Jonathan dos Santos Ramírez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈɟʝonatan dos ˈsantos]; Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈʒonatɐ̃ dus ˈsɐ̃tus]; born 26 April 1990) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Liga MX club América.

Jonathan dos Santos
Dos Santos with Mexico at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Jonathan dos Santos Ramírez[1]
Date of birth (1990-04-26) 26 April 1990 (age 33)
Place of birth Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
América
Number 6
Youth career
2002–2009 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Barcelona B 81 (6)
2009–2014 Barcelona 14 (0)
2014–2017 Villarreal 88 (4)
2017–2021 LA Galaxy 103 (6)
2022– América 69 (1)
International career
2009–2021 Mexico 57 (5)
Medal record
Representing  Mexico
Men's football
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Winner 2015 United States-Canada
Winner 2019 United States
Runner-up 2021 United States
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 February 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 September 2021

Early life edit

Born in Monterrey, Mexico,[3] Jonathan was competing along with his brother Giovani in a youth tournament in France, where he was spotted by FC Barcelona scouts who decided to bring him and his brother to La Masia for a trial.

Club career edit

Barcelona edit

2008–09 season edit

In the 2008–09 season, Dos Santos was in Juvenil A where he was captain of the team.[4] During that same season, he obtained a Spanish passport and thereby acquired Citizenship of the European Union, which enabled him to play in the first team.[5]

2009–10 season edit

In the summer of 2009, Dos Santos was selected by FC Barcelona B manager Luis Enrique to form part of the second team.[6] Subsequently, Pep Guardiola called him up to the first team during pre-season in England and the tour in the United States.[7] On 15 August 2009, Dos Santos was called up for his first official game with the first team in the Supercopa de España against Athletic Bilbao, although he was eventually ruled out and saw the game as a spectator.[8][9] He made his debut with Barcelona B on 5 September 2009 against Mallorca B. The match finished in a 1–1 draw.[10] Jonathan made his debut for Barcelona on 28 October 2009, coming on as a substitute for Seydou Keita in the 80th minute in an away Copa del Rey match against Cultural Leonesa, which Barcelona won 2–0.[11] He made his Champions League debut for Barcelona on 24 November 2009 against Internazionale in a 2–0 win at the Camp Nou when he replaced Andrés Iniesta in the 92nd minute.[12] Due to the lengthy 2009–10 season, many Barcelona first-team players were given breaks towards the end of the year. This meant the first team was going to be a few men short, and hence four Barça B players were called up by Guardiola on 29 December 2009. Among these four were Dos Santos, Thiago, Gai Assulin and Víctor Vázquez.[13] His La Liga debut came on 2 January 2010 when he started against Villarreal CF before being substituted by Iniesta in the 60th minute.[14]

2010–11 season edit

Dos Santos was called up by Pep Guardiola to the Barcelona first team during pre-season along with other players from Barcelona B. In the first three matches, Guardiola played him as defensive midfielder, a position he had never played before. Nevertheless, Dos Santos said, "I've felt comfortable in this position."[15]

2011–12 season edit

On 26 July 2011, Dos Santos started, and scored a goal, in the 2–2 draw against Sport Club Internacional in the 2011 Audi Cup. The match went to a penalty shootout, where he scored as well. Barcelona advanced to the final, where they beat FC Bayern Munich 2–0. He was part of the starting line-up in both matches, though he played at right back in the final. He made his season debut on 29 August in the 5–0 home win against Villarreal, coming in as a substitute for Cesc Fàbregas in the 70th minute.

On 24 November 2011, Dos Santos signed a contract extension which would keep him at Barcelona until 2015.[16] On 6 December, he appeared in the starting squad and played 58 minutes against FC BATE Borisov for the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage match.[17]

2012–13 season edit

Despite rumours of a transfer to other Spanish clubs such as Real Betis and Málaga CF,[18] and Sevilla FC,[19] newly appointed coach Tito Vilanova officially called up Dos Santos to Barcelona's first team squad, handing him the number 12 shirt.[20] On 6 April 2013, against RCD Mallorca, he came on as a substitute for Andrés Iniesta in the 50th minute and competed against his brother Giovani dos Santos.

Villarreal edit

On 9 July 2014, Dos Santos signed a five-year deal with Villarreal, and going to play with his brother Giovani.[21] On 21 December, Dos Santos scored his first La Liga goal in a 3–0 victory against Deportivo de La Coruña.[22]

Los Angeles edit

On 27 July 2017, MLS club LA Galaxy announced the signing of Dos Santos as a Designated Player,[23] reuniting him with his brother, Giovani, at the American club. Villarreal sold Jonathan for a fee reportedly around €5–6 million.[24] On 29 November 2021, the club parted ways with Dos Santos.[25]

América edit

On 23 December 2021, Dos Santos joined Club América on a free transfer.[26]

International career edit

 
Dos Santos playing for Mexico in 2011

Dos Santos made his senior national team debut in a friendly against Colombia on 30 September 2009. He was substituted for Patricio Araujo in the 72nd minute; Colombia won the game 2–1.[27][28] This meant that he represented his national team before debuting for his club team.[29]

On 3 March 2010, Dos Santos played 61 minutes against New Zealand. During the match, off a corner from Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the ball rolled towards him and he shot from outside the box but hit the crossbar. Dos Santos was left out of Mexico's 23-man final squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[30][31]

In May 2011, Dos Santos was left out of the 2011 Gold Cup final squad. On 24 May 2011, he was called up to play the Copa América.[32] He was subsequently dismissed from the team due to indiscipline.[33]

On 29 February 2012, Dos Santos returned to the Mexico national team for a friendly against Colombia in Miami, Florida, in which they lost 2–0.[34]

In November 2014, after a two-year absence with the national team, Dos Santos was called up by coach Miguel Herrera for the friendly matches against the Netherlands and Belarus on 12 and 18 November, respectively.

In 2015, Dos Santos was called up to Mexico's friendly against Ecuador and Paraguay. Jonathan did not start nor play in Ecuador's friendly, but he started in Paraguay's friendly which led to a 1–0 win against them at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. He was called back up for two friendlies against Costa Rica and Honduras where both matches were drawn, and he was also called up for the 2015 Gold Cup, starting in every match as Mexico won the tournament.

 
Dos Santos playing against Portugal in the 2017 Confederations Cup

In June 2018, Dos Santos was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia.[35][36]

On 26 March 2019, Dos Santos scored his first ever senior international goal, opening the scoring in a 4–2 friendly win over Paraguay.[37] In June 2019, he was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for the 2019 Gold Cup.[38] He scored the lone goal in a 1–0 victory over the United States in the final.[39] He was subsequently listed in the tournament's Best XI.[40]

On 7 July 2019, Dos Santos scored an impressive volley in the 73rd minute that ended up being the winning goal for Mexico against the United States in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

Style of play edit

Dos Santos is described as a versatile midfielder, with LA Galaxy he often played as a holding midfielder.[41] He is known for his work rate, technical acuity, defensive tenacity, vision and ability to create space and opportunities for teammates.[42][43]

Personal life edit

Jonathan is the son of former Afro-Brazilian footballer Zizinho, who played for the Mexican football clubs América and León in the late 1980s. His mother, Liliana Ramírez, is a Mexican national; two brothers and two half-brothers – the elder, Éder dos Santos, who used to play for América as a defensive midfielder before retiring, and Giovani dos Santos, is a former professional footballer.[44]

Career statistics edit

Club edit

As of 13 March 2024[45][46]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other[a] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2009–10 Segunda División B 19 1 19 1
2010–11 Segunda División 32 2 32 2
2011–12 30 3 30 3
Total 81 6 81 6
Barcelona 2009–10 La Liga 3 0 2 0 1 0 6 0
2010–11 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 5 0
2011–12 3 0 3 0 2 0 8 0
2012–13 3 0 3 0 6 0
2013–14 3 0 3 0
Total 14 0 9 0 4 0 1 0 28 0
Villarreal 2014–15 La Liga 28 2 5 1 9 0 42 3
2015–16 26 0 2 0 10 1 35 1
2016–17 34 2 4 0 8 1 48 3
Total 88 4 11 1 27 2 126 7
LA Galaxy 2017 MLS 12 1 12 1
2018 23 2 23 2
2019 29 2 2 1 31 3
2020 13 0 13 0
2021 26 1 26 1
Total 103 6 2 1 105 7
América 2021–22 Liga MX 11 0 11 0
2022–23 26 1 26 1
2023–24 32 0 3 0 4 0 39 0
Total 69 1 3 0 4 0 76 1
Career total 355 17 20 1 34 2 7 1 416 21

International edit

As of 8 September 2021[47][46]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Mexico 2009 1 0
2010 4 0
2012 1 0
2014 2 0
2015 10 0
2016 1 0
2017 13 0
2018 6 0
2019 7[a] 3
2020 2 0
2021 10 2
Total 57 5
  1. ^ Jonathan dos Santos additionally played a match against Martinique in 2019, which is not recognized by FIFA.
Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each dos Santos goal.
List of international goals scored by Jonathan dos Santos
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 26 March 2019 Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States   Paraguay 1–0 4–2 Friendly
2 9 June 2019 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States   Ecuador 1–0 3–2 Friendly
3 7 July 2019 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States   United States 1–0 1–0 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final
4 3 July 2021 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States   Nigeria 4–0 4–0 Friendly
5 24 July 2021 State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States   Honduras 2–0 3–0 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Honours edit

Barcelona

América

Mexico

Individual

References edit

  1. ^ "FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009 presented by Toyota: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 1 December 2009. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  2. ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Jonathan dos Santos: Profile". FC Barcelona.cat.
  4. ^ SPORT. "Barça - Últimas noticias del FC Barcelona - SPORT.es". www.sport.es.
  5. ^ SPORT. "Noticias Confidencial". www.sport.es.
  6. ^ Doce juveniles para el filial
  7. ^ Una decena de talentos para Guardiola
  8. ^ Messi, ausente en la primera lista de la temporada
  9. ^ "RFEF". actas.rfef.es.
  10. ^ "Barça earn first point (1–1)". Fcbarcelona.cat. 5 September 2009. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
  11. ^ "Partido al minuto". sport.es. 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009.
  12. ^ "Barcelona vs Inter Milan". Goal.com. 24 September 2009. Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Barca up to 4 of subsidiary". sport.es. 29 December 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  14. ^ "Barça earn first point (1–1)". Goal.com. 2 January 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  15. ^ SPORT. "Barça - Últimas noticias del FC Barcelona - SPORT.es". www.sport.es.
  16. ^ New deal for Dos Santos. Sky Sports. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link). Mediotiempo. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  18. ^ "Report: Jonathan dos Santos on Betis and Malaga's radar"[permanent dead link]. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  19. ^ "En Sevilla no niegan interés en Jona dos Santos". ESPNDeportes. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  20. ^ "FC Barcelona – Official Football Roster 2012–13". Fox Sports. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  21. ^ El Villarreal CF ficha a Jonathan dos Santos (Villarreal CF signs Jonathan dos Santos) Archived 10 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Villarreal's official website, 9 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  22. ^ "Villarreal climb after seventh straight La Liga win". 21 December 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  23. ^ "LA Galaxy sign Mexican midfielder Jonathan dos Santos as Designated Player". LA Galaxy. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  24. ^ "Jonathan Dos Santos in talks to join his brother Giovani with LA Galaxy - source". ESPN. 24 July 2017.
  25. ^ "LA Galaxy part ways with midfielder Jonathan dos Santos". Los Angeles Galaxy. 29 November 2021.
  26. ^ "Mexico's Jonathan dos Santos joins Liga MX side Club America". ESPN. 23 December 2021.
  27. ^ "Jonathan Dos Santos es llamado por Javier Aguirre". ESPNdeportes.com. 22 September 2009.
  28. ^ México 1–2 Colombia Archived 2 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ "Barcelona's Jonathan Dos Santos Delighted With Mexico Call". Goal.com. 23 September 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  30. ^ "México 2–0 Nueva Zelanda... Segunda victoria del Tri y comienzan a volar" (in Spanish). Mediotiempo.com. Retrieved 4 March 2010.
  31. ^ "World Cup 2010: Mexico drop Jonathan dos Santos". BBC Sport. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  32. ^ "World Cup 2010: Giovani Dos Santos 'considering quitting Mexico squad'". The Telegraph. 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  33. ^ "Tena pierde a cinco titulares del Tri Sub-22". Diario Récord. Grupo Editorial Notmusa. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  34. ^ "Convocatoria de la Selección Mayor ante la Selección de Colombia". Mi Selección. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  35. ^ Crawford, Stephen (4 June 2018). "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists". Goal. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  36. ^ "Convocatoria de la Selección Nacional de México". MiSeleccion.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  37. ^ Serrano, Adam (26 March 2019). "Jonathan dos Santos scores as Mexico earns 4-2 win over Paraguay". LA Galaxy. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  38. ^ "Convocatoria Final para Copa Oro 2019". MiSeleccion.mx (in Spanish). Mexican Football Federation. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  39. ^ "Mexico's 'other' Dos Santos emerges to haunt U.S. in Gold Cup final". ESPN.com. ESPN. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  40. ^ "2019 Concacaf Gold Cup - Best XI". goldcup.org. 7 July 2019. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  41. ^ "Jonathan dos Santos". Mlssoccer.com.[permanent dead link]
  42. ^ Marshall, Tom (8 July 2019). "Mexico's 'other' Dos Santos emerges to haunt U.S. in Gold Cup final". ESPN FC.
  43. ^ French, Scott (4 April 2019). "Sparked by Jonathan dos Santos, LA Galaxy midfield firing on all cylinders". Mlssoccer.com.
  44. ^ "LA Galaxy exercise offseason buyout on Giovani dos Santos". LA Galaxy. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  45. ^ "Jonathan dos Santos Player Profile - ESPN FC". www.espnfc.us.
  46. ^ a b Jonathan dos Santos Stats
  47. ^ "dos Santos, Jonathan". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  48. ^ Hernandez, Cesar (18 December 2023). "Club América extends Liga MX record to 14 titles after defeating Tigres". ESPN. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  49. ^ Straus, Brian (7 July 2019). "Mexico Turns Tide, Wins Gold Cup Title Again vs. Wasteful USMNT". Sports Illustrated.
  50. ^ "2019 MLS All-Star Roster". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.

External links edit