Sporting Kansas City acquired forward Santiago Munoz on loan from LIGA MX side Santos Laguna for the remainder of the 2025 season on April 22, 2025. Munoz’s loan comes with an option for Sporting to exercise a permanent transfer at the end of 2025. Munoz, a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico, has recorded six goals and six assists in 81 appearances for Santos Laguna since debuting for the club in 2020. He has played 73 matches in the top-flight LIGA MX while also featuring in Leagues Cup and competing for the Newcastle United U-21s in England from 2021-2023. On the international stage, Munoz has represented Mexico at the U-17, U-21 and U-23 levels, notably winning the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship and helping El Tri to a second-place finish at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
PROFESSIONAL
Santos Laguna (2020-2025):
Munoz earned his Santos Laguna and LIGA MX debut on Oct. 25, 2020, appearing in a 2-1 win against Atlético de San Luis. The forward took another step forward during the 2021 LIGA MX Clausura campaign by tallying three goals, recording three assists in a 3-1 victory over Toluca on April 18, 2021, and propelling Santos Laguna to the finals of the LIGA MX Clausura playoffs.
After his loan spell with Newcastle, Munoz returned to Santos Laguna in January 2023 and logged 18 LIGA MX appearances for the remainder of the year. His 2024 Clausura season was highlighted by a 3-0 win versus Cruz Azul in which he came off the bench to notch a goal and an assist. He later competed in his first Leagues Cup tournament by featuring against D.C. United and Atlanta United FC before Santos Laguna lost to FC Cincinnati in the Round of 16.
During the 2024-25 LIGA MX season, Munoz scored two goals across 15 Apertura matches prior to making an additional 12 Clausura appearances this spring.
Newcastle United (2021-2022):
In August 2021—the same month he was named to the LIGA MX squad for the 2021 MLS All-Star Game—Munoz joined English Premier League Newcastle United on an 18-month loan deal. He had one goal and one assist for the Newcastle United U-21s in Premier League 2 while also featuring for the club’s first team during its 2022 preseason campaign.
YOUTH
Born in El Paso, Texas, Munoz was discovered as a youth player by shining at the 2017 Alianza de Futbol, a showcase that connects Hispanic communities with prestigious soccer programs from across the U.S. and Mexico. He joined the Santos Laguna academy as a 16-year-old in 2018.
INTERNATIONAL
Munoz broke into Mexico’s U-17 men’s national team in 2019. In May 2019, Munoz starred at the Concacaf U-17 Championship by scoring five goals in three matches at the tournament, including a hat trick in a win versus Trinidad and Tobago and an early equalizer in a 2-1 extra-time victory in the final against former Sporting midfielder Gianluca Busio and the United States. Later that year, Munoz helped Mexico reach the FIFA U-17 World Cup Final with six appearances in the competition, bagging a spectacular strike that was named Goal of the Tournament in a 2-0 triumph over Japan in the Round of 16.
In early 2021, Munoz was part of the Mexican U-23 national team that qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021) by winning the Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Championship. Muñoz also was part of the Mexico U-21 squad that participated in the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament, scoring two goals as Mexico finished third.
Munoz most recently played for Mexico’s senior national team in January 2025, participating in exhibitions against Brazilian club SC Internacional and Argentine powerhouse River Plate.
