Rafael Márquez facts for kids
Márquez in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 13 February 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Mexico (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1996 | Atlas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | Atlas | 77 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Monaco | 110 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2010 | Barcelona | 163 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | New York Red Bulls | 44 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | León | 50 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Hellas Verona | 35 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Atlas | 58 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 516 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Mexico U20 | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2018 | Mexico | 147 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Alcalá (youth) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Barcelona Atlètic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Mexico (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Rafael Márquez Álvarez (born on February 13, 1979) is a famous Mexican football player and coach. He used to play as a defender. People often called him El Káiser, which means "The Emperor." Many consider him the best defender in Mexico's history. He is also one of the greatest Mexican players ever. Currently, he works as an assistant coach for the Mexico national team.
Márquez started his football journey with Atlas in 1996. He played over 70 games for them. In 1999, he moved to France to play for Monaco, where he helped them win a Ligue 1 title. In 2003, Márquez made history by joining Barcelona. He was the first Mexican player to ever play for this famous club.
During his seven seasons with Barcelona, he played more than 240 games. He won many important trophies, including four La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. In 2006, he became the first Mexican player to win the Champions League. This happened when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the final game.
After leaving Barcelona in 2010, Márquez played for the Major League Soccer team New York Red Bulls. In 2012, he returned to Mexico to play for León. He was the team captain and led them to win two Liga MX titles in a row in 2013 and 2014. Later, he played for Hellas Verona in Italy. He returned to his first club, Atlas, in 2015 and retired from playing football in April 2018.
Rafael Márquez is one of the most experienced players for the Mexico national football team. He played 147 games for his country. In 2018, he became one of only four players in history to play in five different FIFA World Cup tournaments. He played in the World Cups of 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. He also holds the record for the most World Cup matches played by a Mexican player, with 19 games. With the national team, Márquez won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2003 and 2011.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting with Atlas
Márquez began his professional career with Atlas. He played his first game in October 1996 when he was just 17 years old. He quickly became a key player for Atlas. He played 77 games for the team. In 1999, his team reached the league final but lost on penalties.
Moving to Monaco
After playing for Mexico in the 1999 Copa América, Márquez moved to the French club Monaco. This move cost about US$6 million. He played his first game for Monaco on August 14 against Bastia. In his first season (1999–2000), Monaco won the Ligue 1 title. Márquez was even named in the league's Team of the Season. He played 109 matches for Monaco over four seasons. He also helped them win the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003.
Playing for Barcelona
In the summer of 2003, Márquez joined the famous Spanish club Barcelona. His first game in La Liga was on September 3, 2003, against Sevilla. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. On November 9, he scored his first goal for Barcelona in a 2–1 win. In his first season, Barcelona finished second in the league.
In his second season, he sometimes played as a defensive midfielder. This happened because other players were injured. In May 2005, Barcelona won its 17th league title. A month later, Márquez returned from a knee injury. He played against A.C. Milan in the Champions League semi-final. On May 17, Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League by beating Arsenal 2–1. Márquez played the whole game. He became the first Mexican to play in and win a Champions League final. After the 2006 World Cup, he signed a new contract with Barcelona.
During the 2007–08 season, Márquez often played alongside Gabriel Milito. This was because captain Carles Puyol was injured. However, Márquez also had many injuries. This affected his performance and Barcelona finished third in the league. Still, the new coach Pep Guardiola trusted him. Márquez was the last player remaining from the Frank Rijkaard era. In October 2007, he was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. He was the only player from the CONCACAF region to be nominated.
For the 2008–09 season, Márquez was Guardiola's top choice at centre-back. He played alongside captain Puyol. On December 13, 2008, Márquez played his 200th match for Barcelona. They won 2–0 against Real Madrid. On April 28, 2009, Márquez got a knee injury during a Champions League match. He needed surgery and missed the rest of the season. Barcelona went on to win a historic treble. They won the Champions League final 2–0 against Manchester United.
Before the 2009–10 season, Márquez received an offer from an Italian club. But he said he wanted to finish his career at Barcelona. He signed a new contract in November 2009, keeping him until 2012. On February 20, 2010, he scored his first goal since his injury.
On July 31, 2010, Barcelona released Márquez from his contract. During his time there, he played 242 matches and scored 13 goals. He became the non-European player with the most games for the club. He also played in 46 UEFA Champions League matches. This was a record for a Mexican or CONCACAF player for a long time.
Playing for New York Red Bulls
After leaving Barcelona, Márquez signed with the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract on August 1, 2010. He was the club's third "Designated Player." He joined his former Barcelona teammate Thierry Henry there. On August 8, Márquez played his first MLS game. On August 21, he scored his first goal for the Red Bulls. On October 21, he helped the Red Bulls win the Eastern Conference title.
New York released Márquez on December 13, 2012. Many fans and journalists criticized his time there. They mentioned his frequent injuries and suspensions. Márquez later said that joining the New York Red Bulls was "a bad decision." He called it the worst choice he ever made in his career. He felt he had misjudged his career path. He regretted turning down offers from European clubs.
Returning to Mexico with León
Hours after leaving the New York Red Bulls, Márquez signed with Liga MX team León. He was returning to his home country after 13 years abroad. On October 5, 2013, Márquez scored his first goal for León. It was a penalty kick against Puebla.
On December 15, León won the Liga MX Apertura 2013 title. They beat América 5–1 overall. Márquez, as the team captain, played in both games. He lifted his first league title in Mexico. This was more than 14 years after losing the final with Atlas. The next season, Márquez helped León win their second straight league title. They became only the second team to win two titles in a row. He also became the first Mexican player to win league titles in three different countries.
Playing for Hellas Verona
On August 7, 2014, Hellas Verona in Italy's Serie A signed Márquez. He said he took less money to join the club. He really wanted to play in Europe again. Márquez played his first league game on August 31. Verona had a 0–0 draw against Atalanta.
Final Return to Atlas
On December 21, 2015, it was announced that Márquez had returned to Atlas. This was the club where he first started his career. He was given the number 4 jersey.
On April 19, 2018, Márquez announced he would retire at the end of the season. However, he still wanted to play for Mexico in the World Cup. Márquez played his last game at the Estadio Jalisco on April 20. Atlas won 1–0 against Guadalajara. The next week, he played his final club match against Pachuca. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.
International Career with Mexico
Márquez played his first game for Mexico on February 5, 1997. It was a friendly match against Ecuador. He became a regular player for Mexico. He won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He was made captain by coach Javier Aguirre, even though he was only 23. He received a red card in a game against the United States.
Márquez was chosen for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He played in all of Mexico's group games. He scored Mexico's only goal in a 2–1 loss to Argentina in the second round.
New Mexico coach Hugo Sánchez called Márquez for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and 2007 Copa América. Márquez joined the team for the Gold Cup final against the United States. Mexico lost that match 2–1.
Márquez was captain of Mexico at the 2010 World Cup. He scored Mexico's goal in the first game against South Africa. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. In Mexico's 2–0 win against France, Márquez helped set up the first goal.
On March 29, 2011, Márquez reached 100 games for Mexico. He was the eighth player in history to do so. This happened in a friendly match against Venezuela.
During Mexico's first game at the 2014 World Cup, Márquez made history. He became the first player to captain a team in four World Cups. Mexico won 1–0 against Cameroon. On June 23, he scored the first goal in a 3–1 win against Croatia. This goal helped Mexico move to the next stage. It also made Márquez the first Mexican to score in three World Cups in a row.
In May 2015, Márquez was part of the squad for the 2015 Copa América tournament. He was captain in Mexico's first game, a 0–0 draw with Bolivia. The next year, Márquez captained Mexico at the Copa América Centenario. He scored in their first game, a 3–1 win over Uruguay.
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On November 11, 2016, Márquez scored the winning goal for Mexico. It was in a World Cup qualifier against the United States. Mexico won 2–1.
In 2017, Márquez played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He became the second-oldest player to appear in a Confederations Cup match. He was 38 years and four months old.
On June 4, 2018, Márquez was named in Mexico's final squad for the World Cup. This meant he would play in his fifth World Cup. He joined only three other players in history to do this. On July 2, in Mexico's game against Brazil, Márquez became the first player ever to be captain in five World Cups. This was his last game as a professional player.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Márquez became the sporting president for Atlas. He held this job until May 2019. In October 2021, he started working as a football analyst and commentator for TUDN.
Coaching at Alcalá
On April 8, 2020, Márquez became a youth coach at Alcalá. He coached the under-15 team for the 2020–21 season.
Coaching Barcelona Atlètic
On July 14, 2022, Márquez was appointed head coach of Barcelona Atlètic. He signed a two-year contract. In his first season, he led the team to fourth place. They qualified for the playoffs but were eliminated. On June 14, 2023, it was announced he would continue coaching the team. On July 21, 2024, Barcelona Atlètic announced that Rafael was leaving the club.
Coaching for Mexico
On July 22, 2024, the Mexican Football Federation announced that Márquez would be the assistant coach for the Mexico national football team. He works under head coach Javier Aguirre.
Outside Football
Personal Life
Rafael Márquez's father, Rafael Márquez Esqueda, was also a professional football player in Mexico. Rafael married Mexican actress Adriana Lavat in 2001. They had two children, Santiago Rafael and Rafaela. They later separated in 2007. He is now married to Jaydy Michel. His younger cousin, Luis Alberto Márquez, is also a professional footballer.
Rafael Márquez appeared on the North American cover of the video game FIFA 12. He was alongside famous players Wayne Rooney and Landon Donovan. In October 2017, Márquez helped start the Mexican Footballers Association.
Honours
Monaco
- French Division 1: 1999–2000
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2002–03
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09
- Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
León
- Liga MX: Apertura 2013, Clausura 2014
Mexico
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 1999
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2003, 2011
- CONCACAF Cup: 2015
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2000
- French Division 1 Best Defender: 2001
- CONCACAF Best Player: 2005
- Free Kick Masters: 2008
- CONCACAF Best XI: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Márquez para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
