Santiago Mele
 Mele in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Santiago Andrés Mele Castañero | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 6 September 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Atlético Junior | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fénix | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Fénix | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Osmanlıspor | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | → Ankaragücü (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | → Lleida Esportiu (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2024 | Plaza Colonia | 40 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Unión Santa Fe (loan) | 48 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | → Atlético Junior (loan) | 20 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Atlético Junior | 27 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Uruguay U18 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Uruguay U20 | 28 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Uruguay U22 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Uruguay | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 June 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Santiago Andrés Mele Castañero (born 6 September 1997) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Categoría Primera A club Atlético Junior and the Uruguay national team.[1][2]
Club career
[edit]A youth academy graduate of Fénix, Mele made his professional debut on 30 August 2016 in a 1–0 loss against Cerro.[3]
On 4 September 2017, Turkish top division club Osmanlıspor announced the signing of Mele on a five-year deal.[4] He was immediately loaned out to second division club Ankaragücü for 2017–18 season.[5] However, with Korcan Çelikay and Altay Bayındır ahead of him in pecking order, he didn't receive any playing minutes.[6]
Mele's loan was cut short in following January and he subsequently got loaned out to Spanish third division side Lleida Esportiu.[7] With Diego Rivas Rego as first-choice goalkeeper, Mele failed to find playing minutes again.
Two years after joining the club, Mele made his debut for Osmanlıspor on 17 August 2019 in a 2–1 win against Boluspor.[8]
International career
[edit]Mele is a former Uruguay youth international. He was part of Uruguay under-20 team which won the 2017 South American U-20 Championship and finished fourth at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[2] He was also part of the Uruguay under-22 team which finished fourth at the 2019 Pan American Games.[9]
On 21 October 2022, Mele was named in Uruguay's 55-man preliminary squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[10] He made his senior team debut on 28 March 2023 in a 2–1 win against South Korea.[11]
In June 2024, Mele was named in Uruguay's 26-man squad for the 2024 Copa América.[12]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of 13 December 2023[1]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fénix | 2013–14 | Uruguayan Primera División | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2015–16 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||||
| Osmanlıspor | 2018–19 | TFF First League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |||
| Ankaragücü (loan) | 2017–18 | TFF First League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Lleida Esportiu (loan) | 2017–18 | Segunda División B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Plaza Colonia | 2020 | Uruguayan Primera División | 20 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 20 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |||
| Unión (loan) | 2022 | Argentine Primera División | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 2023 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 58 | 0 | ||
| Atlético Junior (loan) | 2023 | Categoría Primera A | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 117 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 142 | 0 | ||
International
[edit]- As of match played 26 March 2024[1]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 2023 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
Honours
[edit]Atlético Junior
Uruguay U20
Uruguay
- Copa América third place: 2024[13]
Individual
- Uruguayan Primera División Team of the Year: 2021[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Santiago Mele at Soccerway
- ^ a b "1 - Santiago Mele - AUF". Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Fénix vs. Cerro - 30 August 2016". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ "Uruguaylı kaleci Santiago Mele Osmanlıspor'da". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ "Osmanlıspor, Uruguaylı kaleci Mele'yi aldı, Ankaragücü'ne kiraladı". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ Santiago Mele, atajando en la locura turca elobservador.com.uy
- ^ "El golero Santiago Mele dejó Turquía y arregló en el Lleida Esportiu de España". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ "Osmanlıspor vs. Boluspor - 17 August 2019". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ "Convocados para los Panamericanos de Lima 2019". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ "Selección: Diego Alonso entregó la lista de 55 reservados para el Mundial de Catar" (in Spanish). 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ "Así fue el debut de Santiago Mele en el arco de la Selección Uruguaya". 28 March 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Uruguay presentó los 26 convocados para la Copa América, con Luis Suárez en la lista". 8 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Uruguay beats Canada on penalties to finish CONMEBOL Copa América™ in 3rd Place". 14 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ "Se definieron los Premios AUF anuales 2021". 28 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
External links
[edit]- Profile at the Uruguayan Football Association website (in Spanish)
|  | |
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Montevideo
- Men's association football goalkeepers
- Uruguayan men's footballers
- Uruguay men's youth international footballers
- Uruguay men's under-20 international footballers
- Uruguay men's international footballers
- Uruguayan Primera División players
- Centro Atlético Fénix players
- Ankaraspor footballers
- MKE Ankaragücü footballers
- Lleida CF players
- Plaza Colonia players
- Unión de Santa Fe footballers
- Atlético Junior footballers
- Categoría Primera A players
- Uruguayan expatriate men's footballers
- Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
- Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Argentina
- Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina
- Uruguayan sportspeople of Italian descent
- Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Colombia
- 2024 Copa América players