Mayra Madrigal
Among the Mexican players, there is a small group that went down in the history of the World Cup due to the number of tournaments of this type in which they participated. Clearly, it is not easy to become a national team player and this applies to any player from any country in the world, but the most difficult thing is not only to get the first call-up, but also to earn a place in the National team for major competitions.
The biggest challenge faced by soccer players is to get a starting spot once they are called up for their national team, and very few succeed. In the case of the World Cups, not everyone is fortunate enough to be called up and also see action, as some have been part of the delegations but have not stepped on the field.
In this article, we will talk about the Mexican players with the most World Cups participation. Two are already part of history and one is about to catch up. Without further ado, do you know who are the Mexican players with the most participation in World Cups.
Antonio Carbajal
Goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal, better known as “La Tota”, played for Real Club España and Club León in the Mexican league, and thanks to his fabulous performances he earned a place in the Mexican National Team between 1950 and 1966. He is part of World Cup history, as one of only four players in history to have participated in five different World Cups. He is also the first Mexican in history to do so.
His first World Cup was Brazil 1950, where he saw action in three matches and conceded 10 goals. The second was in Switzerland 1954 where he played only one game and conceded three goals. In Sweden 1958 he was again the starter in the tricolor goal and in the three games played he conceded eight goals. In Chile 1962 he had one of his best performances, conceding only four goals in three games. His last World Cup was in England 1966, he only played one game and kept a clean sheet.
In total he played 11 World Cup matches and conceded 11 goals.
Rafael Marquez
Mexican defender Rafael Márquez is not only a historic player for “El Tri” but also in the history of the World Cup. From his first call-up to the Mexican National Team in 1997 until his retirement after Russia 2018, the native of Zamora, Michoacán, played 148 matches with the green jersey and is considered one of the most important Mexican players worldwide, due to his successful career both at club and national team level.
His first participation in World Cups was in Korea-Japan 2002 where he played four matches. In Germany 2006, he repeated with four matches, three in the group stage and one in the round of 16, where he scored his first World Cup goal. His third World Cup was in South Africa 2010 and he was once again on the scoreboard, with a goal and an assist in four games played. In Brazil 2014, he once again repeated the dose, one goal and one assist in four games. Russia 2018 was his last World Cup, and he saw action in three matches.
In total, he has 19 appearances in five World Cups, with three goals and two assists.
Andres Guardado
The Guadalajara-born midfielder has had a great career. He emerged in the youth team of Atlas and then took the leap to European soccer where he has played with teams such as Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV and currently, Real Betis.
His good performance led him to make his debut at an early age with the Mexican National Team, and at the age of 19 he was part of the delegation that participated in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. In that World Cup he played his first game as a starter in the round of 16 against Argentina and provided an assist, but only saw action for 66 minutes as he was forced to leave due to injury.
His second World Cup was in South Africa 2010, participating in three matches. In Brazil 2014 he played four matches and scored his first and only goal in World Cups so far. In Russia 2018, he saw action in all four matches played by the Mexican National Team. He currently has 12 games played in World Cups, with one goal and one assist to his name. Qatar 2022 could be his fifth World Cup to become the third on the list of Mexican players with the most World Cup appearances.
