Born in Barcelona, Spain, Zamora began his career as a junior with Universitari SC before signing for Espanyol in 1916, at the age of fifteen, after playing a series of friendly matches with the club.

However, he resumed the activity shortly after due to a large offer from local rivals FC Barcelona, which he accepted despite his family's opposition and an argument with Espanyol's board.

In the same year, under the management of Jack Greenwell and together with Ricardo Saprissa, he helped the club win both the Campionat de Catalunya and their first ever Copa del Rey in 1929, after beating the likes of Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals, the soon-to-be La Liga champions Barcelona in the semi-finals and Real Madrid 2–1 in the final.

Between 1919 and 1922 Zamora was a prominent member of the legendary FC Barcelona team, coached by Jack Greenwell, that also included his close friend Josep Samitier, Sagibarba, Paulino Alcántara and Félix Sesúmaga.

The following season Zamora and Quincoces were joined at the club by Josep Samitier and the trio helped Real retain the title.

In 1934 Francisco Bru took over as the Real coach and he guided Zamora and company to victory in two Copa de España finals.

[6] In 1920 together with Josep Samitier, Félix Sesúmaga, Pichichi and José María Belauste, Zamora was a member of the first ever Spain national team.

[9] Zamora, nicknamed El Divino, was noted for wearing a cloth cap and a white polo-neck jumper on the field, a look later copied by several of his contemporaries.

[8] Zamora is also remembered for a spectacular last-minute save he made in the 1936 Copa del Rey final while playing for Real Madrid against FC Barcelona.

In July 1936 during the early days of the Spanish Civil War, ABC falsely reported that Zamora had been killed by Republicans.

However, Zamora was alive and well and, as rumours began to spread of his death, he was arrested by Republican militia and then imprisoned at the Modelo prison.

His life was saved by both the actions of the prison governor Melchor Rodríguez García and because of his own willingness to play and talk football with the guards.

In the 1950s, the Franco regime awarded Zamora the Great Cross of the Order of Cisneros, a medal created in 1944 to reward "political merit.

During the 1920 Olympic Games he was sent off against Italy after punching an opponent and on the way back from the same tournament he was arrested, imprisoned and fined for attempting to smuggle Havana cigars.