Nery Castillo

2.1. Olympiacos

At the age of 16, Nery Castillo's father and agent accepted an offer from the Greek club Olympiacos. Over three years, Castillo developed into a regular starter for the team in both domestic and European competitions. He quickly became a favorite among the Gate 7 Ultras fan group, a testament to his popularity, and was even given the number 7 shirt in recognition of their support.

Castillo was an integral part of the Olympiacos squad that secured three consecutive league titles. During the preparatory phase for the 2006-07 season, he emerged as the club's leading scorer in friendly games, netting seven goals. By the end of that season, he was second only to Rivaldo in both goals and assists for Olympiacos, contributing three goals in five Champions League matches. In early 2006, negotiations with Mexican club Guadalajara for Castillo's transfer were suspended as Olympiacos expressed no interest in selling him at the time. However, in 2007, Olympiacos eventually accepted a substantial offer of 20.00 M EUR from Ukrainian club FC Shakhtar Donetsk for Castillo's services. In what he correctly anticipated would be his final game for Olympiacos, Castillo famously scored with a free kick, taking it himself despite another teammate preparing for the shot.

2.2. Shakhtar Donetsk

On July 31, 2007, Castillo officially transferred to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on a five-year contract, with the transfer fee reportedly set at 20.00 M EUR. This transaction marked a significant moment in Ukrainian football, becoming the most expensive transfer for a Ukrainian club at that time.

Castillo quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal for Shakhtar against SV Salzburg in a Champions League fixture. However, his tenure at Shakhtar was also marked by a controversial incident during a league match against FC Naftovyk-Ukrnafta Okhtyrka. When Shakhtar was awarded a penalty kick, Castillo refused to allow the designated penalty-taker, Cristiano Lucarelli, to take the shot, instead taking it himself. The penalty was subsequently saved by the goalkeeper. Immediately following this incident, Castillo was substituted from the game. Coach Mircea Lucescu publicly condemned Castillo's actions, stating, "What Castillo did, from a professional point of view, I've never seen anything like it before in my whole life. There will be some measures taken against Castillo."

2.3. Aris

On January 19, 2011, Castillo returned to Greece, joining Aris on a six-month loan. He made his debut for Aris on January 30, 2011, in a match against local rivals PAOK.

Following the conclusion of his loan, Castillo formally terminated his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk and signed a two-year contract with Aris on July 1, 2011, making his move permanent. He scored his first league goal for Aris in the 2011-12 season on January 8, 2012, securing a 1-0 victory over PAS Giannina. He found the net twice, achieving his first brace, in a 3-1 win against Doxa Drama on January 22. Seven days later, he scored his second consecutive brace in a 2-1 victory over Levadiakos. Castillo continued his impressive scoring run, netting another goal on February 5 in a 2-0 win over Xanthi, bringing his goal tally for the season to six.

2.4. Pachuca

On June 14, 2012, Castillo moved to Mexican Liga MX club Pachuca, signing a three-year contract.

2.5. Rayo Vallecano

On July 9, 2013, Castillo joined Spanish club Rayo Vallecano on a free transfer. This marked his final professional club career phase. He expressed that it was a dream to play in Spain.

3.1. Choosing nationality

Nery Castillo possessed eligibility for citizenship and thus potential representation in four different countries. He was eligible for Uruguay through his father's nationality, for Italy due to his maternal grandparents, for Greece because he had resided there for more than six years, and for Mexico, his country of birth.

His first experience with international football came when he was called up to a Uruguay U-17 training camp, though he was released after playing a few friendly games. Subsequently, Otto Rehhagel, the coach of the Greece national football team, made attempts to secure Castillo's services, reportedly offering him 800.00 K USD and fast-tracked Greek citizenship as part of the incentive. Ultimately, after considering his options, Castillo chose to represent the country of his birth and joined the Mexico national football team.

3.2. Mexico national team

Castillo made his international debut for Mexico on June 2, 2007, in a match against Iran, held in his hometown of San Luis Potosí. Mexico won the game 4-0. He went on to represent his country in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he scored his first international goal against Cuba.

He also participated in the 2007 Copa América. A pre-tournament injury to teammate Jared Borgetti opened up a starting position for Castillo. He made an immediate impact, scoring in Mexico's first match of the tournament, a 2-0 victory against Brazil. He scored again against Ecuador, helping Mexico secure a spot in the knockout stages. In the quarter-final match against Paraguay, Castillo scored a brace, with his first goal coming from a penalty spot, contributing to Mexico's dominant 6-0 win. Overall, Castillo was the third highest goal scorer of the 2007 Copa América, with four goals, trailing only Juan Román Riquelme and Robinho. His final international goal was scored on April 1, 2009, against Honduras in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match, which Mexico lost 1-3.

5.1. Club statistics

5.2. International statistics

5.3. International goals