Rafael Márquez facts for kids
Márquez in 2014
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| Full name | Rafael Márquez Álvarez | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 February 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Mexico U20 | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2018 | Mexico | 147 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Alcalá U15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Barcelona Atlètic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Mexico (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rafael Márquez Álvarez (born 13 February 1979) is a famous Mexican football player and coach. He played as a defender and is now an assistant coach for the Mexico national team. People often called him El Káiser, like the German football legend Franz Beckenbauer. Many consider him the best defender in Mexico's history and one of the best Mexican players ever.
Márquez started his football journey with Atlas in 1996. He played over 70 games there before moving to France in 1999 to join Monaco. With Monaco, he won a Ligue 1 title. In 2003, Márquez made history by becoming the first Mexican player to join Barcelona. He played more than 240 games for Barcelona over seven seasons. During this time, he won many awards, including four La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. In 2006, he was the first Mexican player to win the Champions League when Barcelona beat Arsenal in the final.
After leaving Barcelona in 2010, Márquez played for Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls. He then returned to Mexico to play for León, where he led the team to win two Liga MX titles in a row in 2013 and 2014. Later, he played for Hellas Verona in Italy before returning to his first club, Atlas, in 2015. He officially 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. He is also one of only four players in history to play in five different FIFA World Cup tournaments: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. He 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 Career Highlights
Starting at Atlas
Márquez began his professional career with Atlas when he was just 17 years old. His first game was in October 1996. He quickly became a key player for Atlas, playing 77 games. 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 in 1999. He made his first appearance for Monaco on 14 August. In his very first season, Monaco won the Ligue 1 title, and Márquez was recognized as one of the best players in the league. He played 109 matches for Monaco over four seasons. He also helped them win the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003.
Becoming a Barcelona Star
In the summer of 2003, Márquez joined the famous Spanish club Barcelona. He played his first game in La Liga on 3 September 2003. He scored his first goal for Barcelona on 9 November in a 2–1 win. In his first season, Barcelona finished second in the league.
In his second season, Márquez played as a defensive midfielder because other players were injured. Barcelona won their 17th league title in May 2005. Márquez helped Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League in May 2006. They beat Arsenal 2–1 in the final. This made him the first Mexican player to play in and win a Champions League final. After the 2006 World Cup, Márquez signed a new contract with Barcelona.
During the 2007–08 season, Márquez often played alongside Gabriel Milito. However, injuries affected his performance. Even so, the new coach, Pep Guardiola, still 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 a top choice at centre-back with captain Carles Puyol. On 13 December 2008, he played his 200th game for Barcelona against Real Madrid. In April 2009, Márquez got a knee injury during a Champions League semi-final match. This meant he missed the rest of the season. Barcelona went on to win a historic treble that year, including the Champions League final.
Before the 2009–10 season, Márquez decided to stay at Barcelona despite offers from other clubs. He signed a new contract until 2012. On 20 February 2010, he scored his first goal since his injury.
On 31 July 2010, Márquez left Barcelona. He played 242 matches and scored 13 goals for the club. He became the non-European player with the most appearances in Barcelona's history. He also played in 46 UEFA Champions League matches, a record for a Mexican or CONCACAF player at the time.
Time with New York Red Bulls
After leaving Barcelona, Márquez joined the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer on 1 August 2010. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. He joined his former Barcelona teammate Thierry Henry there. Márquez made his MLS debut on 8 August. On 21 August, he scored his first goal for the Red Bulls. In October, he helped the Red Bulls win the Eastern Conference title.
Márquez left the New York Red Bulls on 13 December 2012. He later said that joining the team was "a bad decision" for his career.
Returning to Mexico with León
After leaving the Red Bulls, Márquez signed with Liga MX team León. This marked his return to Mexico after 13 years playing abroad. He scored his first goal for León on 5 October 2013.
On 15 December, León won the Liga MX Apertura 2013 title. Márquez, as the team captain, lifted his first league title in Mexico. The next season, Márquez helped León win their second league title in a row. This made León only the second team to win consecutive titles in the short tournament era. Márquez also became the first Mexican player to win league titles in three different countries.
Playing in Italy with Hellas Verona
On 7 August 2014, Hellas Verona in Italy's Serie A signed Márquez. He said he took a pay cut because he really wanted to play in Europe again. He made his debut for Verona on 31 August.
Final Return to Atlas
On 21 December 2015, Márquez officially transferred back to Atlas, the club where he started his career. He wore the number 4 shirt.
On 19 April 2018, Márquez announced he would retire at the end of the season. He still wanted to play for Mexico in the World Cup. He played his last game at the Estadio Jalisco on 20 April. His final club match was against Pachuca, which ended in a draw.
International Career Highlights
Márquez first played for Mexico on 5 February 1997. He quickly became a regular player for the national team. He won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup with Mexico.
At the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Márquez was made captain by coach Javier Aguirre, even though he was only 23. He played in all four of Mexico's games.
Márquez was chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played in all of Mexico's group matches. He scored Mexico's only goal in their 2–1 loss to Argentina in the second round.
Márquez captained Mexico at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored Mexico's goal in the first match against South Africa, which ended in a 1–1 draw. He also helped set up a goal in Mexico's 2–0 win against France.
On 29 March 2011, Márquez reached 100 games for Mexico. This is a big achievement for any international player.
During Mexico's first game at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Márquez became the first player to captain a team in four different World Cups. On 23 June, he scored a goal in the 3–1 win against Croatia, helping Mexico move to the next stage. This goal made him the first Mexican player to score in three World Cups in a row.
In May 2015, Márquez was part of the squad for the 2015 Copa América. He captained Mexico in their first game. The next year, he captained Mexico at the Copa América Centenario and scored in their opening game against Uruguay.
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On 11 November 2016, Márquez scored the winning goal for Mexico in a World Cup qualifier against the United States.
At the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, Márquez, at 38 years old, became the second-oldest player to appear in a match in the tournament's history.
On 4 June 2018, Márquez was named in Mexico's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This was his fifth World Cup, making him only the fourth player ever to achieve this. He played in Mexico's 1–0 win over Germany. On 2 July, in Mexico's match against Brazil, Márquez became the first player to be captain in five World Cups. This was his last game as a professional player.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Rafael Márquez became the sporting president for Atlas until May 2019. In October 2021, he started working as a football analyst and commentator.
Coaching at Alcalá
On 8 April 2020, Márquez started coaching youth teams at Alcalá. He coached the under-15 team for the 2020–21 season.
Coaching Barcelona Atlètic
On 14 July 2022, Márquez was named the head coach of Barcelona Atlètic, which is Barcelona's reserve team. He signed a two-year contract. In his first season, he led the team to a fourth-place finish. He continued with the team until July 2024.
Coaching for Mexico
On 22 July 2024, Márquez joined the Mexico national team as an assistant coach to Javier Aguirre.
Life Outside Football
Personal Life
Rafael Márquez's father, Rafael Márquez Esqueda, was also a professional football player in Mexico. Rafael has two children, Santiago Rafael and Rafaela. He is 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. In October 2017, he helped create the Mexican Footballers Association.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Atlas | 1996–97 | Mexican Primera División | 24 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 2 | ||||
| 1997–98 | Mexican Primera División | 20 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | |||||
| 1998–99 | Mexican Primera División | 33 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 77 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 77 | 6 | ||||||
| Monaco | 1999–2000 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 33 | 3 | |
| 2000–01 | Ligue 1 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| 2001–02 | Ligue 1 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2002–03 | Ligue 1 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| Total | 89 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 5 | ||
| Barcelona | 2003–04 | La Liga | 22 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 41 | 3 | |||
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 25 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 21 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 23 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 36 | 2 | |||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 23 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 10 | 1 | — | 37 | 3 | |||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | ||
| 2010– 11 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 163 | 9 | 27 | 2 | — | 45 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 242 | 13 | |||
| New York Red Bulls | 2010 | Major League Soccer | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| 2011 | Major League Soccer | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2012 | Major League Soccer | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |||
| Total | 44 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 50 | 1 | ||||
| León | 2012–13 | Liga MX | 13 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | Liga MX | 35 | 1 | — | — | 7 | 0 | — | 42 | 1 | ||||
| 2014–15 | Liga MX | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 50 | 1 | — | — | 8 | 0 | — | 58 | 1 | |||||
| Hellas Verona | 2014–15 | Serie A | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 39 | 0 | |||||
| Atlas | 2015–16 | Liga MX | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Liga MX | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 0 | |||||
| 2017–18 | Liga MX | 21 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 58 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 58 | 1 | ||||||
| Career total | 516 | 23 | 42 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 63 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 638 | 27 | ||
International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 1997 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2001 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 147 | 17 | |
Sources:
International goals
- Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 February 1999 | Hong Kong Stadium, Wan Chai, Hong Kong |  Egypt |
1–0 | 3–0 | 1999 Carlsberg Cup |
| 2. | 13 February 2000 | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States |  Trinidad and Tobago |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3. | 3 September 2000 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  Panama |
5–1 | 7–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 4. | 12 May 2002 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  Colombia |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 5. | 24 July 2003 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  Costa Rica |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 6. | 19 June 2004 | Alamodome, San Antonio, United States |  Dominica |
3–0 | 10–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 7. | 7 September 2005 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico | Panama |
2–0 | 5–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 8. | 24 June 2006 | Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany |  Argentina |
1–0 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 9. | 28 March 2007 | McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, United States |  Ecuador |
2–2 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 10. | 10 September 2008 | Estadio Víctor Manuel Reyna, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico |  Canada |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 11. | 11 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa |  South Africa |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 12. | 12 June 2011 | Soldier Field, Chicago, United States | Costa Rica |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 13. | 13 November 2013 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  New Zealand |
5–0 | 5–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
| 14. | 2 April 2014 | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States |  United States |
1–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 15. | 23 June 2014 | Arena Pernambuco, São Lourenço da Mata, Brazil |  Croatia |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
| 16. | 5 June 2016 | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States |  Uruguay |
2–1 | 3–1 | Copa América Centenario |
| 17. | 11 November 2016 | Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, United States | United States |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
Managerial
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Barcelona Atlètic |  |
14 July 2022 | 21 July 2024 | 82 | 40 | 21 | 21 | 118 | 91 | +27 | 48.78 | |
| Career total | 82 | 40 | 21 | 21 | 118 | 91 | +27 | 48.78 | — | |||
Awards and Achievements
Rafael Márquez has won many awards and titles throughout his career:
With Atlas
- Selectivo Pre Pre-Libertadores: 1999
- Pre-Libertadores Tournament: 1999
With Monaco
- French Division 1: 1999–2000
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2002–03
- Trophée des Champions: 2000
With Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09
- Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010
- UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
With New York Red Bulls
- Eastern Conference Regular Season: 2010
- MLS Atlantic Cup: 2010, 2011
With León
- Liga MX Apertura: 2013
- Liga MX Clausura: 2014
With Mexico National Team
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 1999
- Copa América runner-up: 2001; third Place: 1999, 2007
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2003, 2011
- CONCACAF Cup: 2015
- CONCACAF Pre-Olympic Bronze Medal: 2000
Individual Awards
- Mexican Primera División Verano Best Defender: 1999
- French Division 1 Team of the Season: 1999–2000
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2000
- French Division 1 Best Defender: 2001
- FIFA 100: 2004 (A list of the greatest living football players)
- CONCACAF Best Player: 2005
- FIFA Club World Cup Fair Play Trophy: 2006 (With Barcelona)
- World Soccer Men's World Team of the Year: 2006, 2009 (With Barcelona)
- FIFA Fair Play Award: 2007 (With Barcelona)
- Free Kick Masters: 2008
- IFFHS World Club Team of the Year: 2009 (With Barcelona)
- MLS All-Star: 2011
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Fair Play Trophy: 2011 (With Mexico)
- FIFA World Cup Man Of The Match: 23 June 2014
- CONCACAF Best XI: 2016
- IFFHS Legend
- Salón de la Fama del Fútbol Internacional: 2023 (Football Hall of Fame)
- IFFHS Men's All Time Mexico Dream Team
- Monaco Legend
- Barcelona Historic XI: 21st century
- Best North American Player of the 21st Century
- UEFA Champions League Mexican Players All-Time XI
Records
- Most FIFA World Cup appearances as captain: 2002–2018
- One of Eight Players to Have Played in Five FIFA World Cups
- Mexican player with the most FIFA World Cup matches played: 19
- First Mexican Player to win the UEFA Champions League
- First and Only Mexican Player to win two UEFA Champions League titles
- Fourth Most-Capped Player for Mexico
- Oldest Player and Captain at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
- Only Spanish football team to ever win six titles in a year and completing the sextuple in 2009 (With Barcelona)
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Márquez para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
