The connection between Villarreal CF and Uruguay has always been a special one. The latest ‘charrúa’ to arrive at the Groguet club is Santiago Mouriño.

From its growth as a club in the 1990s to its more recent successes in Europe, Villarreal CF has enjoyed a highly fruitful relationship with South American talent, and particularly with Uruguay.

Although small in population, with barely four million inhabitants, Uruguay has for decades been a breeding ground for talented and competitive footballers. The South American nation has produced players of great quality for clubs all over the world, and Villarreal CF is no exception: twelve Uruguayan footballers have now worn yellow throughout the club’s history.

History of Uruguayans at Villarreal CF

The first to arrive was midfielder Alfredo Sosa, who joined in the 1970/71 season, just as Villarreal made their debut in Segunda División. He was followed several years later by goalkeeper Antonio Pons Gimeno in the 1977/78 campaign, when the team were competing in Tercera División.

In the 1990s, forward Raúl Ricardo Dos Santos wore the yellow shirt in Segunda A during the 1994/95 season. After his departure, Villarreal brought in another Uruguayan striker, Diego Milton Seoane. Nico Hernández was another forward who made his mark, forming part of the squad that won the club’s first-ever promotion to the top flight in 1997/98.

Once established in the elite of Spanish football, the first Uruguayan to truly make history was Diego Forlán — one of Villarreal’s great idols — who arrived in 2004 and even won the European Golden Shoe as a Yellow. A year later he was joined by goalkeeper Sebastián Viera, and in the 2007/08 season two more names were added: centre-back Diego Godín and midfielder Sebastián Eguren, both key figures in the club’s growth and in securing the runners-up spot in LaLiga.

In Segunda División, during the 2012/13 campaign, Walter Pandiani joined and played 18 matches as a Groguet. The last before now was midfielder Ramiro Guerra, who made his debut in 2017/18 but was limited to just ten first-team appearances due to injuries.

Now, with the arrival of Santiago Mouriño, Villarreal are not only reinforcing their defence, but also continuing a historic connection between the Yellow Submarine and Uruguay.

Villarreal CF continues its international expansion thanks to the Villarreal Academy project. The Yellows have confirmed the opening of the Villarreal Uruguay Academy, which will have two sites in the cities of San José and Maldonado. This new academy in the South American country will officially open in March 2025.

During the last four years, Villarreal CF has held different football camps and training courses for the country’s coaches in Uruguayan cities such as Montevideo or Punta del Este. Now, thanks to the arrival of Villarreal Academy, the cities of San José and Maldonado will host young talents from Uruguay, who will train under the Villarreal CF methodology, providing them with unique experiences and opportunities.

Through the Villarreal Academy, the Submarine continues to expand across all continents. Uruguay is the latest country to join the long list of nations which form part of the Villarreal Academy initiative. The United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and many more. Welcome to the family, Villarreal Uruguay Academy!

For more information visit: www.villarrealuruguay.com, or contact info@villarrealuruguay.com.