Uriel Antuna facts for kids
Carlos Uriel Antuna Romero, born on August 21, 1997, is a Mexican professional football player. He plays as a winger for the Liga MX club Tigres UANL and is also a key player for the Mexico national team.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carlos Uriel Antuna Romero | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 August 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | 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 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Cruz Azul | 97 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Tigres UANL | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Mexico U20 | 10 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Mexico U21 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Mexico U23 | 11 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | Mexico | 64 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Contents
Uriel Antuna's Club Journey
Starting with Santos Laguna
Uriel Antuna began his football journey in 2012. He joined the youth academy of Santos Laguna, a well-known Mexican club. He played for their U-15, U-17, and U-20 teams.
In 2017, Antuna was promoted to the first team by manager José Manuel de la Torre. He made his professional debut 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, Antuna signed a four-year contract with the English club Manchester City. This was done through their network, City Football Group. Soon after, on August 9, he was loaned to FC Groningen, a club in the Eredivisie (the top football league in the Netherlands).
He made his league debut for Groningen on September 10, 2017. He entered the match as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against VVV-Venlo.
Adventures in the USA: LA Galaxy
In 2019, Antuna moved to the United States. He joined MLS team LA Galaxy on loan for their 2019 season. He scored his first goal for the team on April 28 in a 2–1 win against Real Salt Lake.
By the end of his time with LA Galaxy, he had played in 31 league games. He scored 6 goals and made 5 assists. His contract with Manchester City was extended until 2022.
Back to Mexico: Guadalajara
On November 28, 2019, Antuna returned to Mexico. He joined Guadalajara, another club in the Liga MX. He made his debut for Guadalajara on January 11, 2020. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 victory over Juárez.
On September 5, he scored his first goal for Chivas (Guadalajara's nickname). This goal helped his team win 3–1 against Tigres UANL.
Moving to Cruz Azul
On January 4, 2022, Antuna joined Cruz Azul. This move happened after a planned player swap with Club América did not work out.
Joining Tigres UANL
On August 27, 2024, Uriel Antuna officially joined Tigres UANL.
Uriel Antuna's International Career
Playing for Mexico's Youth Teams
Antuna has played for various Mexican youth national teams.
Under-20 Team
In 2017, he was called up to the under-20 squad. He played in the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. In one match against El Salvador, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a 6–1 win. He was even named in the tournament's Best XI (a list of the best players). Later that year, he played in the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, helping Mexico reach the quarter-finals.
Under-21 Team
Antuna also played for the under-21 team. He took part in the 2018 Toulon Tournament, where Mexico reached the final but lost to England.
Under-23 and Olympic Success
He was part of the under-23 team that won the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship. He scored three goals in this tournament and was included in its Best XI.
Later, he was selected for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Antuna and his team won the bronze medal in football at the Olympics, a great achievement!
Playing for the Senior Mexico Team
Antuna made his debut for the senior national team on June 5, 2019. This was in a friendly match against Venezuela.
CONCACAF Gold Cup Wins
He was part of the squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In Mexico's first match against Cuba, Antuna scored a hat-trick and also provided an assist in a huge 7–0 win. His first goal in that game was the fastest goal ever scored by Mexico in a Gold Cup tournament. Mexico went on to win the tournament, and Antuna played in every match.
He also helped Mexico win the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
FIFA World Cup
In 2022, Antuna was chosen to be part of Mexico's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world.
Uriel Antuna's Playing Style
Uriel Antuna is known for being a very fast and agile player. He has great acceleration and can dribble past opponents with skill. He likes to hold onto the ball and deliver crosses into the box.
His speed has been compared to some of the fastest footballers in the world. During a match in 2020, his speed was recorded as one of the highest, second only to players like Kylian Mbappe.
Career Statistics
Club 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 | |||
| Career total | 230 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 251 | 45 | ||
International Appearances and 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 |
Uriel Antuna's Awards and Achievements
Cruz Azul
- Supercopa de la Liga MX: 2022
Mexico U23
- CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship: 2020
- Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
Mexico
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2019, 2023
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF U-20 Championship Best XI: 2017
- Liga MX Best XI: Guardianes 2020
- CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship Best XI: 2020
- Liga MX All-Star: 2022
- Liga MX Golden Boot (Shared): Clausura 2024
See also
In Spanish: Uriel Antuna para niños
