known for his skill in scoring goals and his powerful runs into the penalty area. His height makes him good at heading the ball, but he is also skilled with his feet. For many years, he was a difficult opponent for defenders to handle.
Personal life
Santa Cruz is married to Giselle Tavarelli, the sister of his former teammate, Ricardo Tavarelli. They have four children: two sons and two daughters.
His father, Aproniano, is also his sports agent. He has two brothers, Julio and Diego, who were also professional football players. Santa Cruz is good friends with his former Bayern Munich teammate, Owen Hargreaves.
Honours
Club
Olimpia Asunción
- Paraguayan Primera División: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2018 Apertura, 2018 Clausura, 2019 Apertura, 2019 Clausura, 2020 Clausura
- Copa Paraguay: 2021
- Supercopa Paraguay: 2021
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
- DFB-Pokal: 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
- DFB-Ligapokal: 2000, 2004
- UEFA Champions League: 2000–01
- Intercontinental Cup: 2001
Libertad
- Paraguayan Primera División: 2022 Apertura, 2023 Apertura, 2023 Clausura
- Copa Paraguay: 2023
- Supercopa Paraguay: 2023
International
Paraguay
- Copa América runner-up: 2011
Individual
- Blackburn Rovers Player of the Season: 2007–08
- Paraguayan Footballer of the Year: 1999, 2018
- Premier League Player of the Month: December 2007
Images for kids
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Santa Cruz during his second year with Málaga CF
