Miguel Layún facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Miguel Layún

Layún with Mexico at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Miguel Arturo Layún Prado
Date of birth	(1988-06-25) 25 June 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico
Height	1.76 m
Playing position	Right-back
Youth career
2003–2006	Querétaro
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006	Gallos Caliente Tijuana	3	(0)
2007–2009	Veracruz	58	(1)
2009–2010	Atalanta	2	(0)
2010–2014	Club América	142	(15)
2014–2015	Watford F.C.	20	(1)
2015–2018	FC Porto	50	(6)
2018	→ Sevilla FC (loan)	16	(2)
2018–2019	Villarreal	8	(0)
2019–2021	Monterrey	73	(3)
2021–2023	Club América	68	(1)
Total		440	(29)
National team
2013–2020	Mexico	71	(6)
Honours Representing Mexico Winner CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Miguel Arturo Layún Prado (born 25 June 1988) is a Mexican former professional footballer. He played as a right-back, which means he played on the right side of the defense.

Layún started his professional journey in 2006 with Gallos Caliente Tijuana. After playing for C.D. Veracruz, he moved to Italy in 2009 to play for Atalanta. This made him the first Mexican player to play in Italy's top league, Serie A. He then returned to Mexico to play for Club América, where he won two league titles.

Later, he played for English club Watford and Portuguese club Porto. In 2018, he joined Spanish club Sevilla on a temporary deal.

Miguel Layún also played for the Mexican national team from 2013 to 2020. He represented Mexico in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. He also played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and two CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments, winning the one in 2015.

Miguel Layún's Club Career Journey

Miguel Layún played for many different clubs throughout his career. Each stop helped him grow as a player.

Starting Out: Gallos Caliente Tijuana and Veracruz

In 2006, Miguel Layún began his professional career with Gallos Caliente Tijuana. This team was a reserve team for Queretaro. He played his first game on 5 October 2006.

After this, he moved to C.D. Veracruz, a team in his home state. He played his first top-division game on 28 April 2007. He stayed with Veracruz until 2009. During his time there, he scored his only goal for the club in a big 5–1 win in February 2009.

Playing in Italy: Atalanta

After leaving Veracruz, Layún had a successful tryout with the Italian club Atalanta. He moved there in 2009, becoming the first Mexican player to play in Italy's top league, Serie A.

He played his first league game on 27 September 2009. He came into the game as a substitute. He played one more game for Atalanta that season.

Returning Home: Club América Success

On 21 December 2009, Layún joined Club América in Mexico. He scored his first goal for América on 2 May 2010.

A big moment came on 26 May 2013. Layún scored the winning penalty in a shootout against Cruz Azul in the league final. This win gave him his first league championship.

Before the 2014–15 season, Layún became one of the team's captains. He even scored four goals in one game on 26 September 2014, helping América win 4–1. On 14 December 2014, he led América to another league title.

Playing in England: Watford

Layún playing for Watford.

On 30 December 2014, Layún moved to the Spanish club Granada. However, he quickly went on loan to the English club Watford in January 2015.

On 9 January 2015, he signed a permanent deal with Watford. He played his first game for them the next day. In his first season, he played 17 games, helping Watford get promoted to the Premier League. On 8 August, he scored a goal in his first Premier League game.

Moving to Portugal: FC Porto

On 31 August 2015, Layún joined Porto in Portugal on a one-year loan. He played his first game for Porto on 12 September 2015. On 4 November, he scored his first goal for Porto in a Champions League game.

On 28 May 2016, Porto bought Layún permanently. He continued to play for them until 2018.

Loan to Sevilla

On 30 January 2018, Layún joined the Spanish club Sevilla on a temporary loan deal. He played for them for the rest of the 2017–18 season.

Playing in Spain: Villarreal

On 11 July 2018, Layún joined Villarreal in Spain. He played his first game for them on 31 August 2018.

Back to Mexico: Monterrey

In January 2019, Layún moved back to Mexico to play for Monterrey. He felt it was a good decision for him and his family to play back in Mexico. He left Monterrey on 2 June 2021.

Final Chapter: Return to América and Retirement

On 3 June 2021, Layún returned to Club América for a second time. He signed a one-year deal.

On 8 October 2023, he announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the year. Layún played his very last game in the league final for Club América, winning the championship before retiring as a champion.

Miguel Layún's International Career with Mexico

Layún playing for the Mexico national team.

In 2013, Miguel Layún was called up to play for the Mexican national team for the first time. He played in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States. He made his debut on 11 July in a game against Canada.

Layún was also called up for important World Cup qualifying matches. Mexico almost didn't make it to the World Cup, but they won a special playoff game against New Zealand. Layún helped by providing two assists in a 5–1 victory.

On 8 May 2014, Layún was chosen to be part of Mexico's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game on 13 June against Cameroon. He started in all three group games, helping Mexico move to the next round.

In May 2018, Layún was again part of Mexico's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in all four of Mexico's games in that tournament.

Miguel Layún's Playing Style

Miguel Layún was known for being a fast player who could both attack and defend well. He could play on either the left or right side of the defense.

Experts described him as "very fast, skillful and posses a fantastic stride." This meant he could quickly get past other players. He was also good at sending the ball into the box for his teammates to score. He could take free kicks, corner kicks, and penalties, and he could shoot well from far away.

Miguel Layún's Personal Life

Miguel Layún has a diverse background. His family comes from both Lebanon and Spain. His grandfather, Yousseff Layún, moved to Mexico from Lebanon. His other grandfather, Guillermo Prado, was born in Spain. Because of this, Miguel also has a Spanish passport.

He was the second player of Lebanese-Mexican descent to play for the Mexican national team. He is very popular in Lebanon, where people cheered for him and the Mexican team.

Miguel Layún is also related to fellow footballer José Abella. They are second cousins because their grandmothers are sisters. Miguel's sister, Mariana, is a talented ballet dancer who won a bronze medal in a competition in 2010.

Honours and Achievements

Miguel Layún won many titles and awards during his career:

América

• Liga MX:
  • Clausura 2013 (Spring 2013)
  • Apertura 2014 (Autumn 2014)
  • Apertura 2023 (Autumn 2023)

Porto

• Primeira Liga (Portuguese League):
  • 2017–18

Monterrey

• Liga MX:
  • Apertura 2019 (Autumn 2019)
• Copa MX (Mexican Cup):
  • 2019–20
• CONCACAF Champions League:
  • 2019
  • 2021

Mexico National Team

• CONCACAF Gold Cup:
  • 2015
• CONCACAF Cup:
  • 2015

Individual Awards

• Primeira Liga Top Assists Leader: 2015–16 (He made the most assists in the Portuguese league)
• CONCACAF Best XI: 2015, 2016 (He was chosen as one of the best 11 players in North and Central America)
• CONCACAF Champions League Team of the Tournament: 2019 (He was chosen as one of the best players in the Champions League tournament)

Images for kids

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  Layún with Mexico at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

• 

  Layún playing for Watford

• 

  Layún playing for the Mexico national team

See also

In Spanish: Miguel Layún para niños