Rafael Márquez

El Káiser: Mexico's legendary defender and five-time World Cup veteran.

Rafael Márquez Álvarez (born 13 February 1979) is a Mexican football coach and former player who played as a defender. He is the head coach of the Mexico national team. Nicknamed El Káiser, he is regarded as the greatest defender in Mexico's history and one of the best Mexican players of all time.

Quick Facts

Full name: Rafael Márquez Álvarez
Born: 13 February 1979
Birthplace: Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico
Height: 1.84 m / 6 ft
Position: Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Total caps: 516
Total goals: 23
Current club: Mexico (head coach)

Lore & Background

Márquez began his career with Atlas in 1996, playing in over 70 games before moving to Monaco in 1999, where he won a Ligue 1 title. In 2003, he joined Barcelona, becoming the first Mexican to represent the club, and won four La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. In 2006, he became the first Mexican player to win the Champions League. In 2010, he joined Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls. After being released in 2012, he returned to Mexico to play for León, captaining the team to back-to-back Liga MX titles in 2013 and 2014. He then transferred to Hellas Verona, returned to Atlas in 2015, and announced his retirement in April 2018.

Reader's Guide

Márquez is the fourth most-capped player in Mexico national team history with 147 caps. In 2018, he became only the fourth player to play in five consecutive FIFA World Cups (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018). He holds the record for most World Cup matches played by a Mexican with 19. With the national team, he won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2003 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups.

Did You Know?

He is one of only four players to appear in five consecutive FIFA World Cups, alongside Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthäus, and Gianluigi Buffon.
Márquez won league titles in three countries: France (Monaco), Spain (Barcelona), and Mexico (León).