Pablo Larios

Mexican goalkeeper who played for Zacatepec, Cruz Azul, Puebla, and Toros Neza.

Pablo Larios Iwasaki (July 31, 1960 – January 31, 2019) was a Mexican professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was nicknamed "El Arquero de la Selva" (The Goalkeeper of the Jungle), both for being from Zacatepec, a town in the Mexican state of Morelos known for his humid and warm climate, and for starting his career with his hometown's football club.

Quick Facts

Position

Goalkeeper

Primary club

Zacatepec
Cruz Azul
Puebla
Toros Neza

Era at américa

N/A – Larios never played for Club América

Known for

Shot-stopping
reflexes
leadership from the back

Notable teammate

Cuauhtémoc Blanco

Lore & Background

Larios was a goalkeeper for Zacatepec, Cruz Azul, Puebla and Toros Neza during his playing career. He played for the Mexico national football team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where Mexico reached the quarter-finals and 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also participated in the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was the goalkeeper trainer in the 2006 FIFA World Cup working for Ricardo Lavolpe.

He has Japanese ancestors on his maternal side. In early September 2008, Larios's 19-year-old son, Pablo Larios Garza, was reported missing. After an intense search, he was found dead by the border police near the area of Grajeno, approximately 600 feet away from Rio Grande. He attempted to illegally cross the border to visit his girlfriend, who lived in the US, since he had lost his visa.

On January 31, 2019, Larios was pronounced dead at a hospital in Puebla at the age of 58. The former goalkeeper had been admitted to hospital due to an intestinal occlusion and respiratory arrest, for which he underwent surgery from which he did not survive.