Mexico national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mexico

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 (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 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) represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (Spanish: Federación Mexicana de Fútbol). 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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Héctor Herrera and Mesut Özil (Mexico v Germany) at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

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

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
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. 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

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

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 27 January	Jamaica	1–2	Mexico	Kingston, Jamaica
19:00 UTC−5	Johnson  50'	https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/concacaf/match-center/400180546	Martín  81' Vega  83'	Stadium: Independence Park Referee: Ismael Cornejo (El Salvador)

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 30 January	Mexico	0–0	Costa Rica	Mexico City, Mexico
		https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/concacaf/match-center/400180550		Stadium: Estadio Azteca Referee: Said Martínez (Honduras)

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 2 February	Mexico	1–0	Panama	Mexico City, Mexico
	Jiménez  80' (pen.)	https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/concacaf/match-center/400180554		Stadium: Estadio Azteca Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 24 March	Mexico	0–0	United States	Mexico City, Mexico
21:00 UTC−6		https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/concacaf/match-center/400180555		Stadium: Estadio Azteca Attendance: 47,000 Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 27 March	Honduras	0–1	Mexico	San Pedro Sula, Honduras
		https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/concacaf/match-center/400180539	Ed. Álvarez  70'	Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano Referee: Armando Villarreal (United States)

2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier 30 March	Mexico	2–0	El Salvador	Mexico City, Mexico
19:05 UTC−6	Antuna  17' Jiménez  43' (pen.)	https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/qualifiers/concacaf/match-center/400180551		Stadium: Estadio Azteca Referee: Oshane Nation (Jamaica)

Friendly 27 April	Mexico	0–0	Guatemala	Orlando, United States
20:30 (UTC−4)		https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/04/27/world/friendlies/mexico/guatemala/3761368/		Stadium: Camping World Stadium Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada)

Friendly 28 May	Mexico	2–1	Nigeria	Arlington, United States
19:08 (UTC−5)	Giménez  12' Troost-Ekong  56' (o.g.)	https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/05/28/world/friendlies/mexico/nigeria/3780789/	Dessers  54'	Stadium: AT&T Stadium Referee: José Torres (Puerto Rico)

Friendly 2 June	Mexico	0–3	Uruguay	Glendale, United States
19:00 (UTC−7)		https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/06/03/world/friendlies/mexico/uruguay/3780169/	Vecino  35' Cavani  46', 54'	Stadium: State Farm Stadium Attendance: 57,735 Referee: Juan Calderón (Costa Rica)

Friendly 5 June	Mexico	0–0	Ecuador	Chicago, United States
18:30 (UTC−5)		https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/06/06/world/friendlies/mexico/ecuador/3780790/		Stadium: Soldier Field Referee: Oliver Vergara (Panama)

Nations League 11 June	Mexico	3–0	Suriname	Torreón, Mexico
21:00 (UTC−5)	I. Reyes  4' Martín  40' (pen.) É. Sánchez  90+4'	https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=626328		Stadium: Estadio Corona Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)

Nations League 14 June	Jamaica	1–1	Mexico	Kingston, Jamaica
19:00 (UTC−5)	Bailey  4'	https://www.concacaf.com/en/nations-league/game-details?matchid=626345	Romo  45+3'	Stadium: National Stadium Referee: Bryan López (Guatemala)

Friendly 31 August	Mexico	0–1	Paraguay	Atlanta, United States
21:00 (UTC−4)		https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/01/world/friendlies/mexico/paraguay/3780791/	D. González  50'	Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Referee: Nima Saghafi (United States)

Friendly 24 September	Mexico	1–0	Peru	Pasadena, United States
18:00 (UTC−7)	Lozano  85'	https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/25/world/friendlies/mexico/peru/3818094/		Stadium: Rose Bowl Referee: Bryan López (Guatemala)

Friendly 27 September	Mexico	2–3	Colombia	Santa Clara, United States
19:00 (UTC−7)	Vega  6' (pen.) Arteaga  29'	https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/27/world/friendlies/mexico/colombia/3818095/	Sinisterra  49', 52' Barrios  68'	Stadium: Levi's Stadium Referee: Nima Saghafi (United States)

Friendly 9 November	Mexico	4–0	Iraq	Girona, Spain
21:00 UTC+1	Vega  4' Funes Mori  48' Gallardo  67' Antuna  90+2' (pen.)			Stadium: Estadi Montilivi Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández (Spain)

Friendly 16 November	Mexico	1–2	Sweden	Girona, Spain
19:30 UTC+1	Vega  60'		Rohden  54' Svanberg  84'	Stadium: Estadi Montilivi Referee: César Soto Grado ((Spain)

2022 FIFA World Cup 22 November	Mexico	0–0	Poland	Doha, Qatar
19:00 AST (UTC+03:00)		https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/17/255711/285063/400235463		Stadium: Stadium 974 Attendance: 39,369 Referee: Chris Beath (Australia)

2022 FIFA World Cup 26 November	Argentina	2–0	Mexico	Lusail, Qatar
22:00 AST (UTC+03:00)	Messi  64' Fernández  87'	https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/17/255711/285063/400235462		Stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium Attendance: 88,966 Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)

2022 FIFA World Cup 30 November	Saudi Arabia	1–2	Mexico	Lusail, Qatar
22:00 AST (UTC+03:00)	S. Al-Dawsari  90+5'	https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre/match/17/255711/285063/400235460	Martín  47' Chávez  52'	Stadium: Lusail Iconic Stadium Attendance: 84,985 Referee: Michael Oliver (England)

2023

Nations League 23 March	Suriname	v	Mexico	Paramaribo, Suriname
				Stadium: Frank Essed Stadion

Nations League 26 March	Mexico	v	Jamaica	Mexico
				Stadium: TBD

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Manager	Vacant
Assistant Manager	Jorge Theiler
Assistant Manager	Norberto Scoponi
Assistant Manager	Sergio Giovagnoli
Goalkeeping Coach	Gustavo Piñero
Fitness Coach	Juan Manuel Alfano
Fitness Coach	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	Juárez
12	1GK	Rodolfo Cota	(1987-07-03) 3 July 1987 (age 36)	8	0	León
13	1GK	Guillermo Ochoa (vice-captain)	(1985-07-13) 13 July 1985 (age 38)	134	0	Salernitana
2	2DF	Néstor Araujo	(1991-08-29) 29 August 1991 (age 32)	64	3	América
3	2DF	César Montes	(1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 26)	33	1	Espanyol
5	2DF	Johan Vásquez	(1998-10-22) 22 October 1998 (age 24)	7	0	Cremonese
6	2DF	Gerardo Arteaga	(1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25)	17	1	Genk
15	2DF	Héctor Moreno (3rd captain)	(1988-01-17) 17 January 1988 (age 35)	131	5	Monterrey
19	2DF	Jorge Sánchez	(1997-12-10) 10 December 1997 (age 25)	28	1	Ajax
23	2DF	Jesús Gallardo	(1994-08-15) 15 August 1994 (age 29)	81	1	Monterrey
26	2DF	Kevin Álvarez	(1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 24)	10	0	Pachuca
4	3MF	Edson Álvarez	(1997-10-24) 24 October 1997 (age 25)	60	3	Ajax
7	3MF	Luis Romo	(1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 28)	27	1	Monterrey
8	3MF	Carlos Rodríguez	(1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 26)	38	0	Cruz Azul
14	3MF	Érick Gutiérrez	(1995-06-15) 15 June 1995 (age 28)	35	1	PSV
16	3MF	Héctor Herrera	(1990-04-19) 19 April 1990 (age 33)	104	10	Houston Dynamo
17	3MF	Orbelín Pineda	(1996-03-24) 24 March 1996 (age 27)	51	6	AEK Athens
18	3MF	Andrés Guardado (captain)	(1986-09-28) 28 September 1986 (age 36)	179	28	Betis
21	3MF	Uriel Antuna	(1997-08-21) 21 August 1997 (age 26)	39	9	Cruz Azul
24	3MF	Luis Chávez	(1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 27)	12	1	Pachuca
25	3MF	Roberto Alvarado	(1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25)	32	4	Guadalajara
9	4FW	Raúl Jiménez	(1991-05-05) 5 May 1991 (age 32)	98	29	Wolverhampton Wanderers
10	4FW	Alexis Vega	(1997-11-25) 25 November 1997 (age 25)	25	6	Guadalajara
11	4FW	Rogelio Funes Mori	(1991-03-05) 5 March 1991 (age 32)	17	6	Monterrey
20	4FW	Henry Martín	(1992-11-18) 18 November 1992 (age 30)	29	7	América
22	4FW	Hirving Lozano	(1995-07-30) 30 July 1995 (age 28)	63	16	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	Santos Laguna	v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
GK	Luis Malagón	(1997-03-02) 2 March 1997 (age 26)	0	0	América	v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
GK	David Ochoa	(2001-01-16) 16 January 2001 (age 22)	0	0	Atlético San Luis	v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
GK	Jonathan Orozco	(1986-05-12) 12 May 1986 (age 37)	9	0	Tijuana	v.  United States, 24 March 2022 INJ
DF	Jesús Alberto Angulo	(1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 (age 25)	12	0	UANL	v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
DF	Luis Reyes	(1991-04-03) 3 April 1991 (age 32)	9	0	Atlas	v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
DF	Israel Reyes	(2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 23)	3	1	América	v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
DF	Emilio Lara	(2002-05-18) 18 May 2002 (age 21)	1	0	América	V.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
DF	Julio César Domínguez	(1987-11-08) 8 November 1987 (age 35)	24	0	Cruz Azul	v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
DF	Érick Aguirre	(1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 26)	13	0	Monterrey	v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
DF	Julián Araujo	(2001-08-13) 13 August 2001 (age 22)	3	0	LA Galaxy	v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
DF	Luis Olivas	(2000-02-10) 10 February 2000 (age 23)	2	0	Guadalajara	v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
DF	Jonathan Gómez	(2003-09-01) 1 September 2003 (age 20)	1	0	Real Sociedad B	v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
DF	Arturo Ortiz	(1992-08-25) 25 August 1992 (age 31)	1	0	UNAM	v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
DF	Osvaldo Rodríguez	(1996-09-10) 10 September 1996 (age 27)	7	1	León	v.  Costa Rica, 30 January 2022
DF	Luis Rodríguez	(1991-01-21) 21 January 1991 (age 32)	38	2	Juárez	v.  Jamaica, 27 January 2022
MF	Diego Lainez	(2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 (age 23)	21	3	Braga	v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
MF	Érick Sánchez	(1999-09-27) 27 September 1999 (age 24)	8	1	Pachuca	v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
MF	Fernando Beltrán	(1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 (age 25)	9	0	Guadalajara	v.  Colombia, 27 September 2022
MF	Rodolfo Pizarro	(1994-02-15) 15 February 1994 (age 29)	37	5	Inter Miami	v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
MF	Sebastián Córdova	(1997-06-12) 12 June 1997 (age 26)	14	3	UANL	v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022 INJ
MF	Marcelo Flores	(2003-10-01) 1 October 2003 (age 19)	3	0	Oviedo	v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
MF	Érik Lira	(2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 (age 23)	3	0	Cruz Azul	v.  Jamaica, 14 June 2022
MF	Alejandro Zendejas	(1998-02-07) 7 February 1998 (age 25)	2	0	América	v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
MF	Jordan Carrillo	(2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 (age 21)	1	0	Sporting Gijón	v.  Guatemala, 27 April 2022
FW	Jesús Manuel Corona	(1993-01-06) 6 January 1993 (age 30)	71	10	Sevilla	v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
FW	Santiago Giménez	(2001-04-18) 18 April 2001 (age 22)	9	2	Feyenoord	v.  Iraq, 9 November 2022
FW	Ángel Zaldívar	(1994-02-08) 8 February 1994 (age 29)	6	0	Atlético San Luis	v.  Paraguay, 31 August 2022
FW	Eduardo Aguirre	(1998-08-03) 3 August 1998 (age 25)	3	0	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

Andrés Guardado is the most capped player in the history of Mexico with 179 caps.

Top goalscorers

Javier Hernández is Mexico's all-time top scorer with 52 goals.

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
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
Total	Quarter-finals	17/22	60	17	15	28	62	101	—		189	121	41	27	453	134

Mexico's World Cup history
First Match	France 4–1 Mexico  (13 July 1930; Montevideo, Uruguay)
Biggest Win	Mexico 4–0 El Salvador  (7 June 1970; Mexico City, Mexico)
Biggest Defeat	West Germany 6–0 Mexico  (6 June 1978; Córdoba, Argentina)
Best Result	Quarter-finals in 1970, 1986
Worst Result	Group stage in 1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1978, 2022

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	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
2019−20	A	B	6	4	1	1	15	6		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
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	Were not invited
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
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	—

Head-to-head record

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

Honours

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 (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

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	2	14	5
9	2020	9	2	11
11	2019	11	6	18	1
17	2018	10	5	17	1
16	2017	14	2	18	2
18	2016	14	6	23	2
22	2015	18	14	40	17
20	2014	16	2	21	3
21	2013	14	4	24	3
15	2012	14	5	22	3
21	2011	9	19	28	11
27	2010	15	2	28	7
17	2009	15	6	33	7
26	2008	14	8	32	13
15	2007	10	16	26	6
20	2006	4	2	20	14
5	2005	5	2	8	2
7	2004	4	2	10	2
7	2003	4	6	11	3
8	2002	6	1	9	1
9	2001	9	2	15	2
12	2000	8	2	14	5
10	1999	9	3	14	2
10	1998	4	2	12	8
5	1997	5	6	12	2
11	1996	8	4	15	2
12	1995	7	6	16	6
15	1994	13	4	19	3
16	1993	14	11	18	2

See also

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