Diego Lainez facts for kids
Lainez in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Diego Lainez Leyva | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 June 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Tigres UANL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2017 | América | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | América | 39 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Betis | 55 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | → Braga (loan) | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | → Tigres UANL (loan) | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Tigres UANL | 46 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Mexico U17 | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Mexico U20 | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Mexico U21 | 8 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Mexico U23 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Mexico | 29 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 January 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 September 2024 |
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Diego Lainez Leyva (born on June 9, 2000) is a talented Mexican professional footballer. He plays as a winger for the Liga MX team Tigres UANL. He also represents the Mexican national team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing for América
Diego Lainez started his football journey at a young age. He joined the famous Club América academy. His brother, Mauro, chose to join a different team, Pachuca.
Diego made his first professional appearance for América on March 1, 2017. This was in a cup match against Santos Laguna. Just three days later, he played his first league game against León. At only 16 years old, he became one of the youngest players to play for América's main team.
On August 4, 2018, Diego scored his first two goals for América in a 3–1 win. This made him the youngest player to score two goals in a single game for the club. He was also the fifth youngest player to score any goal for América. Later that year, he scored in both semifinal games against Universidad Nacional. This made him the youngest player to score in the club's playoff history.
Moving to Betis in Spain
On January 10, 2019, Diego Lainez moved to Europe. He joined La Liga club Real Betis in Spain. This was a big step for him. The transfer was reportedly worth $14 million. This made him the youngest player to move from Mexico's Liga MX to a European club. He was also the second most expensive Mexican player bought by a European team.
Diego made his debut in La Liga on January 20, 2019. He came into the game as a substitute against Girona. On February 14, he scored a goal in the UEFA Europa League. This made him the youngest Mexican player ever to score in that competition. His goal helped Betis draw 3–3 with Rennes. He scored another goal for Betis in a cup game in December 2019.
Loan to Braga in Portugal
In July 2022, Diego Lainez went on loan to Primeira Liga club S.C. Braga in Portugal. He made his debut for Braga on August 12, 2022. He scored his only goal for the club on August 28, 2022, in a big 6–0 win. His loan ended in January 2023.
Returning to Mexico with Tigres UANL
On January 30, 2023, Diego Lainez returned to Mexico. He joined Tigres UANL on a one-year loan. Six months later, Tigres made his move permanent. This means he officially became a full-time player for the club.
International Career
Playing for Mexico's Youth Teams
Diego Lainez has played for several of Mexico's youth national teams. In 2017, he played in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He scored two goals in a match against England.
In 2018, he was part of the team that finished second in the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. He was even named one of the best players in the tournament. He also played in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
Diego also played in the 2018 Toulon Tournament. He scored a goal against Qatar. He won the "Best Player Award" in that tournament. Mexico finished second there too.
In 2021, Diego was part of the Mexican Olympic team. He helped the team win a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Playing for Mexico's Senior Team
Diego Lainez got his first call-up to the senior national team in August 2018. He made his first appearance for the team on September 7, 2018.
On October 13, 2020, Diego scored his first goal for the national team. It was a late goal against Algeria that tied the game 2–2. In June 2021, he scored against the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League Final. He was also named one of the best players in that tournament.
Diego was considered for the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad. However, he did not make the final team. In 2023, he was part of the Mexican team that won the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
How Diego Lainez Plays
Diego Lainez is known for being a very skilled player. He is often described as a small, left-footed forward. He has a quick burst of speed and is very tricky with the ball. Many experts have called him one of the best young players in the world. He has been featured in lists of top young talents.
Even though he is young, Diego plays with a lot of maturity. He is good at creating attacks and makes smart decisions on the field. He is also good at passing and crossing the ball. He doesn't shy away from helping out with defense either.
One of his best skills is dribbling. He has a very high success rate when dribbling past opponents. He is also known for his high dribbling skills in the popular FIFA video game. Diego has said that Lionel Messi is his idol and has influenced his playing style.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| América | 2016–17 | Liga MX | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 39 | 5 | 10 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 5 | |||
| Betis | 2018–19 | La Liga | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 18 | 1 | |||||
| 2020–21 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 0 | |||||
| 2021–22 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 55 | 0 | 11 | 3 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 72 | 4 | ||||
| Braga (loan) | 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | |
| Tigres UANL (loan) | 2022–23 | Liga MX | 19 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |||
| Tigres UANL | 2023–24 | Liga MX | 31 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 45 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 54 | 4 | ||||
| Career total | 164 | 10 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 213 | 15 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2018 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 29 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lainez goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 October 2020 | Cars Jeans Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands |  Algeria |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 6 June 2021 | Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, United States |  United States |
2–1 | 2–3 (aet) | 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final |
| 3 | 30 June 2021 | Nissan Stadium, Nashville, United States |  Panama |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Team Awards
- América
- Liga MX: Apertura 2018
- Betis
- Copa del Rey: 2021–22
- Tigres UANL
- Liga MX: Clausura 2023
- Campeones Cup: 2023
- Mexico U23
- Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020 Tokyo
- Mexico
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2023
Individual Awards
- Toulon Tournament Golden Ball: 2018
- Toulon Tournament Best XI: 2018
- CONCACAF Under-20 Championship Best XI: 2018
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2021
Images for kids
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Lainez in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Diego Lainez Leyva para niños
