Santiago Mele

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mele and the second or maternal family name is Castañero.
Santiago Mele
Mele in 2017
Personal information
Full name Santiago Andrés Mele Castañero
Date of birth (1997-09-06) 6 September 1997 (age 27)
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
Men's football
Representing  Uruguay
Copa América
Third place 2024 United States
South American U-20 Championship
Winner 2017 Ecuador
*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]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
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]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Uruguay 2023 3 0
2024 1 0
Total 4 0

Honours

[edit]

Atlético Junior

Uruguay U20

Uruguay

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Santiago Mele at Soccerway
  2. ^ a b "1 - Santiago Mele - AUF". Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Fénix vs. Cerro - 30 August 2016". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Uruguaylı kaleci Santiago Mele Osmanlıspor'da". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Osmanlıspor, Uruguaylı kaleci Mele'yi aldı, Ankaragücü'ne kiraladı". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  6. ^ Santiago Mele, atajando en la locura turca elobservador.com.uy
  7. ^ "El golero Santiago Mele dejó Turquía y arregló en el Lleida Esportiu de España". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Osmanlıspor vs. Boluspor - 17 August 2019". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Convocados para los Panamericanos de Lima 2019". Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Selección: Diego Alonso entregó la lista de 55 reservados para el Mundial de Catar" (in Spanish). 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Así fue el debut de Santiago Mele en el arco de la Selección Uruguaya". 28 March 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Uruguay presentó los 26 convocados para la Copa América, con Luis Suárez en la lista". 8 June 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Uruguay beats Canada on penalties to finish CONMEBOL Copa América™ in 3rd Place". 14 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Se definieron los Premios AUF anuales 2021". 28 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
[edit]
  • Profile at the Uruguayan Football Association website (in Spanish)
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