Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de México) represents Mexico in men's international football, which is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (Spanish: Federación Mexicana de Fútbol) founded in 1927. It has been an affiliate member of FIFA since 1929 and a founding affiliate member of CONCACAF since 1961. Regionally, it is an affiliate member of NAFU in the North American Zone. From 1946 to 1961, it 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, making it one of six countries to do so.[2] 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[a] 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[3] with the senior team and the 2012 Olympic football tournament[4] with the under-23 team.
History
Early years
Football in Mexico was first organized in the early 20th century by European immigrant groups, notably miners from Cornwall, England, and in later years Spanish exiles fleeing the Spanish Civil War.
The team's first match was played on 9 December 1923 at Parque España in Mexico City, beating Guatemala 2–1, which was the first match of a series of international friendlies played against Guatemala. The second match played on 12 December was won by Mexico 2–0, and the final match of the series, played on 16 December, ended in a 3–3 draw.[5] The manager for this team was Rafael Garza Gutiérrez.