Uriel Antuna facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Carlos Uriel Antuna Romero | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 August 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Tigres UANL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2017 | Santos Laguna | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Santos Laguna | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Manchester City | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Groningen (loan) | 20 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Jong Groningen (loan) | 19 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | → LA Galaxy (loan) | 31 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Guadalajara | 62 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Cruz Azul | 97 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Tigres UANL | 23 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Mexico U20 | 10 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Mexico U21 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Mexico U23 | 11 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | Mexico | 64 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 June 2024 |
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Uriel Antuna, born on August 21, 1997, is a talented Mexican professional footballer. He plays as a winger, which means he runs along the sides of the field to help score goals. Currently, he plays for the Liga MX club Tigres UANL and is also a key player for the Mexican national team.
Contents
Uriel Antuna's Club Journey
Starting Out at Santos Laguna
In 2012, Uriel Antuna joined the youth academy of Santos Laguna, a well-known Mexican football club. He worked his way up through their U-15, U-17, and U-20 teams. His hard work paid off, and in 2017, the first-team manager, José Manuel de la Torre, brought him up to the main squad. Antuna made his first professional appearance in the Liga MX on March 5, 2017. He came into the game as a substitute during a match against Pumas UNAM.
Playing in Europe: FC Groningen
On July 12, 2017, a big English club, Manchester City, signed Antuna to a four-year contract. This was done through their company, City Football Group. Soon after, on August 9, he was loaned to Eredivisie club FC Groningen in the Netherlands for two years. He made his league debut for Groningen on September 10, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against VVV-Venlo.
Adventure in the USA: LA Galaxy
On January 29, 2019, Antuna moved to the United States to play for MLS team LA Galaxy. He joined them on a loan for the 2019 season. He scored his first goal for LA Galaxy on April 28, helping his team win 2–1 against Real Salt Lake. In October of that year, he extended his contract with Manchester City until 2022. By the end of his time with LA Galaxy, he had played in 31 league games, scoring 6 goals and making 5 assists.
Back to Mexico: Guadalajara
On November 28, 2019, Antuna returned to Mexico to play for Liga MX club Guadalajara. He made his debut for Guadalajara on January 11, 2020, as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Juárez. On September 5, he scored his first goal for Chivas (Guadalajara's nickname) in a 3–1 victory over Tigres UANL.
Moving to Cruz Azul
In early December 2021, there was talk of a player exchange between Guadalajara and Club América involving Antuna. However, that deal didn't happen. Instead, Cruz Azul reached an agreement with Guadalajara and signed Antuna on January 4, 2022. He played for Cruz Azul until 2024.
Joining Tigres UANL
On August 27, 2024, Uriel Antuna joined Tigres UANL, another strong team in the Liga MX.
Uriel Antuna's International Career
Playing for Mexico's Youth Teams
Antuna was called up to the Mexico U20 team for the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. During a match against El Salvador, he scored three goals, helping Mexico win 6–1. He was even chosen for the tournament's Best XI team. Later, he played in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, appearing in all five matches until Mexico was knocked out by England.
He also played in the 2018 Toulon Tournament with the Mexico U21 team. He played in all five games, and Mexico reached the final, where they lost 2–1 to England.
Antuna was part of the Mexico U23 team that won the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship. He scored three goals in five games and was named to the tournament's Best XI. He then went on to represent Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where his team won the bronze medal.
Playing for the Senior Mexico Team
Uriel Antuna was first called up to the senior national team in November 2017 for friendly matches. He made his official debut on June 5, 2019, in a friendly game against Venezuela.
He was later included in the squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In Mexico's first match against Cuba, Antuna scored an amazing three goals and also provided an assist in a 7–0 win. His first goal in that game was the fastest ever scored by Mexico in a Gold Cup tournament. He played in every match as Mexico went on to win the entire tournament.
On November 19, 2019, Antuna scored the winning goal in injury time against Bermuda in a Nations League match, securing a 2–1 victory for Mexico. In October 2022, Antuna was chosen for Mexico's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
How Uriel Antuna Plays
Uriel Antuna is known for being a very quick and agile player. He has great acceleration and speed, which helps him dribble past opponents on the field. Experts at ESPN have described his effort and energy during games as "intriguing." He likes to keep the ball and send crosses into the box for his teammates. Because of his playing style, he is often fouled by opposing players.
During a match in 2020, his speed was measured as one of the fastest among footballers worldwide, almost as fast as Kylian Mbappe.
Career Highlights and Achievements
Club Statistics
Uriel Antuna has played for several clubs throughout his career. Here's a summary of his appearances and goals:
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Santos Laguna | 2016–17 | Liga MX | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Groningen (loan) | 2017–18 | Eredivisie | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | ||||
| Jong Groningen (loan) | 2017–18 | Derde Divisie | 14 | 3 | — | — | — | 14 | 3 | |||
| 2018–19 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 19 | 5 | — | — | — | 19 | 5 | |||||
| LA Galaxy (loan) | 2019 | MLS | 31 | 6 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 34 | 6 | ||
| Guadalajara | 2019–20 | Liga MX | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | 38 | 6 | — | — | — | 38 | 6 | |||||
| 2021–22 | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 62 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 64 | 6 | ||||
| Cruz Azul | 2021–22 | Liga MX | 20 | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 4 | |
| 2022–23 | 35 | 8 | — | – | – | 35 | 8 | |||||
| 2023–24 | 37 | 14 | — | – | 3 | 1 | 40 | 15 | ||||
| 2024–25 | 5 | 0 | — | – | 4 | 1 | 9 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 97 | 24 | – | 5 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 110 | 28 | |||
| Tigres UANL | 2024–25 | Liga MX | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 230 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 251 | 45 | ||
International Goals
Antuna has scored many goals for the Mexican national team. Here's a look at his international goals:
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2019 | 12 | 6 |
| 2020 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 18 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 64 | 13 | |
- Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Antuna goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 June 2019 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States |  Cuba |
1–0 | 7–0 | 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 2 | 4–0 | |||||
| 3 | 7–0 | |||||
| 23 June 2019 | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States |  Martinique |
1–0 | 3–2 | ||
| 4 | 6 September 2019 | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States |  United States |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 11 October 2019 | Bermuda National Stadium, Devonshire Parish, Bermuda |  Bermuda |
1–0 | 5–1 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 6 | 19 November 2019 | Estadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca, Mexico | 2–1 | 2–1 | ||
| 7 | 14 November 2020 | Stadion Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria |  South Korea |
2–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 30 March 2022 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  El Salvador |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 9 November 2022 | Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain |  Iraq |
4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 19 April 2023 | State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States | United States |
1–0 | 1–1 | |
| 11 | 12 September 2023 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States |  Uzbekistan |
3–2 | 3–3 | |
| 12 | 14 October 2023 | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States |  Ghana |
2–0 | 2–0 | |
| 13 | 17 October 2023 | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States |  Germany |
1–1 | 2–2 |
Awards and Honors
Uriel Antuna has won several awards and championships throughout his career:
With Cruz Azul
- Supercopa de la Liga MX: 2022
With Mexico U23 Team
- CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship: 2020
- Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
With Mexico National Team
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2019, 2023
- CONCACAF Nations League runner-up: 2019–20, 2023–24
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF U-20 Championship Best XI: 2017
- Liga MX Best XI: Guardianes 2020, Clausura 2024
- CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship Best XI: 2020
- Liga MX All-Star: 2022
- Liga MX Player of the Month: March 2024
- Liga MX Golden Boot: Clausura 2024 (Shared)
See also
In Spanish: Uriel Antuna para niños
