Mariano Díaz returned to action on Tuesday after ten months without professional football—and he did it in style: with a goal. The Spanish-Dominican striker started in Dominican Republic’s friendly against Puerto Rico at Estadio Cibao FC, breaking his goal drought in the 20th minute and helping secure a 2-0 victory.

From the first whistle, Mariano showed his hunger for goals, taking his first shot as early as the 4th minute. His persistence paid off when he opened the scoring, and beyond his goal, he put in an impressive performance, earning a standing ovation when he was subbed off in the 87th minute.

A Long Time Without a Club

Despite being without a team since last summer, Argentine coach Marcelo Neveleff put his trust in him, calling him up for the two friendlies against Puerto Rico. He didn’t feature in the first match (a 2-2 draw on March 21), but when given his chance this time, he made the most of it.

The last time Mariano played for the Dominican national team was in 2013, in a friendly against Haiti, where he also scored. He was on the preliminary list for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but then-coach Ibai Gómez left him out of the final squad.

A Career Full of Ups and Downs

Born in Premià de Mar (Barcelona) in 1993, Mariano Díaz started his career at Badalona before joining Real Madrid, where he made his first-team debut in 2016. In 2017, he moved to Olympique Lyon, where he impressed, earning a return to Madrid in 2018. 

However, his second stint with Los Blancos saw limited game time, and in 2023, he signed with Sevilla, where he played just 13 official matches, failing to score in 320 minutes. After this goal-scoring return with the national team, Mariano now hopes to find a new club soon and reignite his professional career.