Mexico national football team

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.^[6] 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.^[7] The manager for this team was Rafael Garza Gutiérrez.^[7]

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.^[6]

Formation

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.^[8]

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.^[9] 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, although Mexico would go on to lose this match by a score of 6-3.^[10]

Post-WWII

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.^[11]

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

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.^[12]

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.^[13]

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.

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.^[14]

2010s

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.^[15] 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,^[16] 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.^[17] 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.^[18]

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.^[19] They defeated New Zealand 9–3 on aggregate to qualify for a sixth consecutive World Cup.^[19] The team reached the round of 16 where they were defeated 2–1 by the Netherlands.^[20]

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.^[21][22][23] Mexico won the Gold Cup after defeating Jamaica 3–1 in the final.^[24] 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.^[25] 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.^[26] The following month, Juan Carlos Osorio was hired as Mexico's 16th manager, replacing interim manager Ricardo Ferretti.^[27]

Mexico entered the Copa América Centenario, hosted in the United States, on a 13-match unbeaten streak that began in July 2015.^[28] El Tri placed first in Group C, winning 3–1 over Uruguay and 2–0 over Jamaica, and drawing 1–1 with Venezuela.^[29] In the quarterfinal against Chile in Santa Clara, California, the team lost 7–0, ending the unbeaten streak at 16 after nearly a year.^[30] After the match, manager Osorio apologized to Mexico's fans for what he described as an "embarrassment, an accident of football".^[31]

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.^[32] Mexico finished fourth in the tournament, losing 2–1 to Portugal in the third-place match.^[33]

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.^[34] They would go on to defeat South Korea 2–1 in the next game,^[35] with goals from Carlos Vela and Javier Hernández,^[36][37] but would fall 3–0 to Sweden in the last group stage match.^[38] Despite the loss, Mexico qualified to the round of 16 for the seventh-consecutive tournament.^[39] In the round of 16, Mexico was defeated 0–2 by Brazil;^[40][41] 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.^[42] On 28 July, Juan Carlos Osorio left as head coach on the expiry of his contract.^[43]

In January 2019, Gerardo Martino was appointed as Mexico's new head coach, becoming the third Argentine to coach the national team.^[44] 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.^[45]

2020s

Mexico finished runners-up in the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, both in losses 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 1978 that Mexico got eliminated in the group stage (the 1982 and 1990 World Cup tournaments, in which Mexico did not participate, notwithstanding). This led to the end of Mexico's streak of reaching the Round of 16 (which it had done in the previous 7 World Cups), and as a result head coach Gerardo Martino and Mexico parted ways immediately after the elimination.^[46]

In February 2023, Diego Cocca was appointed as the new head coach, the fourth Argentine to take the job.^[47] The same month, Mexico automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup as co-host. In the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals, Mexico suffered a 0–3 defeat to the United States, which caused even more widespread outrage in Mexico.^[48] They defeated Panama 1–0 in the third place match that was largely boycotted by Mexican fans;^[49] the following day, Cocca was dismissed from his post, with Jaime Lozano appointed on an interim basis to take charge for the forthcoming Gold Cup.^[50] Mexico went on to win the tournament, defeating Panama 1–0 in the final.^[51] After the win, Lozano was appointed as head coach on a permanent basis.^[52]

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,^[53][54] 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, the stadium will host it again in 2026.

Friendly matches hosted by the Mexico national team often take place in stadiums across the United States, which are marketed under the branding MEXTOUR by FMF. From 2000 to 2019, the national team played 110 friendlies in the United States, which were criticized as "cash grabs" by fans.^[55] In 2022, the team played 15 matches in the United States and averaged over 52,000 in attendance at each of them; several were played at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, which El Tri head coach Jaime Lozano labeled as "the second home of the Mexican national team".^[56] Additional friendlies under the MEXTOUR brand are also played in Mexico, including at the Azteca for special occasions.^{[citation needed]}

Kit

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mexico national football team kits.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mexico national football team kits (goalkeeper kits).

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.^[57] 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.^[58]

In 2017, the Mexico national team's jerseys were updated to reflect their Spanish names correctly spelled, with the diacritic mark.^[59]

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier	Period
Levi's	1978–1979
Pony	1980–1983
Adidas	1984–1990
Umbro	1991–1994
ABA Sport	1995–1998
Garcis	1999–2000
Atletica	2000–2002
Nike	2003–2006
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.^[60][61] 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.^[62]

Supporters

Controversial goal kick chant

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 goal kick.^[63][64]

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.^[65] 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 Sánchez, no primary sources exist that support this claim and is an urban legend.^[66][67] 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.^[68][66]

Sanctions

Due to the homophobic meaning of the word puto in Mexican Spanish (a vulgar term for a male prostitute), the chant received negative attention in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Mexico's fans defended it as being traditionally used in the Liga MX.^[69] 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".^[70] 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,^[64] which were first applied in Liga MX games in 2019.^[63] In 2021, three Mexico international matches in the United States were halted because of fan behaviour, including the CONCACAF Nations League final against the United States, in which fans also threw things onto the pitch and Giovanni Reyna was hit in the face by a heavy object.^[63][71] 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.^[63] During the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals semifinals, the match between Mexico and the United States was stopped at the 90th minute and eventually ended early due to the chants.^[72]

United States

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.^[73]

Since their first meeting in 1934, the two teams have met 76 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 36–17–23 (W–D–L), outscoring the U.S. 145–90. Mexico dominated in early years, with a 27–9–5 (W–D–L), record through 1990. 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. 18–8–9 (W–D–L), with Mexico outscored 48–33. Since 2011, however, the rivalry has been marked by Mexican success, with Mexico defeating the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in 2011 and 2019, and 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 CONCACAF Nations League final and the Gold Cup final. Still, Mexico remains undefeated to the United States at home soil in competitive matches, with all 19 meetings at home soil ended with the record 15–4–0 (W–D–L).^[74]

Argentina

Mexico has a rivalry with Argentina, given these two nations are among the most renowned Hispanic nations in the world.^{[75][76][77][78]} The rivalry is abnormal by the fact it is intercontinental, with Argentina part of CONMEBOL and Mexico part of CONCACAF. This rivalry is more keenly felt by Mexican supporters than Argentines, who typically view Brazil, Uruguay, England and Germany as bigger rivals. In fact, a number of Argentines do not consider Mexico as rivals. Mexico has historically not fared well against Argentina, recording only 4 wins, 16 losses and 12 draws.

Costa Rica

Mexico has a growing rivalry with Costa Rica, as Costa Rica is the first country in CONCACAF to beat Mexico on Mexican soil in FIFA World Cup qualification, known as Aztecazo. Costa Rica is also widely recognised as the only Central American national team to have sufficient quality to compete at the global stage, which increased the importance of the rivalry.^[79] Mexico holds a dominant record against Costa Rica with 32 wins, 20 draws and only 6 losses.^[80]

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

2023

Mexico  v  Guatemala

7 June Friendly	Mexico	2–0	Guatemala	Mazatlán, Mexico
19:00 UTC–7	R. Jiménez 14' (pen.) de la Rosa 80'	Report		Stadium: Estadio de Mazatlán Referee: Nelson Salgado (Honduras)

Mexico  v  Cameroon

10 June Friendly	Mexico	2–2	Cameroon	San Diego, United States
19:00 (UTC−7)	I. Reyes 45+2' K. Álvarez 90+4'	Report	Mbeumo 37' Toko Ekambi 61'	Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium Attendance: 30,543[81] Referee: Kimbell Ward (St. Kitts and Nevis)

United States  v  Mexico

15 June Nations League SF	United States	3–0	Mexico	Paradise, United States
19:00 PT	Pulisic 37', 46' Pepi 78'	Report		Stadium: Allegiant Stadium Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)

Mexico  v  Panama

18 June Nations League 3rd	Mexico	1–0	Panama	Paradise, United States
	Gallardo 4'	Report		Stadium: Allegiant Stadium Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Daneon Parchment (Jamaica)

Mexico  v  Honduras

25 June Gold Cup GS	Mexico	4–0	Honduras	Houston, United States
19:00 UTC-5	Romo 1', 23' Pineda 52' L. Chávez 64'	Report		Stadium: NRG Stadium Attendance: 66,255 Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

Haiti  v  Mexico

29 June Gold Cup GS	Haiti	1–3	Mexico	Glendale, United States
19:00 UTC-7	Jean Jacques 78'	Report	Martín 46' Adé 56' (o.g.) Giménez 83'	Stadium: State Farm Stadium Attendance: 34,517 Referee: Walter López (Guatemala)

Mexico  v  Qatar

2 July Gold Cup GS	Mexico	0–1	Qatar	Santa Clara, United States
18:00 UTC-7		Report	Shehata 27'	Stadium: Levi's Stadium Attendance: 60,347 Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)

Mexico  v  Costa Rica

8 July Gold Cup QF	Mexico	2–0	Costa Rica	Arlington, United States
20:30 UTC-5	Pineda 52' (pen.) É. Sánchez 87'	Report		Stadium: AT&T Stadium Attendance: 60,355 Referee: Saíd Martínez (Honduras)

Jamaica  v  Mexico

12 July Gold Cup SF	Jamaica	0–3	Mexico	Paradise, United States
16:30 UTC-7		Report	Martín 2' L. Chávez 30' Alvarado 90+3'	Stadium: Allegiant Stadium Attendance: 29,886 Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

Mexico  v  Panama

16 July Gold Cup F	Mexico	1–0	Panama	Inglewood, United States
16:30 UTC-7	Giménez 88'	Report		Stadium: SoFi Stadium Attendance: 72,963 Referee: Said Martínez (Honduras)

Mexico  v  Australia

9 September Friendly	Mexico	2–2	Australia	Arlington, United States
TBD	R. Jiménez 69' (pen.) Huerta 83'		Souttar 16' Boyle 63' (pen.)	Stadium: AT&T Stadium Attendance: 52,787[82] Referee: Rubio Vázquez (United States)

Mexico  v  Uzbekistan

12 September Friendly	Mexico	3–3	Uzbekistan	Atlanta, United States
19:30 UTC−4	R. Jiménez 21', 81' Antuna 88'	Report	Abdikholikov 18' Turgunboev 45+1' Shukurov 90+2'	Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 33,817[83] Referee: Victor Rivas (United States)

Mexico  v  Ghana

14 October Friendly	Mexico	2–0	Ghana	Charlotte, United States
21:00 UTC−4	Lozano 57' Antuna 72'	Report		Stadium: Bank of America Stadium Attendance: 60,263[84] Referee: Joseph Dickerson (United States)

Mexico  v  Germany

17 October Friendly	Mexico	2–2	Germany	Philadelphia, United States
20:00 ET	Antuna 37' É. Sánchez 47'	Report	Rüdiger 25' Füllkrug 51'	Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field Attendance: 62,284[85] Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (United States)

Honduras  v  Mexico

17 November Nations League QF	Honduras	2–0	Mexico	Tegucigalpa, Honduras
	Lozano 30' Róchez 72'	Report		Stadium: Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés Referee: Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica)

Mexico  v  Honduras

21 November Nations League QF	Mexico	2–0 (a.e.t.) (2–2 agg.) (4–2 p)	Honduras	Mexico City, Mexico
	L. Chávez 43' E. Álvarez 90+11'			Stadium: Estadio Azteca Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)
	Penalties
	Giménez Vásquez Pineda Huerta		Róchez Acosta Elis Najar

Mexico  v  Colombia

16 December Friendly	Mexico	2–3	Colombia	Los Angeles, United States
	Govea 40' Martínez 50'	Report	Reyes 55' Martínez 69' Gómez 90+2'	Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Attendance: 64,609[86] Referee: Victor Rivas (United States)

2024

Panama  v  Mexico

21 March Nations League SF	Panama	0–3	Mexico	Arlington, United States
		Report	Álvarez 40' Quiñones 43' Pineda 67'	Stadium: AT&T Stadium Attendance: 40,926[87] Referee: Walter López (Guatemala)

United States  v  Mexico

24 March Nations League F	United States	2–0	Mexico	Arlington, United States
	Adams 45' Reyna 63'	Report		Stadium: AT&T Stadium Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)

Mexico  v  Bolivia

31 May Friendly	Mexico	v	Bolivia	Chicago, United States
--:-- -				Stadium: Soldier Field

Mexico  v  Uruguay

5 June Friendly	Mexico	v	Uruguay	Denver, United States
--:-- -				Stadium: Empower Field at Mile High

Mexico  v  Brazil

8 June Friendly	Mexico	v	Brazil	College Station, United States
--:-- -				Stadium: Kyle Field

Mexico  v  Jamaica

22 June 2024 Copa América	Mexico	v	Jamaica	Houston, United States
20:00 UTC−5				Stadium: NRG Stadium

Venezuela  v  Mexico

26 June 2024 Copa América	Venezuela	v	Mexico	Inglewood, United States
18:00 UTC−7				Stadium: SoFi Stadium

Mexico  v  Ecuador

30 June 2024 Copa América	Mexico	v	Ecuador	Glendale, United States
17:00 UTC−7				Stadium: State Farm Stadium

Mexico  v  New Zealand

7 September Friendly	Mexico	v	New Zealand	Pasadena, United States
--:-- -				Stadium: Rose Bowl

Mexico  v  Canada

10 September Friendly	Mexico	v	Canada	Arlington, United States
--:-- -				Stadium: AT&T Stadium

As of 10 August 2023

Position	Name
Head coach	Jaime Lozano
Assistant coaches	Toni Clavero
	Ryota Nishimura
Goalkeeping coach	Alejandro Arredondo
Fitness coach	Aníbal González
Video analyst	Eduardo González
Physiotherapist	Carlos Peçanha
Team doctor	José Luis Serrano

Current squad

The following 23 players were called-up for the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals matches against Panama and the United States on 21 and 24 March 2024, respectively.^[88]
Caps and goals correct as of 24 March 2024, after the match against the United States.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Luis Malagón	(1997-03-02) 2 March 1997 (age 27)	4	0	América
12	1GK	Julio González	(1991-04-23) 23 April 1991 (age 33)	0	0	UNAM
13	1GK	Guillermo Ochoa (captain)	(1985-07-13) 13 July 1985 (age 38)	150	0	Salernitana
2	2DF	Julián Araujo	(2001-08-13) 13 August 2001 (age 22)	13	0	Las Palmas
3	2DF	César Montes	(1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 27)	44	1	Almería
5	2DF	Johan Vásquez	(1998-10-22) 22 October 1998 (age 25)	22	1	Genoa
6	2DF	Gerardo Arteaga	(1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25)	22	1	Monterrey
16	2DF	Jesús Orozco	(2002-02-19) 19 February 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Guadalajara
19	2DF	Jorge Sánchez	(1997-12-10) 10 December 1997 (age 26)	41	1	Porto
21	2DF	Érick Aguirre	(1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 27)	14	0	Monterrey
23	2DF	Jesús Gallardo	(1994-08-15) 15 August 1994 (age 29)	98	2	Monterrey
4	3MF	Edson Álvarez (vice-captain)	(1997-10-24) 24 October 1997 (age 26)	76	5	West Ham United
7	3MF	Luis Romo	(1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 28)	44	3	Monterrey
8	3MF	Carlos Rodríguez	(1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 27)	48	0	Cruz Azul
10	3MF	Roberto Alvarado	(1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25)	43	5	Guadalajara
14	3MF	Érick Sánchez	(1999-09-27) 27 September 1999 (age 24)	27	3	Pachuca
15	3MF	Uriel Antuna	(1997-08-21) 21 August 1997 (age 26)	59	13	Cruz Azul
17	3MF	Orbelín Pineda	(1996-03-24) 24 March 1996 (age 28)	68	10	AEK Athens
18	3MF	Luis Chávez	(1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 28)	30	4	Dynamo Moscow
9	4FW	Julián Quiñones	(1997-03-24) 24 March 1997 (age 27)	3	1	América
11	4FW	Santiago Giménez	(2001-04-18) 18 April 2001 (age 23)	25	4	Feyenoord
20	4FW	Henry Martín	(1992-11-18) 18 November 1992 (age 31)	43	9	América
22	4FW	Hirving Lozano	(1995-07-30) 30 July 1995 (age 28)	70	18	PSV

Recent call-ups

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

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Carlos Acevedo	(1996-04-19) 19 April 1996 (age 28)	6	0	Santos Laguna	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
GK	José Antonio Rodríguez	(1992-07-04) 4 July 1992 (age 31)	2	0	Tijuana	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Kevin Álvarez	(1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 25)	15	1	América	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Israel Reyes	(2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 23)	14	2	América	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Jesús Angulo	(1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 (age 26)	14	0	UANL	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Cristian Calderón	(1997-05-24) 24 May 1997 (age 26)	4	0	América	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Víctor Guzmán	(2002-03-07) 7 March 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Monterrey	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Luis Olivas	(2000-02-10) 10 February 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Mazatlán	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Omar Campos	(2002-07-20) 20 July 2002 (age 21)	1	0	Los Angeles	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Brian García	(1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 26)	1	0	Toluca	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Alexis Peña	(1996-01-13) 13 January 1996 (age 28)	1	0	Necaxa	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Rafael Fernández	(2000-08-05) 5 August 2000 (age 23)	0	0	Tijuana	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Ramón Juárez	(2001-05-09) 9 May 2001 (age 22)	0	0	América	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Ricardo Chávez	(1994-11-19) 19 November 1994 (age 29)	1	0	Atlético San Luis	v.  Colombia, 16 December 2023
DF	Néstor Araujo	(1991-08-29) 29 August 1991 (age 32)	67	3	América	v.  Cameroon, 10 June 2023
DF	Salvador Reyes	(1998-05-04) 4 May 1998 (age 25)	2	0	América	v.  Cameroon, 10 June 2023
MF	Jonathan dos Santos	(1990-04-26) 26 April 1990 (age 34)	57	5	América	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Érick Gutiérrez	(1995-06-15) 15 June 1995 (age 28)	36	1	Guadalajara	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Alexis Vega	(1997-11-25) 25 November 1997 (age 26)	27	6	Toluca	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Diego Lainez	(2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 (age 23)	26	3	UANL	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Sebastián Córdova	(1997-06-12) 12 June 1997 (age 26)	17	3	UANL	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Fernando Beltrán	(1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 (age 25)	10	0	Guadalajara	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Ozziel Herrera	(2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 (age 22)	7	0	UANL	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Víctor Guzmán	(1995-02-03) 3 February 1995 (age 29)	6	1	Guadalajara	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	César Huerta	(2000-12-03) 3 December 2000 (age 23)	6	1	UNAM	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Omar Govea	(1996-01-18) 18 January 1996 (age 28)	5	1	Monterrey	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Érik Lira	(2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 (age 23)	4	0	Cruz Azul	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Jordi Cortizo	(1996-06-30) 30 June 1996 (age 27)	3	0	Monterrey	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Marcelo Flores	(2003-10-01) 1 October 2003 (age 20)	3	0	UANL	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Jordan Carrillo	(2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 (age 22)	1	0	Santos Laguna	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Rodrigo López	(2001-11-12) 12 November 2001 (age 22)	1	0	UNAM	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Marcel Ruiz	(2000-10-26) 26 October 2000 (age 23)	1	0	Toluca	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Fidel Ambríz	(2003-03-21) 21 March 2003 (age 21)	0	0	León	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Juan Pablo Domínguez	(1998-10-30) 30 October 1998 (age 25)	0	0	Toluca	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Denzell García	(2003-08-15) 15 August 2003 (age 20)	0	0	Juárez	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Rodrigo Huescas	(2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 20)	0	0	Cruz Azul	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Diego Medina	(2001-03-12) 12 March 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Santos Laguna	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Pável Pérez	(1998-06-26) 26 June 1998 (age 25)	0	0	Guadalajara	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Alfonso González	(1994-09-05) 5 September 1994 (age 29)	5	0	Monterrey	v.  Colombia, 16 December 2023
MF	Dieter Villalpando	(1991-08-04) 4 August 1991 (age 32)	1	0	Juárez	v.  Colombia, 16 December 2023
MF	Andrés Montaño	(2002-05-22) 22 May 2002 (age 21)	0	0	Mazatlán	v.  Colombia, 16 December 2023
MF	Héctor Herrera	(1990-04-19) 19 April 1990 (age 34)	105	10	Houston Dynamo	v.  Uzbekistan, 12 September 2023
MF	Alan Cervantes	(1998-01-17) 17 January 1998 (age 26)	5	0	Santos Laguna	v.  Cameroon, 10 June 2023
FW	Raúl Jiménez	(1991-05-05) 5 May 1991 (age 32)	104	33	Fulham	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Guillermo Martínez	(1995-03-15) 15 March 1995 (age 29)	1	1	UNAM	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Iván López	(1999-04-21) 21 April 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Toluca	2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Bryan González	(2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Pachuca	v.  Colombia, 16 December 2023
FW	Roberto de la Rosa	(2000-01-04) 4 January 2000 (age 24)	3	1	Pachuca	v.  Cameroon, 10 June 2023
Notes 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

As of 24 March 2024^[89]

Players in bold are still active with Mexico.

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup											Qualification
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	F	A	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1930	Group stage	13th	3	0	0	3	4	13	Squad		Qualified as invitees
1934	Did not qualify										4	3	0	1	14	7
1938	Withdrew										Withdrew
1950	Group stage	12th	3	0	0	3	2	10	Squad		4	4	0	0	17	2
1954		13th	2	0	0	2	2	8	Squad		4	4	0	0	19	1
1958		16th	3	0	1	2	1	8	Squad		6	5	1	0	21	3
1962		11th	3	1	0	2	3	4	Squad		8	4	3	1	18	5
1966		12th	3	0	2	1	1	3	Squad		8	6	2	0	20	4
1970	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	1	1	6	4	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1974	Did not qualify										9	6	2	1	18	8
1978	Group stage	16th	3	0	0	3	2	12	Squad		9	6	2	1	23	6
1982	Did not qualify										9	2	5	2	14	8
1986	Quarter-finals	6th	5	3	2	0	6	2	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1990	Banned										Disqualified
1994	Round of 16	13th	4	1	2	1	4	4	Squad		12	9	1	2	39	8
1998		13th	4	1	2	1	8	7	Squad		16	8	6	2	37	13
2002		11th	4	2	1	1	4	4	Squad		16	9	3	4	33	11
2006		15th	4	1	1	2	5	5	Squad		18	15	1	2	67	10
2010		14th	4	1	1	2	4	5	Squad		18	11	2	5	36	18
2014		10th	4	2	1	1	5	3	Squad		18	10	5	3	31	14
2018		12th	4	2	0	2	3	6	Squad		16	11	4	1	29	8
2022	Group stage	22nd	3	1	1	1	2	3	Squad		14	8	4	2	17	8
2026	Qualified as co-hosts										Qualified as co-hosts
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
Total	Quarter-finals	18/23	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
1963	Group stage	7th	3	1	1	1	9	2	Squad		Qualified automatically
1965	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	13	2	Squad		Automatically entered
1967	Runners-up	2nd	5	4	0	1	10	1	Squad		Qualified as defending champions
1969	Fourth place	4th	5	1	2	2	4	5	Squad		2	1	0	1	4	2
1971	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	6	1	Squad		2	2	0	0	6	0
1973	Third place	3rd	5	2	2	1	10	5	Squad		4	4	0	0	8	3
1977	Champions	1st	5	5	0	0	20	5	Squad		4	1	2	1	3	1
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
1991	Third place	3rd	5	3	1	1	10	5	Squad		Qualified automatically
1993	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	28	2	Squad
1996	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	9	0	Squad
1998	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	8	2	Squad
2000	Quarter-finals	7th	3	1	1	1	6	3	Squad
2002		5th	3	2	1	0	4	1	Squad
2003	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	9	0	Squad
2005	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	0	2	7	4	Squad
2007	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	0	2	7	5	Squad
2009	Champions	1st	6	5	1	0	15	2	Squad
2011	Champions	1st	6	6	0	0	22	4	Squad
2013	Semi-finals	3rd	5	3	0	2	8	5	Squad
2015	Champions	1st	6	4	2	0	16	6	Squad
2017	Semi-finals	3rd	5	3	1	1	6	2	Squad
2019	Champions	1st	6	5	1	0	16	4	Squad
2021	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	1	1	9	2	Squad		4	4	0	0	13	3
2023	Champions	1st	6	5	0	1	13	2	Squad		4	2	2	0	8	3
Total	12 Titles	25/27	123	85	21	17	271	73			24	15	6	3	50	17

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League record
League phase												Knockout phase
Season	Div	Pos.	P/R	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Rank		Finals	Pos.	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2019–20	A	1st		4	4	0	0	13	3	1st		2021	2nd	2	0	1	1	2	3
2022–23	A	1st		4	2	2	0	8	3	4th		2023	3rd	2	1	0	1	1	3
2023–24	Bye			N/A								2024	2nd	4	2	0	2	5	4
Total				8	6	2	0	21	6	—		Total	–	8	3	1	4	8	10

Copa América

Copa América record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1993	Runners-up	2nd	6	2	2	2	9	7	Squad
1995	Quarter-finals	7th	4	1	2	1	5	4	Squad
1997	Semi-finals	3rd	6	2	2	2	8	9	Squad
1999	Semi-finals	3rd	6	3	1	2	10	9	Squad
2001	Runners-up	2nd	6	3	1	2	5	3	Squad
2004	Quarter-finals	6th	4	2	1	1	5	7	Squad
2007	Semi-finals	3rd	6	4	1	1	13	5	Squad
2011	Group stage	12th	3	0	0	3	1	4	Squad
2015		11th	3	0	2	1	4	5	Squad
2016	Quarter-finals	7th	4	2	1	1	6	9	Squad
2019	Not invited
2021
2024	Qualified
Total	Runners-up	11/13	48	19	13	16	66	62	—

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1992	Did not qualify
1995	Third place	3rd	3	1	2	0	4	2	Squad
1997	Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	8	6	Squad
1999	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	13	6	Squad
2001	Group stage	8th	3	0	0	3	1	8	Squad
2003	Did not qualify
2005	Fourth place	4th	5	2	2	1	7	6	Squad
2009	Did not qualify
2013	Group stage	6th	3	1	0	2	3	5	Squad
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
1928	First round	14th	2	0	0	2	2	10	Squad
1936	Did not enter
1948	First round	11th	1	0	0	1	3	5	Squad
1952	Did not qualify
1956
1960
1964	Group stage	11th	3	0	1	2	2	6	Squad
1968	Fourth place	4th	5	3	0	2	10	7	Squad
1972	Second group stage	7th	6	2	1	3	4	14	Squad
1976	Group stage	9th	3	0	2	1	4	7	Squad
1980	Did not qualify
1984
1988	Banned
Since 1992	See Mexico national under-23 football team
Total	Fourth place	6/13	20	5	4	11	25	49	—

Major competitions

• FIFA World Cup
  • Quarter-finals (2): 1970, 1986
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Champions (1): 1999
  • Third place (1): 1995
• CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup
  • Champions (12): 1965, 1971, 1977, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023
  • Runners-up (3): 1967, 2007, 2021
  • Third place (5): 1973, 1981, 1991, 2013, 2017
• CONCACAF Nations League
  • Runners-up (2): 2019–20, 2023–24
  • Third place (1): 2022–23
• Copa América
  • Runners-up (2): 1993, 2001
  • Third place (3): 1997, 1999, 2007

Other competitions

• CONCACAF Cup
  • Champions (1): 2015
• Central American and Caribbean Games
  • Champions (2): 1935, 1938
• NAFC Championship/North American Nations Cup
  • Champions (3): 1947, 1949, 1991
  • Runners-up (1): 1990
• CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament
  • Champions (3): 1964, 1972, 1976
• Panamerican Championship
  • Third place (1): 1960

Friendly competitions

• U.S. Cup
  • Champions (3): 1996, 1997, 1999
  • Third place (2): 1995, 2000
• Marlboro Cup
  • Champions (1): 1989
• Lunar New Year Cup
  • Champions (1): 1999
  • Runners-up (1): 2000

• 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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mexico national association football team.

• Official website (in Spanish)
• Mexico – FIFA profile
• Archives and results at the RSSSF