Cerro Porteño In August 2006, Santa Cruz was part of Cerro Porteño's U16 squad in a victory against Olimpia Asunción U16. Santa Cruz was a member of the club's first-team for the 2008 season, also with several other youth team graduates as
Rodrigo Burgos,
Celso Ortiz,
Ivan Piris and
Luis Caceres.
Blackburn Rovers 2008–2011 On 6 August 2008, the
BBC reported that Blackburn Rovers had signed Santa Cruz. He joined the club on a three-year deal from
Primera División Paraguaya team
Cerro Porteño. Santa Cruz had been on trial at
Ewood Park since the end of the
2007–08 season and over the summer, and it was likely that he would join the reserve team. On signing with the club, Santa Cruz commented, "I'm happy to be here at Blackburn, it will be an amazing adventure for me". In December 2010,
Olimpia Asunción president
Marcelo Recanate indicated that he wanted Julio Santa Cruz, and had spoken with his elder brother, so that he could sign Julio for the 2011 season.
Olimpia 2012 season Santa Cruz debuted for Olimpia in a 0–0 draw against
Tacuary on 16 June 2012. Santa Cruz was substituted onto the field for
Maxi Biancucchi in the 87th minute.
Nacional Asunción Santa Cruz made his first appearance in all competitions for Nacional during the
2014 Copa Libertadores. Santa Cruz, who had been issued the number #29 for the 2014 season, was substituted onto the field in the 89th minute for
Julián Benítez in a 3–1 away group stage defeat against
Colombia's
Independiente Santa Fe on 11 February 2014. On 16 February 2014, Santa Cruz made his first and full league debut for Nacional in the
2014 Paraguayan Primera División season, playing a full 90 minutes of a 3–0 home victory against
Sportivo Luqueño. Four days later, Santa Cruz featured as a second-half substitute in Nacional's second Copa Libertadores group stage fixture, a 1–0 home victory against
Venezuela club
Zamora on 20 February 2014. His first goal for Nacional came in the 71st minute of a 2–1 home victory against
Sol de America on 31 March 2014. The ball had been crossed toward Santa Cruz inside the 18-yard box area who headed the ball across the face of goal into the net to win the match for Nacional. Santa Cruz scored his second league goal for Nacional in a 4–0 away victory against
Club Guaraní 26 April 2014. Santa Cruz had converted a penalty kick from the spot in the 70th minute. On 6 August 2014, Santa Cruz was substituted onto the field in the 70th minute for
Derlis Orué during the first–leg of the
2014 Copa Libertadores Finals against
Argentina's
San Lorenzo and scored a last-gasp equalizer in the 93rd minute of the match to make the score line 1–1. A long ball had been played in the air from the mid-field and flicked on with the head of striker
Fredy Bareiro, toward the front of the right side of the goal posts, as Santa Cruz managed to convert the goal from a tight angle with a right foot shot towards the top of the net. Santa Cruz later stated that the goal was the most important one of his career and that after the match he received a message of congratulations from older brother Roque. During the second–leg on 13 August, Santa Cruz was substituted onto the field in the 85th minute of the match for
Julián Benítez as Nacional were ultimately defeated 1–0. Santa Cruz would not score again until 24 September, scoring the second goal in a 2–1 home victory against
Sportivo Luqueño. He had been substituted onto the field in the 23rd minute of the first half for
Armando De Giacomi, and scored in the 45th minute to give Nacional a 2–0 lead at half-time. Two weeks later, Santa Cruz scored his fourth league goal of the 2014 season against former side
Deportivo Capiatá on 5 October. Santa Cruz, who was in the starting eleven of the fixture, scored in the 43rd minute to give Nacional a 1–0 lead as they went on to claim a 3–2 away victory. ==Personal life==