Mexico national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mexico

Nickname(s)	El Tri El Tricolor
Association	Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF)
Confederation	CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation	NAFU (North America)
Head coach	Javier Aguirre
Captain	Edson Álvarez
Most caps	Andrés Guardado (180)
Top scorer	Javier Hernández (52)
Home stadium	Estadio Azteca
FIFA code	MEX
First colours Second colours Gold Cup 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
Mexico 2–1 Guatemala  (Mexico City, Mexico; 9 December 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	Quarterfinals (1970, 1986)
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Appearances	25 (first in 1963)
Best result	Champions (1965, 1971, 1977, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023)
CONCACAF Nations League
Appearances	4 (first in 2021)
Best result	Champions (2025)
CONCACAF Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2015)
Best result	Champions (2015)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1995)
Best result	Champions (1999)

The Mexico national football team (also known as El Tri or El Tricolor) plays for Mexico in men's international soccer. It is managed by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (Mexican Football Federation). Mexico joined FIFA in 1929 and has been a part of CONCACAF since 1961. CONCACAF is the main soccer group for North America.

Mexico has played in seventeen World Cups. They have been in every World Cup since 1994, which is a great achievement. Mexico played in the very first World Cup match ever on July 13, 1930, against France. Their best results in the World Cup were reaching the quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986. Both times, Mexico was the host country. They will host the World Cup again in 2026.

Mexico is the most successful team in its region. They have won 14 CONCACAF titles. This includes 12 CONCACAF Championship/CONCACAF Gold Cup titles, one CONCACAF Nations League title, and one CONCACAF Cup. Mexico is also one of only eight teams to have won two of the three biggest global soccer tournaments recognized by FIFA. They won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2012 Olympic soccer tournament. Mexico is the only team from CONCACAF, and the only team outside Europe or South America, to win a major FIFA competition for senior national teams. This happened when they won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup at home. Since 1993, Mexico has also been invited to play in the Copa América. This is South America's main tournament. Mexico finished second twice (in 1993 and 2001) and third three times.

History of Mexican Soccer

How it all Started

Soccer in Mexico began in the early 1900s. It was brought by European groups, especially miners from England and Spanish people who left Spain because of the Spanish Civil War.

The team's first game was on December 9, 1923, in Mexico City. They beat Guatemala 2-1. This was the first of many friendly games against Guatemala. Mexico won the second game 2-0, and the third game ended in a 3-3 tie. Rafael Garza Gutiérrez was the team's manager.

It took four more years for the national team to play international friendly games again. In 1927, Mexico tied 3-3 with Spain. They also played against Nacional de Montevideo and lost 1-3.

Mexico's First Big Tournaments

The Mexico national team before the first ever World Cup game against France in 1930

In 1927, Mexico's first official soccer organization was created. The 1928 Olympic Soccer Tournament was Mexico's first official international competition. Mexico lost to Spain 1-7 in the first round.

Mexico played in the very first 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay. They were in a group with Argentina, Chile, and France. Mexico played in the first World Cup match ever, losing 4-1 to France. Juan Carreño scored Mexico's first World Cup goal. In their next game, Mexico lost 3-0 to Chile. Against Argentina, Manuel Rosas scored the first penalty kick in World Cup history. Mexico lost that game 6-3.

After World War II

The Mexican team in April 1952

Mexico did not play in another World Cup until 1950. Even though they were the best team in North America, Mexico found it hard to do well in the World Cup before 1970. They struggled against teams from Europe and South America. However, goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal was the first player ever to play in five World Cups in a row.

In 1965, Mexico won the 1965 CONCACAF Championship. This was their first time becoming champions of their continent.

Mexico playing against Argentina in Los Angeles, 1985

Mexico hosted the 1970 World Cup. They started with a 0-0 tie against the Soviet Union. Then they won 4-0 against El Salvador. Mexico moved to the next round after beating Belgium. In the quarterfinals, Mexico lost 4-1 to Italy and was out of the tournament.

Mexico did not qualify for the 1974 World Cup. They did make it to the 1978 World Cup, but they lost all three games. They lost 0-6 to West Germany, 1-3 to Tunisia, and 1-3 to Poland. Mexico also failed to qualify for the 1982 World Cup.

In 1986, Mexico hosted the World Cup again. The team, led by coach Bora Milutinović, won their group. They beat Belgium 2-1, tied Paraguay 1-1, and beat Iraq 1-0. Mexico then beat Bulgaria 2-0 in the next round. In the quarterfinals, Mexico lost to West Germany in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 tie.

The 1990s: A New Era

Mexico was not allowed to play in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and other international games. This was because they used players who were too old in a youth tournament. This event was known as the "Cachirules" scandal.

In the 1990s, with coach César Luis Menotti, Mexican soccer started to do better internationally. In the 1993 Copa América, they finished second, losing 2-1 to Argentina in the final. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico won its group. But they lost in the round of 16 to Bulgaria in a penalty shootout.

At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Mexico was in a group with the Netherlands, South Korea, and Belgium. Mexico won their first game 3-1 against South Korea. They tied Belgium 2-2 and the Netherlands 2-2, which helped them reach the round of 16. In that round, Mexico lost 2-1 to Germany.

In 1999, Mexico won its first official FIFA tournament. They were the first host nation to win the FIFA Confederations Cup. Mexico beat the United States 1-0 in the semifinals. Then they beat Brazil, who were runners-up in the 1998 World Cup, 4-3 in the final.

The 21st Century: Ups and Downs

Early 2000s

Mexico was in Group G at the 2002 World Cup with Italy, Croatia, and Ecuador. They started with a 1-0 win over Croatia. Mexico then won 2-1 against Ecuador and tied Italy 1-1. In the round of 16, Mexico played their rivals, the United States, and lost 2-0.

Mexico playing against Argentina at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Mexico was one of the top eight teams at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. They were in Group D with Iran, Angola, and Portugal. Mexico won their first game 3-1 against Iran. They tied Angola 0-0. After losing 2-1 to Portugal, Mexico reached the round of 16. There, they lost 2-1 to Argentina. Coach Ricardo Lavolpe left after the tournament.

After losing the final of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1-2 to the United States, Mexico did well in the 2007 Copa América. They started by beating Brazil 2-0. They then beat Ecuador and tied Chile, finishing first in their group. In the quarterfinals, Mexico beat Paraguay 6-0. But they lost 3-0 to Argentina in the semifinals. Mexico won third place by beating Uruguay 3-1.

In July 2009, Mexico won their fifth Gold Cup title. This was their eighth CONCACAF Championship overall. They beat the United States 5-0 in the final.

The 2010s

Cuauhtémoc Blanco scoring a penalty kick against France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Mexico qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They were in a group with host South Africa, France, and Uruguay. They tied South Africa 1-1, beat France 2-0, and lost 1-0 to Uruguay. They moved to the round of 16, where they lost 3-1 to Argentina again.

In the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Mexico won all three group games. However, five players were suspended during the tournament for a banned substance. Mexico beat Guatemala 2-1 in the quarterfinals and Honduras 2-0 in the semifinals. For the third year in a row, Mexico and the United States played in the final. Mexico won 4-2 and qualified for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. They were eliminated in the group stage of that tournament.

Mexico finished second in their group at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. They reached the semifinals and played Panama. Mexico lost 2-1. These were the first two times Panama had ever beaten Mexico in a Gold Cup match.

Mexico won only two of ten games in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. But they still qualified for a play-off game. They beat New Zealand 9-3 over two games to reach their sixth World Cup in a row. In the round of 16, they lost 2-1 to the Netherlands.

At the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Mexico was in Group C. They finished second in the group. They won their quarterfinal against Costa Rica and semifinal against Panama, though these games had some controversial moments. Mexico won the Gold Cup by beating Jamaica 3-1 in the final. After the final, coach Miguel Herrera was let go. In October, Mexico beat the United States 3-2 to win the first CONCACAF Cup. This earned them a spot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. The next month, Juan Carlos Osorio became Mexico's new manager.

Mexico entered the Copa América Centenario with a 13-game unbeaten streak. They finished first in their group, beating Uruguay 3-1 and Jamaica 2-0, and tying Venezuela 1-1. In the quarter-final against Chile, Mexico lost 7-0. This ended their 16-game unbeaten streak. Coach Osorio apologized to the fans for the "embarrassment."

At the 2017 Confederations Cup, Mexico was in Group A. They finished second in the group. They lost 4-1 to Germany in the semifinals. Mexico finished fourth in the tournament after losing 2-1 to Portugal.

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

In their first game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mexico beat defending champions Germany 1-0. This was their first World Cup win against Germany. They then beat South Korea 2-1. But they lost 3-0 to Sweden in their last group game. Despite the loss, Mexico reached the round of 16 for the seventh World Cup in a row. In the round of 16, Mexico lost 2-0 to Brazil. This meant Mexico failed to reach the quarterfinals for the seventh time in a row. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio left after the tournament.

In January 2019, Gerardo Martino became Mexico's new head coach. In the Gold Cup that year, Mexico won all three group games. They beat Costa Rica in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals and Haiti in the semifinals. Mexico won the Gold Cup by beating the United States 1-0 in the final.

The 2020s

Mexico finished second in the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Final and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Both times, they lost to the United States. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Mexico finished third in their group. This was the first time since 1978 that Mexico did not make it past the group stage. As a result, coach Gerardo Martino stepped down.

In February 2023, Diego Cocca became the new head coach. Mexico automatically qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a co-host. In the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semifinals, Mexico lost 0-3 to the United States. This caused a lot of anger in Mexico. They beat Panama 1-0 for third place. The next day, Cocca was fired. Jaime Lozano took over as interim coach for the Gold Cup. Mexico won the tournament, beating Panama 1-0 in the final. After the win, Lozano became the permanent head coach. However, after a disappointing performance in the 2024 Copa América, Lozano was also dismissed.

Home Stadium

Azteca Stadium is the home of the Mexico national team.

The Estadio Azteca is also known as "El Coloso de Santa Úrsula" (The Colossus of Santa Úrsula). It was built in 1966. It is the official home stadium for the Mexico national team and the club team Club América. It can hold 87,523 people. This makes it the largest soccer stadium in the Americas and the third largest in the world. The stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup Final in 1970 and 1986. It will host the tournament again in 2026.

Friendly matches for the Mexico national team are often played in stadiums across the United States. These games are part of a program called MEXTOUR. From 2000 to 2019, the national team played 110 friendly games in the United States. In 2022, they played 15 games in the U.S., with over 52,000 fans at each game. Many games were at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, which coach Jaime Lozano called "the second home of the Mexican national team." Some MEXTOUR friendly games are also played in Mexico, including at the Azteca Stadium for special events.

Team Look

Team Uniforms

The Mexico national team usually wears a uniform with three colors: green shirts, white shorts, and red socks. These colors come from the Mexican flag, which is known as the tricolor. Before the mid-1950s, Mexico mostly wore a maroon uniform with black or dark blue shorts.

In 2015, Adidas made a new all-black home uniform for Mexico. Green, white, and red are still used as accent colors.

In 2017, the names on the Mexico national team's jerseys were updated to be spelled correctly in Spanish, with the special accent marks.

Media Coverage

All of Mexico's matches are shown live on TV networks Televisa and TV Azteca in Mexico. In the United States, all of Mexico's friendly games and home World Cup qualifiers are shown on the Spanish language network Univision. Away World Cup qualifiers are shown on Telemundo. In 2013, ESPN and Univision agreed to show Mexico national team home World Cup qualifiers and friendly matches in English in the United States.

Mexico's fans at 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Team Rivalries

Mexico vs. United States

Mexico and the United States are seen as the two best teams in CONCACAF. Games between these two countries always get a lot of attention. Even though their first game was in 1934, their rivalry became big in the late 1900s. This was when the U.S. team became much stronger.

Mexico played the United States in the round of 16 of the 2002 World Cup and lost 2-0. Ten years later, on August 15, 2012, the United States beat Mexico at Estadio Azteca. This was the first time the U.S. had beaten Mexico on Mexican soil in 75 years. In 2015, Mexico beat the U.S. 3-2 in Los Angeles to qualify for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. This was Mexico's first win on American soil since 1980. In 2016, Mexico won again on U.S. soil during World Cup qualifiers.

Since their first game in 1934, the two teams have played 78 times. Mexico has won 37 games, tied 17, and lost 24. Mexico was much stronger in the early years. But since 1990, the games have been much closer because soccer has grown in the United States. Since 2000, the U.S. has won more games against Mexico. But in the 2010s, Mexico had more success. They beat the United States in the Gold Cup finals in 2011 and 2019, and in the CONCACAF Cup in 2015. However, in 2021, Mexico lost to the United States in both the CONCACAF Nations League final and the Gold Cup final. Mexico has never lost to the United States at home in competitive matches.

Mexico vs. Argentina

Mexico also has a rivalry with Argentina. Both are famous Hispanic countries. This rivalry is unusual because the teams are from different continents. Argentina is in South America (CONMEBOL), and Mexico is in North America (CONCACAF). Mexican fans feel this rivalry more strongly than Argentinian fans. Argentinians usually see Brazil, Uruguay, England, and Germany as bigger rivals. Mexico has not had much success against Argentina, with only 4 wins, 16 losses, and 12 ties.

Mexico vs. Costa Rica

Mexico has a growing rivalry with Costa Rica. Costa Rica was the first CONCACAF country to beat Mexico on Mexican soil in a World Cup qualifier. This event is known as Aztecazo. Costa Rica is also seen as the only Central American team strong enough to compete on the world stage. This has made the rivalry more important. Mexico has a very good record against Costa Rica, with 32 wins, 20 ties, and only 6 losses.

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Javier Aguirre
Assistant coach	Rafael Márquez
Assistant coach	Toni Amor
Goalkeeping coach	Joseba Ituarte
Fitness coach	Pol Lorente
Physiotherapist	Carlos Peçanha
Team doctor	José Luis Serrano

Players

Current Squad

These 23 players were chosen for the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals in March 2025.

Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of March 23, 2025, after the game against Panama.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Luis Malagón	(1997-03-02) 2 March 1997 (age 28)	9	0	América
12	1GK	Raúl Rangel	(2000-02-25) 25 February 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Guadalajara
13	1GK	Carlos Moreno	(1998-01-29) 29 January 1998 (age 27)	0	0	Pachuca
2	2DF	Israel Reyes	(2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 25)	20	2	América
3	2DF	César Montes	(1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 28)	52	1	Lokomotiv Moscow
5	2DF	Johan Vásquez	(1998-10-22) 22 October 1998 (age 26)	31	1	Genoa
14	2DF	Jesús Angulo	(1998-01-30) 30 January 1998 (age 27)	19	0	UANL
15	2DF	Ramón Juárez	(2000-05-03) 3 May 2000 (age 25)	0	0	América
19	2DF	Rodrigo Huescas	(2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 21)	2	0	Copenhagen
23	2DF	Jesús Gallardo	(1994-08-15) 15 August 1994 (age 30)	102	2	Toluca
4	3MF	Edson Álvarez	(1997-10-24) 24 October 1997 (age 27)	84	5	West Ham United
6	3MF	Érik Lira	(2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 (age 25)	6	0	Cruz Azul
7	3MF	Luis Romo	(1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 30)	56	4	Guadalajara
8	3MF	Carlos Rodríguez	(1997-01-03) 3 January 1997 (age 28)	56	0	Cruz Azul
17	3MF	Orbelín Pineda	(1996-03-24) 24 March 1996 (age 29)	79	11	AEK Athens
18	3MF	Luis Chávez	(1996-01-15) 15 January 1996 (age 29)	39	4	Dynamo Moscow
9	4FW	Raúl Jiménez	(1991-05-05) 5 May 1991 (age 34)	109	39	Fulham
10	4FW	Alexis Vega	(1997-11-25) 25 November 1997 (age 27)	36	6	Toluca
11	4FW	Santiago Giménez	(2001-04-18) 18 April 2001 (age 24)	34	4	Milan
16	4FW	Julián Quiñones	(1997-03-24) 24 March 1997 (age 28)	11	2	Al-Qadsiah
20	4FW	Efraín Álvarez	(2002-06-19) 19 June 2002 (age 23)	5	1	Tijuana
21	4FW	César Huerta	(2000-12-03) 3 December 2000 (age 24)	17	3	Anderlecht
22	4FW	Roberto Alvarado	(1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 26)	50	5	Guadalajara

Recent Call-ups

The following players have also been called up in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Guillermo Ochoa	(1985-07-13) 13 July 1985 (age 39)	151	0	AVS	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
GK	Álex Padilla	(2003-09-01) 1 September 2003 (age 21)	0	0	UNAM	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
GK	Andrés Sánchez	(1997-10-03) 3 October 1997 (age 27)	0	0	Atlético San Luis	v. River Plate, 21 January 2025
GK	Fernando Tapia	(2001-06-17) 17 June 2001 (age 24)	0	0	UANL	v. River Plate, 21 January 2025
GK	Carlos Acevedo	(1996-04-19) 19 April 1996 (age 29)	6	0	Santos Laguna	2024 Copa América
GK	Julio González	(1991-04-23) 23 April 1991 (age 34)	5	0	Puebla	2024 Copa América
DF	Jorge Sánchez	(1997-12-10) 10 December 1997 (age 27)	47	2	Cruz Azul	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Gerardo Arteaga	(1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 26)	27	2	Monterrey	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Kevin Álvarez	(1999-01-15) 15 January 1999 (age 26)	15	1	América	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Julián Araujo	(2001-08-13) 13 August 2001 (age 23)	14	0	Bournemouth	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Gilberto Sepúlveda	(1999-02-04) 4 February 1999 (age 26)	8	0	Guadalajara	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Víctor Guzmán	(2002-03-07) 7 March 2002 (age 23)	5	0	Monterrey	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Alan Mozo	(1997-04-05) 5 April 1997 (age 28)	3	0	Guadalajara	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Bryan González	(2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 22)	1	0	Pachuca	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Mateo Chávez	(2004-05-11) 11 May 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Guadalajara	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Eduardo Águila	(2002-05-17) 17 May 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Atlético San Luis	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	José Castillo	(2001-12-02) 2 December 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Guadalajara	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
DF	Gustavo Sánchez	(1999-08-04) 4 August 1999 (age 25)	0	0	Mazatlán	v. River Plate, 21 January 2025
DF	Brian García	(1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 27)	2	0	Toluca	2024 Copa América
DF	Alexis Peña	(1996-01-13) 13 January 1996 (age 29)	2	0	Necaxa	v.  Brazil, 8 June 2024
DF	Jesús Alcántar	(2003-07-30) 30 July 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Necaxa	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
DF	Alejandro Gómez	(2002-01-31) 31 January 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Tijuana	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
DF	Pablo Monroy	(2002-07-22) 22 July 2002 (age 22)	1	0	UNAM	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
DF	Jorge Rodríguez	(2001-09-03) 3 September 2001 (age 23)	1	0	Puebla	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
DF	Jorge Berlanga	(2003-07-18) 18 July 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Pachuca	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
DF	Tony Leone	(2004-04-28) 28 April 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Monterrey	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
MF	Diego Lainez	(2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 (age 25)	29	3	UANL	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Érick Sánchez	(1999-09-27) 27 September 1999 (age 25)	29	3	América	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Sebastián Córdova	(1997-06-12) 12 June 1997 (age 28)	18	3	UANL	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Ozziel Herrera	(2001-05-25) 25 May 2001 (age 24)	7	0	UANL	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Jordi Cortizo	(1996-06-30) 30 June 1996 (age 28)	5	0	Monterrey	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Fidel Ambríz	(2003-03-21) 21 March 2003 (age 22)	1	0	Monterrey	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Alexis Gutiérrez	(2001-02-26) 26 February 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Cruz Azul	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	David Ramírez	(1995-12-14) 14 December 1995 (age 29)	1	0	León	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Marcel Ruiz	(2000-10-26) 26 October 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Toluca	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Obed Vargas	(2005-08-05) 5 August 2005 (age 19)	1	0	Seattle Sounders	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Rivaldo Lozano	(1998-10-05) 5 October 1998 (age 26)	0	0	Atlas	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Jeremy Márquez	(2000-06-21) 21 June 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Atlas	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Elías Montiel	(2005-10-07) 7 October 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Pachuca	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Gilberto Mora	(2008-10-14) 14 October 2008 (age 16)	0	0	Tijuana	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Jorge Ruvalcaba	(2001-07-23) 23 July 2001 (age 23)	0	0	UNAM	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
MF	Roberto Meraz	(1999-08-04) 4 August 1999 (age 25)	0	0	Mazatlán	v. River Plate, 21 January 2025
MF	Pedro Pedraza	(2000-04-30) 30 April 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Pachuca	v. River Plate, 21 January 2025
MF	Marcelo Flores	(2003-10-01) 1 October 2003 (age 21)	3	0	UANL	v.  Canada, 10 September 2024
MF	Uriel Antuna	(1997-08-21) 21 August 1997 (age 27)	64	13	UANL	2024 Copa América
MF	Fernando Beltrán	(1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 (age 27)	11	0	Guadalajara	v.  Brazil, 8 June 2024
MF	Jordan Carrillo	(2001-11-30) 30 November 2001 (age 23)	2	0	Santos Laguna	v.  Brazil, 8 June 2024
MF	Andrés Montaño	(2002-05-22) 22 May 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Cruz Azul	v.  Brazil, 8 June 2024
MF	Rodrigo López	(2001-11-12) 12 November 2001 (age 23)	2	0	UNAM	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
MF	Ramiro Árciga	(2004-08-30) 30 August 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Tijuana	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
MF	Denzell García	(2003-08-15) 15 August 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Juárez	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
MF	Diego Gómez	(2003-09-10) 10 September 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Necaxa	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
MF	Alberto Herrera	(2001-02-23) 23 February 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Puebla	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
FW	Hirving Lozano	(1995-07-30) 30 July 1995 (age 29)	70	18	San Diego	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Henry Martín	(1992-11-18) 18 November 1992 (age 32)	46	11	América	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Guillermo Martínez	(1995-03-15) 15 March 1995 (age 30)	8	2	UNAM	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Ángel Sepúlveda	(1991-02-15) 15 February 1991 (age 34)	9	2	Cruz Azul	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Germán Berterame	(1998-11-13) 13 November 1998 (age 26)	1	0	Monterrey	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Alfonso Alvarado	(2003-05-15) 15 May 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Monterrey	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Raymundo Fulgencio	(2000-02-12) 12 February 2000 (age 25)	0	0	UANL	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals PRE
FW	Santiago Muñoz	(2002-08-14) 14 August 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Santos Laguna	v. River Plate, 21 January 2025
FW	Ettson Ayón	(2001-03-26) 26 March 2001 (age 24)	1	0	León	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
FW	Luca Martínez	(2001-06-05) 5 June 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Godoy Cruz	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
FW	Ricardo Monreal	(2001-02-10) 10 February 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Necaxa	v.  Bolivia, 31 May 2024
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

Player Records

Players in bold are still active with Mexico. These statistics are recognized by FIFA.

Most Games Played

Andrés Guardado has played the most games for Mexico, with 180 appearances.

Top Goal Scorers

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

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup Appearances

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 Success

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 Record

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
2024–25	Bye			N/A								2025	1st	4	3	0	1	8	3
Total				8	6	2	0	21	6	—		Total	–	12	6	1	5	16	13

Copa América Participation

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	Group stage	9th	3	1	1	1	1	1	Squad
Total	Runners-up	11/13	51	20	14	17	67	63	—

FIFA Confederations Cup History

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 Football

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	—

Team Honours

Worldwide Achievements

• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Champions (1): 1999
  • Third place (1): 1995

Continental Trophies

• 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 (3): 1973, 1981, 1991
• CONCACAF Nations League
  • Champions (1): 2024–25
  • Runners-up (2): 2019–20, 2023–24
  • Third place (1): 2022–23
• CONCACAF Cup
  • Champions (1): 2015
• CONMEBOL Copa América
  • Runners-up (2): 1993, 2001
  • Third place (3): 1997, 1999, 2007
• Panamerican Championship¹
  • Third place (1): 1960

Regional Titles

• NAFC Championship²
  • Champions (2): 1947, 1949
• North American Nations Cup
  • Champions (1): 1991
  • Runners-up (1): 1990
• Central American and Caribbean Games
  • Gold medal (2): 1935, 1938

Friendly Tournament Wins

• U.S. Cup
  • Winners: 1996, 1997, 1999
  • Third place: 1995, 2000
• Marlboro Cup
  • Winners: 1989
• Lunar New Year Cup
  • Winners: 1999
  • Runners-up: 2000
• Azteca 2000 Tournament
  • Winners: 1985

Awards

• CONCACAF Gold Cup Fair Play Trophy: 2011

Summary of Major Titles

This table shows official titles recognized by FIFA or related soccer groups.

Senior Competition				Total
FIFA Confederations Cup	1	0	1	2
CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup	12	3	3	18
CONCACAF Nations League	1	2	1	4
CONCACAF Cup	1	0	0	1
CONMEBOL Copa América	0	2	3	5
Panamerican Championship1	0	0	1	1
NAFC Championship2	2	0	0	2
Total	17	7	9	33

Images for kids

• 

  The Mexico national team before the first ever World Cup game against France in 1930

• 

  Mexican squad in April 1952

• 

  Mexico vs. Argentina in Los Angeles, 1985

• 

  Mexico against Argentina at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

• 

  Cuauhtémoc Blanco converting his penalty kick against France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

• 

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

• 

  Azteca Stadium is the home of the Mexico national team.

• 

  Mexico's fans at 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

• 

  Andrés Guardado is the most capped player in the history of Mexico with 180 caps.

• 

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

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