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Mexico national football team facts for kids

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Mexico
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) El Tri (The Tricolor)
Association Federación Mexicana de Fútbol
Confederation CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation NAFU (North America)
Head coach Vacant
Captain Andrés Guardado
Most caps Andrés Guardado (179)
Top scorer Javier Hernández (52)
Home stadium Estadio Azteca
FIFA code MEX
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 17 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 4 (February – June 1998, August 2003, April 2004, June 2004, May – June 2006)
Lowest 40 (July 2015)
Elo ranking
Current 22 Decrease 5 (3 March 2019)
Highest 4 (June 2016)
Lowest 47 (February 1979)
First international
 Guatemala 2–3 Mexico 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; 1 January 1923)
Biggest win
 Mexico 13–0 Bahamas 
(Toluca, Mexico; 28 April 1987)
Biggest defeat
 England 8–0 Mexico 
(London, England; 10 May 1961)
World Cup
Appearances 17 (first in 1930)
Best result Quarter-finals (1970, 1986)
CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup
Appearances 24 (first in 1963)
Best result Champions (1965, 1971, 1977, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019)
CONCACAF Nations League Finals
Appearances 1 (first in 2021)
Best result Runners-up (2021)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 7 (first in 1995)
Best result Champions (1999)
Website fmf.mx

The Mexico national football team (Spanish: [Selección de fútbol de México] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (Spanish: [Federación Mexicana de Fútbol] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)). It competes as a member of CONCACAF.

Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified consecutively since 1994, making it one of six countries to do so. Mexico played France in the first match of the first World Cup on 13 July 1930. Mexico's best progression in World Cups has been reaching the quarter-finals in both the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, both times as host.

Mexico is historically the most successful national team in the CONCACAF region, having won eleven confederation titles, including eight CONCACAF Gold Cups and three CONCACAF Championships (the precursor to the Gold Cup), as well as two NAFC Championships, one North American Nations Cup, one CONCACAF Cup and two gold medals of the Central American and Caribbean Games. It is one of eight nations to have won two of the three most important football tournaments (the World Cup, Confederations Cup, and Summer Olympics), having won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Mexico is also the only team from CONCACAF to have won an official FIFA competition, winning the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup. Although Mexico is under the jurisdiction of CONCACAF, the national team was regularly invited to compete in the Copa América from 1993 to 2016, finishing runner-up twice – in 1993 and 2001 – and obtaining the third-place medal on three occasions.

History

Early years

Football in Mexico was first organized in the early 20th century by European immigrant groups, notably miners from Cornwall, England, and in later years Spanish exiles fleeing the Spanish Civil War.

Mexico's first match was played against Guatemala, which Mexico won 3–2. A series of international friendlies were played against the national representation of Guatemala on 9, 12 and 16 December 1923. The match on 9 December was played in Parque España which Mexico won 2–1. On 12 December, the match ended in a 2–0 win for Mexico, and the final game of the series ended in a 3–3 draw. The manager for this team was Rafael Garza Gutiérrez.

It would be another four years before the national team would be represented in international friendlies. On 19 June 1927, Mexico faced Spain, drawing 3–3. During this series, the squad also played against the Uruguayan club Nacional de Montevideo, losing 1–3.

Formation

Mexico 1930 vs france
The Mexico national team before the first ever World Cup game against France in 1930

In 1927, the official governing body of football in Mexico was founded. The 1928 Summer Olympics was Mexico's first international tournament, where Mexico lost to Spain 1–7 in the round of 16.

Mexico participated in the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay, grouped with Argentina, Chile, and France. Mexico took part on the first World Cup match ever, a 4–1 loss to France, with Mexico's first World Cup goal by Juan Carreño. In their second match, Mexico fell to Chile 3–0. Mexico's third match, against Argentina, featured the first penalty of the tournament, scored by Mexico's Manuel Rosas.

Post-WWII

México 1952 Estadio 0465
Mexican squad in April 1952

Mexico did not appear again in a FIFA World Cup tournament until the 1950 World Cup. Before 1970, Mexico struggled to make much of an impact in the World Cup. It was by far the strongest team in the North American Football Confederation and its successor, CONCACAF, but found it difficult to compete against European and South American teams. However, goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal has the distinction of being the first player ever to appear in five consecutive World Cups.

In 1965, Mexico won the 1965 CONCACAF Championship to become continental champions for the first time.

Argentina v mexico 1985
Mexico v Argentina in Los Angeles, 1985

In 1970, Mexico hosted the World Cup and kicked off their campaign with a scoreless draw against the Soviet Union. This was followed by a 4–0 win over El Salvador. Mexico advanced to the next round with a victory against Belgium. At the quarter-finals stage, Mexico was eliminated by Italy, losing 4–1.

Mexico failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, but did make it into the 1978 finals. Mexico suffered an early exit after three defeats: 0–6 against West Germany, 1–3 against Tunisia, and 1–3 to Poland. Mexico failed to qualify for the 1982 World Cup.

In 1986, Mexico again hosted the World Cup. Coached by Bora Milutinović, Mexico was placed in Group B where they defeated Belgium 2–1, drew 1–1 with Paraguay, and defeated Iraq 1–0. With this performance, Mexico won the top spot in its group, and advanced to the next round where they defeated Bulgaria 2–0. In the quarter-finals stage, Mexico lost to West Germany 1–4 in a penalty shootout after the match finished 0–0.

1990s

Mexico was disqualified from the 1990 FIFA World Cup (and other international competitions) after using players over the age limit in the qualifying round for the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship, known as the "Cachirules" scandal. The punishment was applied to all Mexico national representatives of all FIFA-sanctioned tournaments.

In the 1990s, after hiring coach César Luis Menotti, Mexican football began experiencing greater international success. In the 1993 Copa América they finished second, losing to Argentina 2–1 in the final.

At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Mexico won its group on tiebreakers, emerging from a group composed of Italy, Ireland, and Norway. However, Mexico lost in the second round to Bulgaria on penalty kicks.

At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Mexico was placed in a group with the Netherlands, South Korea and Belgium. Mexico won their opening fixture 3–1 against South Korea. Mexico tied Belgium 2–2, and against the Netherlands earned another 2–2 draw, qualifying for the round of 16. In that round, Mexico lost 2–1 to Germany.

In 1999, Mexico won its first official FIFA tournament by becoming the first host nation to win the FIFA Confederations Cup. Mexico defeated the United States 1–0 in the semifinals, and 1998 World Cup runners-up Brazil 4–3 in the final.

21st century

2000s

Mexico was placed in Group G at the 2002 World Cup alongside Italy, Croatia, and Ecuador. Mexico started with a 1–0 win over Croatia. In the second match, Mexico earned a 2–1 win over Ecuador. Mexico then achieved a 1–1 draw against Italy. In the round of 16, Mexico played rivals United States, losing 2–0.

FIFA World Cup 2006 - ARG vs MEX
Mexico against Argentina at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico was one of eight seeded teams at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Mexico was in Group D with Iran, Angola and Portugal. Mexico won their opening match 3–1 against Iran. In their second match, Mexico played to a 0–0 draw against Angola. Mexico reached the round-of-16, despite losing to Portugal 2–1. Mexico saw another round of 16 loss, this time to Argentina, 2–1. Mexico's coach Ricardo Lavolpe stepped down after the tournament, and was succeeded by Hugo Sánchez.

After losing the final match of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1–2 against the United States, Mexico successfully rebounded at the 2007 Copa América. Beginning by beating Brazil 2–0, they then defeated Ecuador and tied with Chile to come first in Group B. In the quarter-finals, Mexico beat Paraguay 6–0, but lost in the semi-finals 3–0 to Argentina. Mexico secured third place against Uruguay, winning 3–1.

In July 2009, Mexico won their fifth Gold Cup, and eighth CONCACAF Championship overall, after beating the United States 5–0 in the final.

2010s

FIFA World Cup 2010 France Mexico
Cuauhtémoc Blanco converting his penalty kick against France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they were drawn into Group A alongside host South Africa, France and Uruguay. They drew 1–1 against South Africa, defeated France 2–0, and lost 1–0 to Uruguay, and advanced to the round of 16, where they were eliminated following a 1–3 defeat to Argentina.

The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup saw Mexico win their group with three wins and no losses. During the tournament, however, five players tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol and were suspended from the competition. Mexico beat Guatemala in the quarter-finals 2–1, and beat Honduras 2–0. For the third-straight year, the final would be contested between Mexico and the United States; Mexico won the match 4–2, and qualified for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, where they were eliminated at the group stage.

Mexico placed second in their group at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and advanced to the semifinals and faced Panama. Mexico lost the match 2–1, their second defeat to Panama in the competition after losing to them in the group stage. The two losses to Panama were the first two times Panama had ever defeated Mexico in a Gold Cup match.

Mex-Kor (9)
Mexico lining up prior to the group stage match against South Korea at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico won only two of ten matches during the fourth round of 2014 World Cup qualifying, but qualified for an intercontinental play-off as the fourth-highest placed team in the CONCACAF region. They defeated New Zealand 9–3 on aggregate to qualify for a sixth consecutive World Cup. The team reached the round of 16 where they were defeated 2–1 by the Netherlands.

At the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Mexico was drawn into Group C along with Triniad and Tobago, Cuba and Guatemala. The team placed second in the group, and won the quarterfinal match against Costa Rica and semifinal against Panama, both under controversial circumstances. Mexico won the Gold Cup after defeating Jamaica 3–1 in the final. Two days after the final, Miguel Herrera was released as coach of the national team after an alleged physical altercation with TV Azteca announcer Christian Martinoli. On 10 October, Mexico defeated the United States 3–2 to win the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Cup, thus earning qualification to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. The following month, Juan Carlos Osorio was hired as Mexico's 16th manager, replacing interim manager Ricardo Ferretti.

Mexico entered the Copa América Centenario, hosted in the United States, on a 13-match unbeaten streak that began in July 2015. El Tri placed first in Group C, winning 3–1 over Uruguay and 2–0 over Jamaica, and drawing 1–1 with Venezuela. In the quarterfinal against Chile in Santa Clara, California, the team lost 7–0, ending the unbeaten streak at 16 after nearly a year. After the match, manager Osorio apologized to Mexico's fans for what he described as an "embarrassment, an accident of football".

At the 2017 Confederations Cup, Mexico was drawn into Group A along with Portugal, New Zealand, and hosts Russia. El Tri advanced as runners-up of the group, and lost 4–1 to Germany in the semi-finals. Mexico finished fourth in the tournament, losing 2–1 to Portugal in the third-place match.

In their opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mexico defeated defending champion Germany, thanks to a sole goal from Hirving Lozano, for the first time in a World Cup match. They would go on to defeat South Korea 2–1 in the next game, with goals from Carlos Vela and Javier Hernández, but would fall 3–0 to Sweden in the last group stage match. Despite the loss, Mexico qualified to the round of 16 for the seventh-consecutive tournament. In the round of 16, Mexico was defeated 0–2 by Brazil; the defeat meant that for the seventh tournament in a row, Mexico failed to reach the quarterfinals since they last hosted the World Cup in 1986. On 28 July, Juan Carlos Osorio left as head coach on the expiry of his contract.

In January 2019, Gerardo Martino was appointed as Mexico's new head coach, becoming the third Argentine to coach the national team. In that year's Gold Cup tournament, they won all three group stage matches, defeated Costa Rica in penalties 5–4 following a 1–1 draw in the quarter-final and won against Haiti in the semi-final. Mexico won the Gold Cup after defeating the United States 1–0 in the final.

2020s: 2022 World Cup exit

In 2021, Mexico finished runners-up in the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, both in which Mexico lost to the United States. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mexico finished third in Group C behind Argentina and Poland (due to goal difference), making it the first time since the 1978 FIFA World Cup that Mexico got eliminated in the group stage. Due to the poor performance, head coach Gerardo Martino and Mexico parted ways immediately after elimination (the 1982 and 1990 World Cup tournaments, in which Mexico did not participate, notwithstanding).

Home stadium

Estadio Azteca1706p2
Azteca Stadium is the home of the Mexico national team.

The Estadio Azteca, also known in Spanish as "El Coloso de Santa Úrsula", was built in 1966. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national team, as well as the Mexican club team Club América. It has an official capacity of 87,523, making it the largest football-specific stadium in the Americas and the third largest stadium in the world for that sport. The stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup Final in 1970 and 1986.

Friendly matches hosted by the Mexico national team often take place in stadiums across the United States as well as throughout Mexico, including the Azteca.

Team image

Kit

The Mexico national team traditionally utilizes a tricolor system, composed of green shirts, white shorts and red socks, which originate from the national flag of Mexico, known as the tricolor. Until the mid-1950s, Mexico wore a predominantly maroon kit, with black or dark blue shorts.

In 2015, Adidas released a new all-black color scheme for Mexico's home kit. Green, white and red remain as accent colors.

In 2017, the Mexico national team's jerseys were updated to reflect their Spanish names correctly spelled, with the diacritic mark.

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier Period Notes
United States Levi's 1978–1979
United States Pony 1980–1983
West Germany Adidas 1984–1990
England Umbro 1991–1994
Mexico ABA Sport 1995–1998
Mexico Garcis 1999–2000
Mexico Atletica 2000–2002
United States Nike 2003–2006
West Germany Adidas 2007–present

Media coverage

All of Mexico's matches are shown live on over-the-air networks Televisa and TV Azteca in Mexico. In the United States all of Mexico's international friendlies and home World Cup qualifiers are shown on Spanish language network Univision while away World Cup qualifiers are shown on Telemundo. On 30 January 2013, English language network ESPN and Univision announced an agreement to telecast the Mexico national team home World Cup qualifiers and international friendly matches in English in the United States.

Supporters

Controversial goal kick chant

Ger-Mex (4)
Mexico's fans at 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Mexico's fans are infamously known for the vulgar, homophobic chant "¡eeeh puto!", which is typically screamed when an opponent's goalkeeper is about to perform a goalkick.

Origins

The origins of the chant is thought to have had developed in the 1980s in Monterrey where in little league American football games, fans would chant "¡eeeh pum!" during the opening kickoff. This chant was not disparagingly used as the word pum is attributed to an impact of some sort. Though the current incarnation of the chant is widely thought to have originated sometime between 2000 and 2003 by supporters of Atlas F.C. to former Atlas goalkeeper, Oswaldo Sanchez, no primary sources exist that support this claim and is an urban legend. The earliest documented usage of puto being chanted by fans in this manner occurred on 22 May 2004, during the second leg of the Clausura 2004 repechage match between Cruz Azul and C.F. Pachuca. Fans of Pachuca repeatedly chanted puto every time Óscar Pérez performed a goal kick.

Sanctions

..... Mexico's fans defended it as being traditionally used in the Liga MX. On 23 June 2014, FIFA dropped an investigation, concluding that the chant "was not considered insulting in the specific context". Football Against Racism in Europe, an anti-discrimination organization, criticized the ruling as "disappointing". In 2017, in advance of the 2018 World Cup, FIFA fined the Mexico football federation over fans' use of the chant and introduced escalating sanctions, which were first applied in Liga MX games in 2019. In 2021, three Mexico international matches in the United States were halted because of fan behaviour, including the CONCACAF Nations League final, in which fans also threw things onto the pitch and Giovanni Reyna was hit in the face by a heavy object. On 18 June 2021, FIFA announced that as a penalty for the use of the chant in a pre-Olympics tournament in Guadalajara, spectators would be barred from Mexico's first two qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup.

Rivalry with United States national team

Mexico and the United States are widely considered as the two top teams in CONCACAF. Matches between the two nations often attracts media attention, public interest and discourse in both countries. Although the first match was played in 1934, their rivalry was not considered major until the late 1990s, when the USA emerged as a solid international side. On 15 August 2012, the United States defeated Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the first victory for the U.S. against Mexico on Mexican soil in 75 years.

Since their first meeting in 1934, the two teams have met 73 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 36–22–15 (W–L–D), outscoring the U.S. 144–82. Mexico dominated in early years, with a 22-2-2 record through 1980. However, since that time the series has become much more competitive, largely due to the rapid growth of soccer in the United States. Since 2000, the series has favored the U.S. 17–9–6 (W–L–D), with Mexico outscored 32-40. Since 2011, however, the rivalry has been marked by Mexican success, with the Mexicans defeating the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final in 2011 and 2019, the CONCACAF Cup in 2015, winning on American soil for the first time since 1980. In 2021, however, Mexico lost to the United States in both the Nations League final and the Gold Cup final.

Results and fixtures

The following matches have been played within the past 12 months.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Postponed/Canceled

2022

2023

Coaching staff

Position Name
Manager Vacant
Assistant Manager Argentina Jorge Theiler
Assistant Manager Argentina Norberto Scoponi
Assistant Manager Argentina Sergio Giovagnoli
Goalkeeping Coach Argentina Gustavo Piñero
Fitness Coach Argentina Juan Manuel Alfano
Fitness Coach Argentina Rodolfo Paladini

Players

Current squad

The following 26 players were called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Caps and goals correct as of 30 November 2022, after the match against Saudi Arabia

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alfredo Talavera (1982-09-18) 18 September 1982 (age 41) 40 0 Mexico Juárez
12 1GK Rodolfo Cota (1987-07-03) 3 July 1987 (age 36) 8 0 Mexico León
13 1GK Guillermo Ochoa (vice-captain) (1985-07-13) 13 July 1985 (age 38) 134 0 Italy Salernitana

2 2DF Néstor Araujo (1991-08-29) 29 August 1991 (age 32) 64 3 Mexico América
3 2DF César Montes (1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 27) 33 1 Spain Espanyol
5 2DF Johan Vásquez (1998-10-22) 22 October 1998 (age 25) 7 0 Italy Cremonese
6 2DF Gerardo Arteaga (1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25) 17 1 Belgium Genk
15 2DF Héctor Moreno (3rd captain) (1988-01-17) 17 January 1988 (age 36) 131 5 Mexico Monterrey
19 2DF Jorge Sánchez (1997-12-10) 10 December 1997 (age 26) 28 1 Netherlands Ajax
23 2DF Jesús Gallardo (1994-08-15) 15 August 1994 (age 29) 81 1 Mexico Monterrey
26 2DF Kevin Álvarez (1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 25) 10 0 Mexico Pachuca

4 3MF Edson Álvarez (1997-10-24) 24 October 1997 (age 26) 60 3 Netherlands Ajax
7 3MF Luis Romo (1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 28) 27 1 Mexico Monterrey
8 3MF Carlos Rodríguez (1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 27) 38 0 Mexico Cruz Azul
14 3MF Érick Gutiérrez (1995-06-15) 15 June 1995 (age 28) 35 1 Netherlands PSV
16 3MF Héctor Herrera (1990-04-19) 19 April 1990 (age 33) 104 10 United States Houston Dynamo
17 3MF Orbelín Pineda (1996-03-24) 24 March 1996 (age 28) 51 6 Greece AEK Athens
18 3MF Andrés Guardado (captain) (1986-09-28) 28 September 1986 (age 37) 179 28 Spain Betis
21 3MF Uriel Antuna (1997-08-21) 21 August 1997 (age 26) 39 9 Mexico Cruz Azul
24 3MF Luis Chávez (1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 28) 12 1 Mexico Pachuca
25 3MF Roberto Alvarado (1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25) 32 4 Mexico Guadalajara

9 4FW Raúl Jiménez (1991-05-05) 5 May 1991 (age 32) 98 29 England Wolverhampton Wanderers
10 4FW Alexis Vega (1997-11-25) 25 November 1997 (age 26) 25 6 Mexico Guadalajara
11 4FW Rogelio Funes Mori (1991-03-05) 5 March 1991 (age 33) 17 6 Mexico Monterrey
20 4FW Henry Martín (1992-11-18) 18 November 1992 (age 31) 29 7 Mexico América
22 4FW Hirving Lozano (1995-07-30) 30 July 1995 (age 28) 63 16 Italy Napoli

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up within the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Carlos Acevedo (1996-04-19) 19 April 1996 (age 27) 4 0 Mexico Santos Laguna v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
GK Luis Malagón (1997-03-02) 2 March 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Mexico América v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
GK David Ochoa (2001-01-16) 16 January 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Mexico Atlético San Luis v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
GK Jonathan Orozco (1986-05-12) 12 May 1986 (age 37) 9 0 Mexico Tijuana v.  United States, 24 March 2022 INJ

DF Jesús Alberto Angulo (1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 (age 26) 12 0 Mexico UANL v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
DF Luis Reyes (1991-04-03) 3 April 1991 (age 32) 9 0 Mexico Atlas v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
DF Israel Reyes (2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 23) 3 1 Mexico América v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
DF Emilio Lara (2002-05-18) 18 May 2002 (age 21) 1 0 Mexico América V.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
DF Julio César Domínguez (1987-11-08) 8 November 1987 (age 36) 24 0 Mexico Cruz Azul v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
DF Érick Aguirre (1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 27) 13 0 Mexico Monterrey v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
DF Julián Araujo (2001-08-13) 13 August 2001 (age 22) 3 0 United States LA Galaxy v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
DF Luis Olivas (2000-02-10) 10 February 2000 (age 24) 2 0 Mexico Guadalajara v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
DF Jonathan Gómez (2003-09-01) 1 September 2003 (age 20) 1 0 Spain Real Sociedad B v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
DF Arturo Ortiz (1992-08-25) 25 August 1992 (age 31) 1 0 Mexico UNAM v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
DF Osvaldo Rodríguez (1996-09-10) 10 September 1996 (age 27) 7 1 Mexico León v.  Costa Rica, 30 January 2022
DF Luis Rodríguez (1991-01-21) 21 January 1991 (age 33) 38 2 Mexico Juárez v.  Jamaica, 27 January 2022

MF Diego Lainez (2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 (age 23) 21 3 Portugal Braga v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
MF Érick Sánchez (1999-09-27) 27 September 1999 (age 24) 8 1 Mexico Pachuca v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
MF Fernando Beltrán (1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 (age 25) 9 0 Mexico Guadalajara v.  Colombia, 27 September 2022
MF Rodolfo Pizarro (1994-02-15) 15 February 1994 (age 30) 37 5 United States Inter Miami v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
MF Sebastián Córdova (1997-06-12) 12 June 1997 (age 26) 14 3 Mexico UANL v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022 INJ
MF Marcelo Flores (2003-10-01) 1 October 2003 (age 20) 3 0 Spain Oviedo v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
MF Érik Lira (2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 (age 23) 3 0 Mexico Cruz Azul v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
MF Alejandro Zendejas (1998-02-07) 7 February 1998 (age 26) 2 0 Mexico América v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
MF Jordan Carrillo (2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Spain Sporting Gijón v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022

FW Jesús Manuel Corona (1993-01-06) 6 January 1993 (age 31) 71 10 Spain Sevilla v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
FW Santiago Giménez (2001-04-18) 18 April 2001 (age 22) 9 2 Netherlands Feyenoord v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
FW Ángel Zaldívar (1994-02-08) 8 February 1994 (age 30) 6 0 Mexico Atlético San Luis v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
FW Eduardo Aguirre (1998-08-03) 3 August 1998 (age 25) 3 0 Mexico Santos Laguna v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022

Notes
  • COV = The player is not part of the current squad due to has been tested positive for COVID-19
  • INJ = Not part of the current squad due to injury
  • PRE = Preliminary squad/standby
  • SUS = Serving suspension
  • WD = The player withdrew from the current squad due to non-injury issue

Player records

Players in bold are still active with Mexico.

Most capped players

Mex-Kor (25) (cropped)
Andrés Guardado is the most capped player in the history of Mexico with 179 caps.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career Ref.
1 Andrés Guardado 179 28 2005–present
2 Claudio Suárez 177 7 1992–2006
3 Rafael Márquez 147 17 1997–2018
4 Pável Pardo 146 11 1996–2009
5 Gerardo Torrado 144 5 1999–2013
6 Guillermo Ochoa 134 0 2005–present
7 Héctor Moreno 131 5 2007–present
8 Jorge Campos 129 0 1991–2003
9 Carlos Salcido 123 10 2004–2014
10 Ramón Ramírez 119 15 1991–2000

Top goalscorers

Hertha BSC vs. West Ham United 20190731 (139)
Javier Hernández is Mexico's all-time top scorer with 52 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Average Career
1 Javier Hernández (list) 52 109 0.48 2009–2019
2 Jared Borgetti (list) 46 89 0.52 1997–2008
3 Cuauhtémoc Blanco 38 119 0.32 1995–2014
4 Luis Hernández 35 85 0.41 1995–2002
5 Carlos Hermosillo 34 90 0.38 1984–1997
6 Enrique Borja 31 65 0.48 1966–1975
7 Luís Roberto Alves 30 84 0.36 1988–2001
8 Hugo Sánchez 29 58 0.5 1977–1998
Raúl Jiménez 29 98 0.3 2013–present
10 Luis García 28 77 0.36 1991–1999
Andrés Guardado 28 179 0.16 2005–present

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D!L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Group stage 13th 3 0 0 3 4 13 Squad Qualified as invitees
Italy 1934 Did not qualify 4 3 0 1 14 7
France 1938 Withdrew Withdrew
Brazil 1950 Group stage 12th 3 0 0 3 2 10 Squad 4 4 0 0 17 2
Switzerland 1954 13th 2 0 0 2 2 8 Squad 4 4 0 0 19 1
Sweden 1958 16th 3 0 1 2 1 8 Squad 6 5 1 0 21 3
Chile 1962 11th 3 1 0 2 3 4 Squad 8 4 3 1 18 5
England 1966 12th 3 0 2 1 1 3 Squad 8 6 2 0 20 4
Mexico 1970 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 1 1 6 4 Squad Qualified as hosts
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 9 6 2 1 18 8
Argentina 1978 Group stage 16th 3 0 0 3 2 12 Squad 9 6 2 1 23 6
Spain 1982 Did not qualify 9 2 5 2 14 8
Mexico 1986 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 2 0 6 2 Squad Qualified as hosts
Italy 1990 Banned Disqualified
United States 1994 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 4 4 Squad 12 9 1 2 39 8
France 1998 13th 4 1 2 1 8 7 Squad 16 8 6 2 37 13
South Korea Japan 2002 11th 4 2 1 1 4 4 Squad 16 9 3 4 33 11
Germany 2006 15th 4 1 1 2 5 5 Squad 18 15 1 2 67 10
South Africa 2010 14th 4 1 1 2 4 5 Squad 18 11 2 5 36 18
Brazil 2014 10th 4 2 1 1 5 3 Squad 18 10 5 3 31 14
Russia 2018 12th 4 2 0 2 3 6 Squad 16 11 4 1 29 8
Qatar 2022 Group stage 22nd 3 1 1 1 2 3 Squad 14 8 4 2 17 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualified as co-hosts Qualified as co-hosts
Total Quarter-finals 17/22 60 17 15 28 62 101 189 121 41 27 453 134

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D!L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
El Salvador 1963 Group stage 7th 3 1 1 1 9 2 Squad Qualified automatically
Guatemala 1965 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 13 2 Squad Automatically entered
Honduras 1967 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 10 1 Squad Qualified as defending champions
Costa Rica 1969 Fourth place 4th 5 1 2 2 4 5 Squad 2 1 0 1 4 2
Trinidad and Tobago 1971 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 6 1 Squad 2 2 0 0 6 0
Haiti 1973 Third place 3rd 5 2 2 1 10 5 Squad 4 4 0 0 8 3
Mexico 1977 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 20 5 Squad 4 1 2 1 3 1
Honduras 1981 Third place 3rd 5 1 3 1 6 3 Squad 4 1 2 1 8 5
1985 Withdrew to host the 1986 FIFA World Cup Withdrew
1989 Banned Banned
United States 1991 Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 10 5 Squad Qualified automatically
Mexico United States 1993 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 28 2 Squad
United States 1996 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 9 0 Squad
United States 1998 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 8 2 Squad
United States 2000 Quarter-finals 7th 3 1 1 1 6 3 Squad
United States 2002 5th 3 2 1 0 4 1 Squad
Mexico United States 2003 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 9 0 Squad
United States 2005 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 0 2 7 4 Squad
United States 2007 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 0 2 7 5 Squad
United States 2009 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 15 2 Squad
United States 2011 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 22 4 Squad
United States 2013 Semi-finals 3rd 5 3 0 2 8 5 Squad
Canada United States 2015 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 16 6 Squad
United States 2017 Semi-finals 3rd 5 3 1 1 6 2 Squad
United States Costa Rica Jamaica 2019 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 16 4 Squad
United States 2021 Runners-up 2nd 6 4 1 1 9 2 Squad 4 4 0 0 13 3
2023 To be determined To be determined
Total 11 Titles 24/26 117 80 21 16 258 71 20 13 4 3 42 14

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League record
Season Division Group Pld W D!width=28|L GF GA P/R RK Squad
United States 2019−20 A B 6 4 1 1 15 6 Same position 2nd Squad
2022–23 A A 2 1 1 0 4 1
Total 8 5 2 1 19 7 2nd

Copa América

Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D!L GF GA Squad
Ecuador 1993 Runners-up 2nd 6 2 2 2 9 7 Squad
Uruguay 1995 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 2 1 5 4 Squad
Bolivia 1997 Semi-finals 3rd 6 2 2 2 8 9 Squad
Paraguay 1999 Semi-finals 3rd 6 3 1 2 10 9 Squad
Colombia 2001 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 1 2 5 3 Squad
Peru 2004 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 1 1 5 7 Squad
Venezuela 2007 Semi-finals 3rd 6 4 1 1 13 5 Squad
Argentina 2011 Group stage 12th 3 0 0 3 1 4 Squad
Chile 2015 11th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad
United States 2016 Quarter-finals 7th 4 2 1 1 6 9 Squad
Brazil 2019 Were not invited
Brazil 2021
Total Runners-up 10/12 48 19 13 16 66 62

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D!L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995 Third place 3rd 3 1 2 0 4 2 Squad
Saudi Arabia 1997 Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 8 6 Squad
Mexico 1999 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 13 6 Squad
South KoreaJapan 2001 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 1 8 Squad
France 2003 Did not qualify
Germany 2005 Fourth place 4th 5 2 2 1 7 6 Squad
South Africa 2009 Did not qualify
Brazil 2013 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 3 5 Squad
Russia 2017 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 8 10 Squad
Total 1 title 7/10 27 11 6 10 44 43

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D!L GF GA Squad
Netherlands 1928 First round 14th 2 0 0 2 2 10 Squad
Germany 1936 Did not enter
United Kingdom 1948 First round 11th 1 0 0 1 3 5 Squad
Finland 1952 Did not qualify
Australia 1956
Italy 1960
Japan 1964 Group stage 11th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad
Mexico 1968 Fourth place 4th 5 3 0 2 10 7 Squad
West Germany 1972 Second group stage 7th 6 2 1 3 4 14 Squad
Canada 1976 Group stage 9th 3 0 2 1 4 7 Squad
Soviet Union 1980 Did not qualify
United States 1984
South Korea 1988 Banned
Since 1992 See Mexico national under-23 football team
Total Fourth place 6/13 20 5 4 11 25 49

Head-to-head record

Main article: Mexico national football team head-to-head record

Honours

Major competitions

  • FIFA World Cup
  • FIFA Confederations Cup
    • Champions (1): 1999
    • Third place (1): 1995
  • CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
    • Champions (11): 1965, 1971, 1977, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019
    • Runners-up (3): 1967, 2007, 2021
    • Third place (5): 1973, 1981, 1991, 2013, 2017
  • CONCACAF Nations League
    • Runners-up (1): 2019–20
  • Copa América
    • Runners-up (2): 1993, 2001
    • Third place (3): 1997, 1999, 2007

Other competitions

  • Panamerican Championship
    • Third place (1): 1960
  • Central American and Caribbean Games
    • Champions (2): 1935, 1938
  • CONCACAF Cup
    • Champions (1): 2015
  • CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament
    • Champions (3): 1964, 1972, 1976
  • U.S. Cup
    • Champions (3): 1996, 1997, 1999
    • Third place (2): 1995, 2000
  • Marlboro Cup
    • Champions (1): 1989
  • NAFC Championship / North American Nations Cup
    • Champions (3): 1947, 1949, 1991
    • Runners-up (1): 1990
  • Lunar New Year Cup
    • Champions (1): 1999
    • Runners-up (1): 2000

FIFA World Ranking

A line chart depicting the history of the Mexico's year-end placements in the FIFA World Rankings.

Last update was on 25 August 2022.

Source:

     Best Ranking       Worst Ranking       Best Mover       Worst Mover  

Mexico's FIFA World Ranking History
Rank Year Best Worst
Rank Move Rank Move
11 2021 9 Increase 2 14 Decrease 5
9 2020 9 Increase 2 11 Steady
11 2019 11 Increase 6 18 Decrease 1
17 2018 10 Increase 5 17 Decrease 1
16 2017 14 Increase 2 18 Decrease 2
18 2016 14 Increase 6 23 Decrease 2
22 2015 18 Increase 14 40 Decrease 17
20 2014 16 Increase 2 21 Decrease 3
21 2013 14 Increase 4 24 Decrease 3
15 2012 14 Increase 5 22 Decrease 3
21 2011 9 Increase 19 28 Decrease 11
27 2010 15 Increase 2 28 Decrease 7
17 2009 15 Increase 6 33 Decrease 7
26 2008 14 Increase 8 32 Decrease 13
15 2007 10 Increase 16 26 Decrease 6
20 2006 4 Increase 2 20 Decrease 14
5 2005 5 Increase 2 8 Decrease 2
7 2004 4 Increase 2 10 Decrease 2
7 2003 4 Increase 6 11 Decrease 3
8 2002 6 Increase 1 9 Decrease 1
9 2001 9 Increase 2 15 Decrease 2
12 2000 8 Increase 2 14 Decrease 5
10 1999 9 Increase 3 14 Decrease 2
10 1998 4 Increase 2 12 Decrease 8
5 1997 5 Increase 6 12 Decrease 2
11 1996 8 Increase 4 15 Decrease 2
12 1995 7 Increase 6 16 Decrease 6
15 1994 13 Increase 4 19 Decrease 3
16 1993 14 Increase 11 18 Decrease 2

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de México para niños

  • Mexico national under-23 football team
  • Mexico national under-20 football team
  • Mexico national under-17 football team
  • Mexico women's national football team
  • Mexico national beach football team
  • Mexico national futsal team
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