Mexico is a North American country bordered by the United States of America to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the South. Many sports are popular in Mexico, like boxing and basketball, but the most followed game in the land of the former Aztec kingdom is, soccer. Mexico, over the years, has produced exceptional football teams and players. Today we bring you some facts about Mexican soccer. You will learn some interesting facts about Mexico’s soccer team, and their soccer records.
1. Origins
Football was brought to Mexico by European immigrants, particularly English miners from Cornwall in England between the mid to late 19th century.
2. First Club
The aforementioned Cornish miners established the first club called Pachuca. They played their first recorded game in 1902.
3. Mexican Football Federation
The governing body of Mexican football Federacion Mexicana de Futbol was established in 1927.
4. First National Team Match
The first official football match of the Mexican national team was played on the 1st of January, 1923, a friendly match against their hosts, Guatemala. Mexico lost the game 3-2.
5. Nickname
The Mexican national team is also known as El Tri (Tricolor) due to the triple colors on their countries flag i.e, geen, white and red.
6. First World Cup
The Mexican national team played their first World Cup tournament in 1930. They have gone on to appear a further 15 times. Their best performances were in 1970 and 1986 when they reached the quarterfinals. Interestingly those times coincided with the year they hosted the World Cup.
7. Biggest Win and Loss
Mexico’s biggest recorded margin of victory was against the Bahamas on the 28th of April, 1987. They won 13-0. Their biggest defeat was against England on the 10th of May, 1961. They lost 8-0.
8. Most Caps
The player with the most caps for the Mexican national team is Claudio Saurez. The 52-year-old played between 1992-2006 and amassed 177 caps for El Tri.
9. All-time Highest Goal Scorer
The current record holder for the highest number of goals scored for the Mexican national team is Javier Hernández, also known as Chicarito. Hernández has so far scored 52 times for El Tri.
10. Olympic Triumph
Mexico has won an Olympic football gold medal. They achieved this in 2012 at the London Olympics.
11. CONCACAF Gold Cup Triumphs
Mexico has won the CONCACAF Gold Cup 11 times and participated on 23 occasions.
12. Copa America Participations
Mexico has been invited on several occasions to participate in the Copa America. They have been involved ten times, and their best finish was runners-up positions in 1993 and 2001.
13. Liga MX
The Liga MX is the top professional football division of the Mexican football league. It is widely regarded as one of the most competitive football leagues in North America. The professional Mexican top national league was established in 1943, and many of the top Mexican soccer clubs compete there.