Diego Godín
Encyclopedia
Diego Roberto Godín Leal (ˈdjeɣo ɣoˈðin; born 16 February 1986 in Rosario
) is a Uruguay
an footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in La Liga
, as a central defender.
A fast and composed defender, he combines physical presence with an ability to play the ball comfortably from behind.
, moving at 20 to top division powerhouse Club Nacional de Football
. There, he quickly became captain due to his maturity and professionalism.
In August 2007, Godín signed a five-year deal with La Liga
side Villarreal CF
, scoring in just his second game, a 2–3 loss at CA Osasuna
, on October 7, and participating with 24 matches in the club's best-league placement ever (second). He consolidated his starting position in the subsequent seasons, mostly partnering Argentine
Gonzalo Rodríguez
in the heart of the back four.
On 4 August 2010, after experiencing his best season
at Villarreal - 36 games, three goals - Godín joined fellow first-divisioner Atlético Madrid on a five-year contract, after the two clubs agreed an initial fee believed to be around €
8 million (or £
6.6 million). He made his official debut for the Colchoneros on the 27th, playing the entire 2–0 win against F.C. Internazionale Milano
for the season
's UEFA Super Cup.
, in a friendly defeat against Mexico
, in Guadalajara
. He represented the nation at the 2007 Copa América.
Godín was selected for the squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
, starting in the opener against France
(0–0), in Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town
, and playing in a further four matches for the eventual semifinalists.
Rosario, Uruguay
Rosario , also known as Rosario Oriental, Villa del Rosario, or Rosario del Colla, is a small city located within the Colonia Department, in southern Uruguay. It is located on the south end of Route 2, about north of its intersection with Route 1...
) is a Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, as a central defender.
A fast and composed defender, he combines physical presence with an ability to play the ball comfortably from behind.
Club career
Godín started his professional career with C.A. CerroC.A. Cerro
Club Atlético Cerro, usually known simply as Cerro is an Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. They currently play in the Uruguayan 1st Division....
, moving at 20 to top division powerhouse Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
. There, he quickly became captain due to his maturity and professionalism.
In August 2007, Godín signed a five-year deal with La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
side Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
, scoring in just his second game, a 2–3 loss at CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
, on October 7, and participating with 24 matches in the club's best-league placement ever (second). He consolidated his starting position in the subsequent seasons, mostly partnering Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
Gonzalo Rodríguez
Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez
Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez, sometimes just Gonzalo , is an Argentine footballer who plays for Villarreal CF in La Liga, as a central defender.-Club career:...
in the heart of the back four.
On 4 August 2010, after experiencing his best season
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
at Villarreal - 36 games, three goals - Godín joined fellow first-divisioner Atlético Madrid on a five-year contract, after the two clubs agreed an initial fee believed to be around €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
8 million (or £
Pound sign
The pound sign is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom . The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies in some other countries and territories, such as the Irish pound, Gibraltar pound, Australian pound and the Italian lira...
6.6 million). He made his official debut for the Colchoneros on the 27th, playing the entire 2–0 win against F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
for the season
2010 UEFA Super Cup
The 2010 UEFA Super Cup was the 35th UEFA Super Cup organised by the European football governing body UEFA. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2010. It was contested by Internazionale, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 2009–10 UEFA...
's UEFA Super Cup.
International career
Aged just 19, Godín made his debut for UruguayUruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, in a friendly defeat against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
. He represented the nation at the 2007 Copa América.
Godín was selected for the squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, starting in the opener against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
(0–0), in Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and playing in a further four matches for the eventual semifinalists.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 27 May 2006 | Stadion Crvena Zvezda Stadion Crvena Zvezda The Red Star Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Belgrade, Serbia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Red Star Belgrade. The stadium is all-seated and the capacity is 51,328. It was opened in 1963 after construction which had started three years... , Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe... , Serbia |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 16 August 2006 | Alexandria Stadium Alexandria Stadium Alexandria Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Alexandria, Egypt. It is currently used mostly for football matches, and was used for the 2006 African Cup of Nations. The stadium is the oldest stadium in Egypt and Africa, being built in 1929... , Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving... , Egypt |
0–1 | 0–2 | Friendly | |
| 3. | 18 October 2006 | Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution... , Montevideo Montevideo Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento... , Uruguay |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |