Marco Fabián facts for kids
Fabián with Mexico in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Marco Jhonfai Fabián de la Mora | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 July 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2007 | Guadalajara | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Tapatío | 15 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2015 | Guadalajara | 193 | (48) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | → Cruz Azul (loan) | 31 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 43 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Philadelphia Union | 23 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Al-Sadd | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Juárez | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Mazatlán | 30 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | UE Santa Coloma | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Empire Strykers (indoor) | 21 | (35) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Rànger's | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Empire Strykers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Boca Dallas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Mexico U23 | 20 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2019 | Mexico | 43 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 December 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marco Jhonfai Fabián de la Mora, born on July 21, 1989, is a Mexican professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder, which means he helps create goals from the middle of the field. Marco is famous for winning an Olympic gold medal with the Mexican team!
Fabián started his football journey in the youth academy of his hometown club, Guadalajara. He made his first professional appearance in 2007. After a short time playing for Cruz Azul on loan, he moved to Germany to play for Eintracht Frankfurt. Later, he played for teams like Philadelphia Union, Al Sadd, Juárez, and Mazatlán. He then started playing amateur football.
Marco Fabián played for Mexico's youth teams before joining the senior national team. He helped the Mexico U-23 team qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics and win the 2012 Toulon Tournament. He was the top scorer in that tournament. He was part of the team that won the Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, beating Brazil in the final. Fabián also played in several other big tournaments for Mexico, including the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting with Guadalajara
Fabián joined Guadalajara when he was young and spent ten years in their youth system. He also played for their linked club, Tapatío.
He made his first team debut on November 10, 2007, in a league match. He came in as a substitute for another player. Fabián scored his first goal for Guadalajara in his second game on February 2, 2008, in a big 6–0 win.
In the 2010 Copa Libertadores Finals, a major South American club tournament, Fabián scored a goal, but his team lost the match. On October 15, 2011, he scored three goals in one game, which is called a hat-trick! Guadalajara won that game 5–2.
Playing for Cruz Azul
On December 12, 2013, Fabián joined Cruz Azul for a two-year loan. He played his first game for Cruz Azul on May 1, 2014. On February 15, 2014, he scored a winning goal in the last minutes of a game. This goal was so good that it was nominated for the 2014 FIFA Puskás Award, which is given for the most beautiful goal of the year.
Back to Guadalajara
After his loan ended, Fabián returned to Guadalajara on December 26, 2014. He quickly scored his first goal back with the team on January 18, 2015. He also scored against Cruz Azul, his former loan team. On May 17, 2015, he scored another hat-trick in a quarter-final match, helping Guadalajara win 4–1.
Moving to Germany: Eintracht Frankfurt
On December 18, 2015, Fabián was sold to the German team Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. He was given the number 10 jersey. He made his first official appearance for them on January 24, 2016. He helped set up a goal that led to his team winning 3–2.
He scored his first goal in the Bundesliga on September 17, 2016, in a 2–1 win. On October 15, he scored a cool goal with his chest, helping Frankfurt get a 2–2 draw against the strong team Bayern Munich.
Playing in the USA: Philadelphia Union
On February 8, 2019, Fabián officially joined the MLS team Philadelphia Union in the United States. He signed a one-year contract. He made his MLS debut on March 2, scoring his team's only goal in a 1–3 loss. On October 20, in a playoff game, he came into the match late and scored the winning goal, giving Philadelphia their first playoff win ever!
Later Career Teams
After leaving Philadelphia, Fabián joined the Qatari club Al–Sadd on February 5, 2020. Later that year, on August 11, he returned to Mexico to play for Juárez. After a break from playing, he joined Mazatlán on January 18, 2022.
On September 29, 2023, Fabián went back to Europe, joining the Andorran team Santa Coloma. In December 2023, he joined the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL), which is an indoor football league, signing with the Empire Strykers in California. This was a big deal for the league!
International Career for Mexico
Youth Team Success
Fabián played for Mexico's youth teams. In 2012, he was called up for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He scored three goals in one game against Trinidad and Tobago, helping Mexico win 7–1. He also scored in the semi-final and final matches, helping Mexico win the tournament and qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was one of the top scorers in the tournament.
He also played in the 2012 Toulon Tournament, scoring a hat-trick in his first game. He scored seven goals in total, becoming the tournament's top scorer and tying a record set by England's Alan Shearer.
Winning Olympic Gold
Fabián was chosen for the 2012 London Olympics team. He played in Mexico's first match against South Korea. In the semi-final against Japan, he scored a goal that helped Mexico win 3–1 and reach the final. In the final against Brazil, he nearly scored a spectacular bicycle kick goal! Mexico won the match 2–1, earning the Olympic gold medal. He played a key role in the team's attack throughout the tournament.
Senior National Team
Fabián made his debut for the senior national team on January 25, 2012, in a 3–1 win against Venezuela.
Gold Cup and Copa América
He played in the 2013 Gold Cup, where he scored three goals and made three assists. In 2011, he was part of a young Mexican team for the 2011 Copa América. However, he was suspended for a short time due to a team rule violation.
FIFA World Cups
Fabián was part of Mexico's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He came on as a substitute in several matches, including games against Cameroon, Brazil, and Croatia.
He also played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. In the semi-final game against Germany, he scored Mexico's only goal, which was later voted the "Goal of the Tournament"! Mexico lost that game 4–1.
In May 2018, Fabián was again chosen for Mexico's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He played in one group stage match against Sweden.
How He Plays
Experts at ESPN have described Marco Fabián as a player with excellent balance and control of the ball. He can play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder. He is known for being able to get past defenders easily and for scoring amazing goals that fans love.
A German sports magazine called Kicker even voted him the third-best attacking midfielder in the Bundesliga during one season!
Personal Life
Marco Fabián has helped start a football academy in Guadalajara, Mexico. This academy teaches young players football skills and also gives them advice on nutrition and mental well-being. Fabián himself helps supervise the program. He is also a fan of the baseball team Charros de Jalisco and is good friends with fellow footballer Javier Hernández.
Media Appearances
Marco Fabián appeared on the Mexican cover of the video game FIFA 16 alongside famous player Lionel Messi.
Honours and Awards
Guadalajara
- Copa MX: 2015
- InterLiga: 2009
- Copa Libertadores runner-up: 2010
Cruz Azul
- CONCACAF Champions League: 2013–14
Eintracht Frankfurt
- DFB-Pokal: 2017–18
Santa Coloma
- Primera Divisió: 2023–24
Mexico U23
- CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship: 2012
- Toulon Tournament: 2012
- Olympic Gold Medal: 2012
Mexico
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2011
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship Top Scorer: 2012 (Shared)
- Toulon Tournament Golden Boot: 2012
- FIFA Puskás Award Contender: 2014
- FIFA Confederations Cup Goal of the Tournament: 2017
- MASL Offensive Player of the Month: January 2024
- MASL Newcomer of the Year: 2023–24
- MASL Golden Boot: 2023–24
- MASL All-Star: 2025
See also
In Spanish: Marco Fabián para niños
