Christian Santamaría

Christian Reniery Santamaría (born 20 December 1972) 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 Scores and results list Honduras' goal tally first. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 28 August 1996 Estadio Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula, Honduras 1–0 2-2 Friendly match 2. 13 October 1996 Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2–0 4-1 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 3. 13 October 1996 Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3–0 4-1 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 4. 15 November 2000 Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4–0 7–0 2002 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 Liga Profesional de Honduras (4): 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99 Honduran Cup: (2): 1995, 1998

Country Honduras Copa Centroamericana (1): 1995