History of Giovani dos Santos in Timeline
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez is a retired Mexican professional footballer known for his versatility on the field. He excelled in various attacking positions, including attacking midfielder, winger, and secondary striker.
May 1989: Birth of Giovani dos Santos
Giovani dos Santos was born in May 1989.
2001: Danone Nations Cup Golden Boot
In 2001, Giovani dos Santos participated in the Danone Nations Cup in Paris, where he won the Golden Boot award as the top scorer, even though Mexico finished fifth.
2005: FIFA U-17 World Championship Victory and Silver Ball Award
In 2005, Giovani dos Santos played a key role in Mexico's victory at the FIFA U-17 World Championship, contributing assists for half of the team's goals. His performance earned him the Adidas Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player.
July 2006: Pre-season Tour and Senior Team Debut
Dos Santos was invited to Barcelona's senior squad pre-season tour in July 2006, scoring in his debut game against AGF Aarhus.
July 2007: FIFA U-20 World Cup and Bronze Ball Award
In July 2007, Giovani dos Santos participated in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He scored crucial goals against Gambia and Portugal, helping Mexico advance to the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by Argentina. His performance in the tournament earned him the Adidas Bronze Ball.
August 2007: Dual Nationality and Inclusion in Barcelona's First Team
In August 2007, Dos Santos received dual nationality and was officially included in Barcelona's first team.
September 2007: UEFA Champions League Debut
Dos Santos made his UEFA Champions League debut on September 20, 2007, in a match against Lyon.
September 2007: Competitive and League Debut for Barcelona
Dos Santos made his competitive and league debut for Barcelona on September 2, 2007, in a win against Athletic Bilbao.
September 2007: Senior National Team Debut
In September 2007, Giovani dos Santos made his debut for the Mexican national team in a friendly against Panama.
2007: Debut for Barcelona's Senior Squad and Recognition
Dos Santos made his debut for Barcelona's senior squad in 2007 and was recognized as one of the top young footballers by World Soccer Magazine.
May 2008: Hat-trick Against Real Murcia
Dos Santos scored a hat-trick in Barcelona's final game of the 2007-2008 season, securing a victory against Real Murcia.
2008: Transfer to Tottenham Hotspur
Seeking more playing time, Dos Santos transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.
March 2009: Loan to Ipswich Town and Notable Performances
Dos Santos joined Ipswich Town on loan in March 2009 and made significant contributions, including scoring crucial goals against Burnley, Bristol City, and Norwich City.
July 2009: CONCACAF Gold Cup Victory and Player of the Tournament
In July 2009, Giovani dos Santos was instrumental in Mexico's CONCACAF Gold Cup victory. He scored a goal and provided two assists in the quarterfinal against Haiti, and helped secure a 5-0 victory against the United States in the final. He was named the tournament's best player.
September 2009: World Cup Qualifying Performance
In September 2009, during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, Giovani dos Santos was involved in all three goals in Mexico's 3-0 win against Costa Rica, scoring one goal and providing assists for the other two.
2009: Return to Tottenham and League Cup Appearances
Dos Santos returned to Tottenham for the 2009-2010 season and made appearances in the League Cup, but also suffered an ankle injury.
2009: CONCACAF Gold Cup Victory and MVP Award
Dos Santos was instrumental in Mexico's CONCACAF Gold Cup win in 2009, scoring in the final and earning the MVP award.
2009: Brother's Retirement from Football
Giovani dos Santos's older brother, Éder, retired from professional football in 2009. Éder had played as a defensive midfielder for América's reserve team.
January 2010: Loan to Galatasaray
Dos Santos joined Turkish club Galatasaray on loan for the remainder of the 2009-2010 season in January 2010.
2010: Participation in the FIFA World Cup
2010: Named One of the Best Young Players in the World
In 2010, Don Balón recognized Giovani dos Santos as one of the 100 most promising young players globally born after 1989.
2010: Brother's World Cup Exclusion
In 2010, Giovani dos Santos faced a personal disappointment when his brother, Jonathan dos Santos, was left out of Mexico's final 23-man squad for the World Cup.
2010: World Cup Qualifying
In 2010, Giovani dos Santos participated in the World Cup Qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
January 2011: Loan to Racing de Santander
Dos Santos joined Racing de Santander on loan from Tottenham in January 2011 until the end of the season.
February 2011: Debut and Goals for Racing de Santander
Dos Santos made his debut for Racing de Santander in February 2011 and went on to score his first goal for the club against Villarreal, followed by a brace against Hércules.
June 2011: CONCACAF Gold Cup Final Goal
In June 2011, playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Giovani dos Santos scored two goals against Cuba in a group stage match. In the final against the United States, he scored a memorable goal, dribbling past goalkeeper Tim Howard and chipping the ball over Eric Lichaj. This goal was later recognized as the best goal of the tournament.
2011: CONCACAF Gold Cup Victory
Dos Santos contributed to Mexico's victory in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring in the final.
June 2012: 2012 London Olympics and Silver Medal
In June 2012, Giovani dos Santos was selected to represent Mexico at the 2012 London Olympics, where he scored two goals against Gabon in the group stage and the winning goal against Senegal in the quarterfinal. An injury sidelined him for the final match against Brazil, but he was present to witness Mexico's 2-1 victory.
August 2012: Transfer to Mallorca
Dos Santos signed a four-year contract with Mallorca in August 2012.
2012: Transfer to Mallorca and Loan Spells
After several loan spells, Dos Santos was sold to Mallorca in 2012.
2012: Interest from Other Clubs
Dos Santos expressed his desire for a move in 2012 and garnered interest from clubs like Inter Milan and Sevilla.
2012: Olympic Gold Medal
Dos Santos was a member of the Mexican team that secured the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
January 2013: Debut, Assists, and First Goal for Mallorca
Dos Santos made his debut for Mallorca in October 2012, providing two assists in a game against Sevilla. He scored his first goal for the club in January 2013 against Espanyol.
July 2013: Transfer to Villarreal CF
In July 2013, Giovani dos Santos joined the recently promoted La Liga side Villarreal CF for a reported €6 million.
2013: Participation in the FIFA Confederations Cup
Dos Santos participated in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup with the Mexican national team.
June 2014: Goal in 2014 World Cup
In June 2014, Giovani dos Santos was part of Mexico's squad for the FIFA World Cup. He scored a goal in the Round of 16 match against the Netherlands, though Mexico was ultimately defeated.
2014: Participation in the FIFA World Cup
July 2015: Transfer to LA Galaxy
In July 2015, Dos Santos was transferred to LA Galaxy.
2015: CONCACAF Gold Cup Victory
Dos Santos was part of the Mexico team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2015.
July 2016: MLS All-Star Selection and US Open Cup Quarterfinal Goal
In July 2016, Giovani dos Santos was selected for the MLS All-Star Game. Later that month, he came off the bench in the US Open Cup quarterfinal and scored a crucial goal just three minutes after entering the game, contributing to LA Galaxy's 4-2 comeback victory over Seattle Sounders.
July 2017: MLS All-Star Game Selection
In July 2017, Giovani dos Santos was selected to play in the MLS All-Star game.
2018: Participation in the FIFA World Cup
March 2019: Release from LA Galaxy
In March 2019, Giovani dos Santos was released from his contract with LA Galaxy after the team used its offseason buyout option.
July 2019: Signing with Club América and Injury
In July 2019, Giovani dos Santos returned to the Liga MX, signing a three-year deal with Club América. During his first Súper Clasico match against Guadalajara in September, he sustained a severe thigh injury after a tackle that required surgery and sidelined him for six weeks.
2019: Release from LA Galaxy
Dos Santos's contract was bought out by LA Galaxy, leading to his release in 2019.
June 2021: Departure from Club América
In June 2021, Giovani dos Santos left Club América after a period of limited impact on the team.
