My Take
Joselu is one of those players who spent years grinding through the lower and mid tiers of Spanish and English football — Stoke, Newcastle, Deportivo, Espanyol — the kind of journeyman career that makes you wonder if the big stage ever comes. Then, at 33, Real Madrid called, and he answered in the most ridiculous fashion: two stoppage-time headers against Bayern Munich in the 2024 Champions League semi-final that sent the Bernabéu absolutely delirious. I've watched a lot of football, and that moment felt like something out of a movie script nobody would greenlight. He's not a glamour striker, never has been, but that's exactly what makes his story so compelling — pure persistence paying off at the highest possible moment.
Overview
José Luis Mato Sanmartín (born 27 March 1990), known as Joselu, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Qatar Stars League club Al-Gharafa. Joselu began his career with Celta Vigo, before being purchased by Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Joselu
- Name (Japanese)
- ホセ・ルイス・サンマルティン・マト
- Reading
- ほせ・るいす・さんまるてぃん・まと
- Born
- March 27, 1990 (age 36)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Horse
- Origin
- Stuttgart, Stuttgart Government Region, Germany
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 192 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- association football player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.