Santiago Castañeda

Santiago Castañeda (born November 13, 2004) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for German club SC Paderborn.

Early life
Growing up in Tampa, Florida, Castañeda began playing soccer at the age of three. He holds both American and Colombian citizenship. His father is a former professional soccer player from Colombia. Until 2023, Castañeda was enrolled at Tampa Preparatory School.

Career
In 2020, Castañeda joined Florida Premier FC in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). In December 2021, he participated in the ECNL Florida National Selection Game, ultimately being named man of the match. Described as one of the "brightest soccer players in the area", Castañeda caught the attention of the Tampa Bay Rowdies; he was brought into the team's training camp for the 2022 preseason. On April 4, 2022, he signed a USL Academy contract with the Rowdies, allowing him to train with a professional team while mainting his eligibility for youth club soccer and recruitment to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, from which he had previously received offers. One day later, he made his professional debut as a substitute in a 6–0 U.S. Open Cup win over The Villages SC. He would eventually make his USL Championship debut in a 5–2 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on June 25, 2022.

On March 14, 2023, it was announced that Castañeda had signed for German club MSV Duisburg on a two-year contract. He made his debut in a 2–1 defeat to Jahn Regensburg in the 3. Liga on September 3, 2023. On December 2, 2023, Castañeda scored his first professional goal, a stoppage-time winner in a 1–0 win over VfB Lübeck. After the 2023–24 season, he moved to SC Paderborn.