Santiago García

Rosario Central

García started his career at hometown club Rosario Central, playing his first game with the team on a 1–0 defeat to Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata during the 2008 Apertura tournament. He broke into the starting eleven during the 2010 Clausura tournament under the guidance of head coach Ariel Cuffaro Russo, relegating Ecuadorian international Paúl Ambrosi to the bench. García made a total 13 positive appearances which led to interest from a number of European clubs.

Palermo and loan to Novara

On 12 July 2010, Palermo chairman and owner Maurizio Zamparini confirmed the signing of the Argentine defender from Rosario Central. He debuted with the rosanero on 30 September against Lausanne in the UEFA Europa League. On 19 July 2011, newly promoted Serie A club Novara confirmed on its website to have signed García on loan from Palermo, with an option to acquire half of the player's rights by the end of the season. He scored his first goal in the Serie A on 13 May 2012 against Milan. In the 2012–13 season, he returned to Palermo to replace Federico Balzaretti, who moved to Roma. In his second full season at the rosanero, he suffered relegation to Serie B and was often criticized by the team supporters due to the alleged poor quality of his performances. In July 2013, García did not answer to the pre-season call-up from Palermo, his agent stating his intention not to play for the Sicilians anymore.

Werder Bremen

On 1 September 2013, Palermo…

As of match played 28 April 2021

García started his career with the Libertad Washington youth teams. He then joined Nacional de Montevideo. He was considered one of Uruguayan football's best prospects. He appeared on the first team in 2008, at just 17 years old, capturing everyone's attention with his speed and strength. He made his official debut on 27 July 2008 against Defensor Sporting, scoring in this game his first goal as a professional player. After his great appearances with Nacional, San Lorenzo tried to sign him without success. During the last two seasons of the Uruguayan championship, García participated in the first team of Nacional, although he wasn't considered part of the starting team. This situation changed in the 2010–11 season, in which Garcia evolved into becoming not only part of the starting team, but also one of its most valuable players. He managed to win the Primera División championship with Nacional and ended the season as the league's top goalscorer, with 23 goals in 28 matches. On 18 June 2011, García joined Brazilian Athletico Paranaense for €2 million, signing a five-year contract. After failing a drug test for cocaine doping, García was sold to Turkish club Kasımpaşa. In 2013, he returned to Nacional; one year later, he moved to River Plate, where he remained until January 2016 when he was signed by Godoy Cruz. With the Mendocino team, García spent the most successful years in the history of the club. The team finished second to Boca Juniors in 2017–18 (only two points…

García was a member of the Uruguay under-20 team that participated in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he played three games and scored one goal.

García also holds Spanish citizenship. His twin brother, Manuel, is also a professional footballer.

On 6 February 2021, after several days without contact, García, aged 30, was found dead in his apartment in Godoy Cruz, with a gunshot wound in the right parietal. He had been receiving psychiatric treatment. It was later confirmed that the cause of death was suicide by gunshot. After preliminary examinations by the Scientific Police, it was determined that he died on 4 February. After the death of García was confirmed, Godoy Cruz announced that number 18 worn by García during his tenure with the club would be retired in his honour.