Héctor González

Lore & Background

From 1946 to 1961, Mexico was a member of NAFC, the former governing body of football in North America and a predecessor confederation of CONCACAF, and also a member of PFC, the former unified confederation of the Americas. Mexico has qualified for the FIFA World Cup eighteen times and has qualified consecutively since 1994. It is one of four CONCACAF teams to have advanced to the knockout stage, reaching the quarter-finals twice (1970 and 1986) both as hosts, and also reaching the round of 16 in seven editions. Mexico played France in the first match in World Cup history in Uruguay 1930. It has qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup seven times, being the only CONCACAF team and the only non-European or South American team to have won a FIFA global competition, winning the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup as hosts, defeating Brazil 4–3. Mexico has participated twenty-six times in CONCACAF's premier continental competition, and is the most successful team in its confederation, winning 15 CONCACAF continental titles (10 CONCACAF Gold Cup titles, 3 CONCACAF Championship titles, one CONCACAF Nations League and one CONCACAF Cup). It has participated eleven times in the Copa América, finishing as runners-up twice (1993 and 2001) and finishing in third place three times. It also participated three times in the Panamerican Championship, finishing in third place in 1960. Regionally, the team won two NAFC Championship titles, one North American Nations Cup, and two gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games. It is one of eight nations to have won two of the three most important global football competitions that are recognized and endorsed by FIFA (World Cup, Confederations Cup, and Olympic football tournament), winning the 1999 Confederations Cup with the senior team and the 2012 Olympic football tournament with the under-23 team.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at the Azteca hummed like a second heartbeat. It was a Wednesday night in a month the fans would later call their own, and the crowd — forty thousand strong, a sea of green and white — pressed against the perimeter fence as if they could add their lungs to the players'. Somewhere in the midfield, a figure in the green shirt bent low, hands on knees, watching the ball roll across the scarred grass. He straightened, called for it, and the moment the team-mate flicked it his way, he was already moving, already driving forward with that quiet, relentless urgency that had become his signature. The crowd's chant swelled, not for a goal, not for a save, but for the simple, sacred act of a man in green refusing to stop running. The stadium shook. And for three minutes, Mexico was not a country of thirty million; it was one heartbeat, one breath, one player in the green shirt who would not let the moment die.

Reader's Guide

The team's first match was played on 9 December 1923 at Parque España in Mexico City, beating Guatemala 2–1. The manager for this team was Rafael Garza Gutiérrez. Mexico's first official international competition was the 1928 Olympic Football Tournament, where Mexico lost to Spain 1–7 in the round of 16. Mexico participated in the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay, grouped with Argentina, Chile, and France. Mexico took part in the first World Cup match ever, a 4–1 loss to France, with Mexico's first World Cup goal scored by Juan Carreño. Mexico did not appear in another World Cup tournament until 1950. Goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal has the distinction of being the first player ever to appear in five consecutive World Cups. In 1965, Mexico won the 1965 CONCACAF Championship to become continental champions for the first time. Mexico hosted the 1970 World Cup and advanced to the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Italy 4–1. Mexico failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup, but qualified in 1978 where they suffered an early exit after three defeats. Mexico failed to qualify for the 1982 World Cup. In 1986, Mexico again hosted the World Cup, coached by Bora Milutinović, and advanced to the quarter-finals, losing to West Germany 1–4 in a penalty shootout after the match finished 0–0. Mexico was disqualified from the 1990 FIFA World Cup after using players over the age limit in the qualifying round for the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship, known as the 'Cachirules' scandal. In the 1990s, after hiring coach César Luis Menotti, Mexican football began experiencing greater international success. In the 1993 Copa América they finished second, losing to Argentina 2–1 in the final. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Mexico won its group on tiebreakers but lost in the round of 16 to Bulgaria on penalty kicks. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Mexico qualified for the round of 16, losing 2–1 to Germany. In 1999, Mexico won its first official FIFA tournament by becoming the first host nation to win the FIFA Confederations Cup, defeating Brazil 4–3 in the final. At the 2002 World Cup, Mexico reached the round of 16, losing 2–0 to the United States. At the 2006 World Cup, Mexico reached the round of 16, losing 2–1 to Argentina. Mexico won the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, beating the United States 5–0 in the final. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mexico advanced to the round of 16,

Did You Know?

• Mexico played France in the first match in World Cup history in Uruguay 1930.
• Goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal was the first player ever to appear in five consecutive World Cups.
• Mexico is the only CONCACAF team and the only non-European or South American team to have won a FIFA global competition, winning the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup.
• Mexico is one of eight nations to have won two of the three most important global football competitions recognized by FIFA (World Cup, Confederations Cup, and Olympic football tournament).