Christian Santamaría


Christian Reniery Santamaría is a retired Honduran football player who made his name with Olimpia and the national team in the second half of the 1990s.

Club career

Santamaría started his career at Olimpia and remained there for 10 years, except for a season at Millonarios in Colombia with whom he played in the 1997 Copa Libertadores and at Mexican side Atlético Celaya. In 2002, he moved abroad again to join Costa Rican outfit Cartaginés and he was signed by Salvadorans Municipal Limeño for the 2005 Clausura only to return to Honduras to play a season at Platense. In 2006, he had another spell in El Salvador when he was named one of three new players for Águila.

International career

Santamaría made his debut for Honduras in a December 1994 friendly match against the USA and has earned a total of 46 caps, scoring 4 goals. He has represented his country in 13 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and played at the 1995 and 1999 UNCAF Nations Cups as well as at the 1996 and 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cups.
His final international was a June 2003 friendly match against El Salvador.

International goals

DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.28 August 1996Estadio Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula, Honduras1–02-2Friendly match
2.13 October 1996Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines2–04-11998 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.13 October 1996Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines3–04-11998 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.15 November 2000Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines4–07–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification

Personal life and political career

Santamaría is a son of Raúl Graugnard and Mary Santamaría. He took his mother's name since his father left them to study in his native Brazil. Santamaría is married and has a daughter, Christian Naville.
After he retired from playing, he became a football commentator and started an acting career.
In December 2012, Santamaría officially became the first candidate to be MP of the Liberal Party for Atlántida Department.

Honours and awards

Club

;C.D. Olimpia
;Honduras