Mexican Football Federation facts for kids
| CONCACAF | |
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| Founded | 23 August 1927 |
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| Headquarters | Toluca |
| FIFA affiliation | 1929 |
| CONCACAF affiliation | 1961 |
| President | Mikel Arriola |
The Mexican Football Federation (known as FMF) is the main organization that manages football in Mexico. It takes care of all the men's and women's national teams, including youth teams. It also looks after national teams for futsal (indoor football) and beach soccer. The FMF runs the top professional league, Liga MX, and all other professional and amateur football in Mexico. Its job is to promote, organize, and supervise football across the country.
The FMF was started on August 23, 1927. It joined FIFA, the world football governing body, in 1929. It was also one of the groups that helped create CONCACAF, which is the football organization for North and Central America and the Caribbean, in 1961. The FMF follows the rules and goals of FIFA and CONCACAF. Its main office is in Toluca, State of Mexico.
Contents
History of Mexican Football
Football in Mexico had different leagues in the early days. In 1922, these leagues came together to form the Federación Mexicana de Football Asociación. This group created the Campeonato de Primera Fuerza, which was the top football league at the time.
Later, in 1927, the current Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación was officially set up. Important clubs like Club México, RC España, Necaxa, Club América, Asturias, Aurrerá, and Germania FV helped restart the Federation. They made sure the FMF became a member of FIFA in 1929. The first national championship organized by the new FMF was in the 1927–28 season. This was during the time when football was still played by amateur players, before it became fully professional in 1942.
The FMF has three main places where it works: its Central Office, a High Performance Centre (for training top players), and a Training Centre (for teaching coaches and referees).
How the FMF is Organized
The FMF is run by a group called the General Assembly. Different football leagues have a say in how things are decided. For example, Liga MX has 55% of the votes. Other leagues like Liga de Expansión MX, Liga Premier, Liga TDP, and the Amateur sector also have votes. A smaller group called the National Council handles the daily work. It has five members, one from each main division, and they are chosen every four years.
Key People at the FMF
The FMF has many people working to manage football. Here are some of the important roles:
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
 Mikel Arriola |
President Commissioner |
| Ivar Sisniega |
Executive President |
| Duilio Davino |
Sports Director of National Teams (men's) |
| Andrea Rodebaugh |
Sports Director of National Team (women's) |
 Andrés Lillini |
Coordinator of Youth National Teams |
| Javier Aguirre |
Head coach (men's) |
 Pedro López |
Head coach (women's) |
| Juan Manuel Herrero |
Director of the Referees Committee |
Mexico's National Teams
The FMF manages several national football teams that represent Mexico in international games.
Mexico Men's National Team
The first Mexican men's national team was formed in 1923. Their first game was a win against Guatemala that same year. They first played internationally in the 1928 Olympic Football Tournament.
The men's national team has played in the FIFA World Cup 17 times. Their first World Cup was in Uruguay in 1930, where they played in the very first match against France. Their best results were reaching the quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986, both times when Mexico hosted the World Cup.
Mexico's men's team has won many titles. They won gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1935 and 1938. They also won the NAFC Championship twice, in 1947 and 1949. After CONCACAF was formed, Mexico won its first CONCACAF title in 1965.
Mexico is also special because it's the only country outside of Europe or South America to win a major FIFA title. They won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup at home, beating Brazil 4–3 in the final. Overall, the men's team has won 16 official titles, including 1 FIFA Confederations Cup and 12 CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup titles.
Mexico Women's National Team
The first women's national team was created in 1963. Their first game was a win against Austria in 1970. However, FIFA officially recognized their first match in 1991 against USA.
The women's national team has played in the FIFA Women's World Cup 3 times, starting in USA 1999. They have won three gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games (2014, 2018, and 2023). They also won a gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Mexico Olympic Team
The Olympic team is for players under 23 years old. This team plays in the Olympic Football Tournament. Mexico's under-23 team won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Football Tournament in London. They also won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympic Football Tournament in Tokyo.
Men's Youth Teams
Mexico's youth teams have also had great success.
- The under-20 team has played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup 17 times. They were runners-up in 1977 and finished third in 2011.
- The under-17 team has played in the FIFA U-17 World Cup 15 times. They have been world champions twice (2005 and 2011) and runners-up twice (2013 and 2019).
Women's Youth Teams
Mexico's women's youth teams are also strong.
- The women's under-20 team has played in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 10 times, reaching the quarterfinals in 2010, 2012, and 2022.
- The women's under-17 team has played in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 7 times and were runners-up in 2018.
Professional Football Leagues
Mexican football has several professional leagues for both men and women.
Men's Professional Leagues
- Liga MX: This is the top men's professional league in Mexico. It started in 1943.
- Liga de Expansión MX: This league was founded in 2020.
- Liga Premier: This league started in 1950.
- Liga TDP: This league began in 1967.
Women's Professional Leagues
- Liga MX Femenil: This is the top women's professional league in Mexico. It was founded in 2016, with its first season in 2017.
- Liga TDP Femenil: This league for women started in 2024.
Football Competitions in Mexico
The FMF organizes many different football competitions.
Men's Competitions
Top Division Competitions
- Liga MX
- Campeón de Campeones (Champion of Champions)
- Supercopa de la Liga MX
Promotion Division Competitions
- Liga de Expansión MX
- Campeón de Campeones de la Liga de Expansión MX
- Liga Premier
- Campeón de Campeones de la Liga Premier
- Liga TDP
- Copa Conecta
Youth and Reserve Competitions
- Liga MX Sub-23 (Under-23 League)
- Liga MX Sub-19 (Under-19 League)
- Liga MX Sub-17 (Under-17 League)
- Liga MX Sub-15 (Under-15 League)
Women's Competitions
- Liga MX Femenil
- Campeón de Campeonas (Women's Champion of Champions)
- Liga TDP Femenil
Hosting the 2026 World Cup
Mexico, along with Canada and the United States, successfully bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The decision was made on June 13, 2018. Mexico will host 10 matches in three cities: Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey. This will be the third time Mexico has hosted World Cup matches, making it the first country to do so.
Presidents of the FMF
The FMF has had many presidents over the years. Here are some of them:
| Federación Mexicana de Fútbol | |
| Period | President |
|---|---|
| 1927–1928 | Humberto Garza Ramos |
| 1960–1970 | Guillermo Cañedo de la Bárcena |
| 2018–2023 | Yon de Luisa Plazas |
| 2024–present | Mikel Arriola |
See also
In Spanish: Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación para niños
- Football in Mexico
- Women's football in Mexico
- Mexican football league system
- Mexico national football team
- Mexico women's national football team
- List of football clubs in Mexico
