Juan Toscano and the Mexican athletes who have participated in the best teams in the world

ESPN compiles the Mexican athletes who have reached their best level and belonged to the ‘Olympus’ of the teams in their respective disciplines

Throughout history, a large number of Mexican athletes have shone in history and defended the colors of the main teams in the world in their respective disciplines, such as Juan Toscano-Andersonwho will sign with Los Angeles Lakers for a year and will share a dressing room with Lebron James Y Russell Westbrook.

Soccer

The white team, top winner of Laliga with 35 trophies, as well as the UEFA Champions League with 14 laurels, has had the presence of five Mexicans in its ranks throughout history.

THE midfielder Jose Ramon Sauto he was the first player born in Mexico to play for the white club (1933-44) and was even captain of the team, while Jose Luis Bourbolla became the first Mexican to defend said shield (1945-46), since sauto He had Spanish nationality and so counted for the club.

In more recent times, Hugo Sanchezthe best Mexican soccer player of the 20th century according to the International Federation of Soccer History and Statistics (IFFHS), was part of the team from 1985 to 1992 and his career as a merengue consists of five league trophies and four Pichichi, among others.

The last Mexican to wear white armor was Javier hernandez (2014-15) and, in a total of 33 duels, he scored nine goals and assisted the same number of times.

In the women’s branch, the defense Kenti Robles He is a current soccer player real Madridwith 59 games played, three goals and nine assists.

The second top winner of league titles in Spanish football, who also has five Champions League trophies, registers the passage of a third of Mexicans through his ranks, two of them as homegrown players.

Rafael MarquezAtlas youth squad, went from AS Monaco to Barcelona prior to the 2003-04 season and became the only Mexican soccer player with a Champions League in his record at the end of the 2005-06 campaign, however, his idyll with the ‘Orejona’ continued in 2008-09, as he returned to win it with the Blaugrana team.

Giovani dos Santos He was part of the ranks of Barcelona since 2002, when he was only twelve years old, and in that period he won the U-17 World Cup in 2005; He officially debuted with the Blaugrana shirt in September 2007, however, he left the club at the end of the football cycle, with a record of 37 games played in all competitions, four goals and seven assists.

Jonathan dos Santos He arrived at La Masía together with his brother Giovani and in 2009 he officially debuted with the team, however, his participation was limited throughout the five seasons that he remained in Barcelona, ​​with just 29 duels.

The former Mexican soccer player Maribel Dominguezone of the pioneers in receiving permission as a foreign soccer player to play in Spain, began her career with the Catalan club at the beginning of 2005, collaborated with her permanence at the end of said campaign and at the end of the following one she said goodbye to the club, despite who was named by FIFA as the sixth best player in the world.

Kenti Robles He also visited the elastic Blaugrana (2011-14), during which time he played 57 duels and scored four times.

The ‘Red Devils’ are the top winning team in English football since its inception in 1889, with seven titles before the Premier League era and thirteen since its inception in the summer of 1992.

The youth squad of Chivas Javier ‘Chicharito‘ Hernandez He arrived in Manchester during the summer of 2010 and remained with the team until the end of the 2015-16 campaign, although the last two he went on loan to Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively.

During his time at Old Trafford, the striker from Guadalajara won two Premier League titles and three Community Shields. The total numbers of Hernandez Balcazar with United there are 157 games played in all competitions, 59 goals and 20 assists. –Sergio Dominguez

Basketball

Los Angeles Lakersan NBA team tied for 17 titles as the league’s top champion along with the Boston Celtics, recently opened its doors to sign its first Mexican player, after Juan Toscano-Anderson will join LeBron James and company for the following season.

The Mexican Juan Toscano-Andersonthe first Mexican champion in the NBA, reached the title last season in the US competition with the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game and stood out for his defensive work with the team.

Motoring

ferrari

By 1961, Ferrari had already produced four world champions, including Juan Manuel Fangio, the fledgling F1’s best driver to date. In addition, the ‘Scudería’ had a long history in motorsport with triumphs at LeMans, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, and Monaco.

That year, Enzo set his fine eye for talent on a 19-year-old Mexican: Ricardo Rodriguez, who made his debut in Monza with a brilliant second starting position. He unfortunately did not finish the race due to mechanical failure.

In 1962 he got second place on the non-scoring date in Pau, fourth place in Belgium and sixth in Germany. That year, the Mexican wanted to run in Mexico. Ferrari would not travel to the competition, but allowed him to participate with a Lotus-Climax. Unfortunately the young ‘ace’ died after a crash at the Peraltada curve during practice.

Ricardo Rodriguez He is the only Mexican who has been signed by Ferrari, the most famous team in motorsport.

Ford wanted to beat ferrari on your own ground: Le Mansa track that in the early 60’s was dominated by the Maranello organization.

revenge of Ford on Enzo-Ferrari It was consummated in 1966 with the first victory of four in a row. In the third, that of 1968, Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi (great-uncle of Jules Bianchi, the last F1 driver to lose his life), won in the John Wyer Automotive Ford GT40.

Pedro Rodriguez he remains the only Mexican to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Red Bull

At the dawn of a new century Red Bull burst onto the F1 scene and by 2010 they were a force to be reckoned with, winning four World Championships in a row in that second decade and, despite Mercedes’ recent dominance, remaining a high-flying organisation, until finally last year won the drivers’ championship Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.

In that effort, much had to do Sergio Perez. In 2020, the driver from Guadalajara not only got his first victory in F1, but also a seat at Red Bull and boy, has he gotten even. His results have given him a contract extension at Milton Keynes until the end of the 2024 season.

Czech Perez He is already the most successful Mexican in Formula 1. — Victor Macin

-With information from Víctor Macín

Football

They are not only the Dallas Cowboys the most popular franchise NFL around the world, but also the most valuable, being valued by Forbes at 5,700 million dollars. Throughout the history of the five-time Super Bowl champions, three Mexicans have passed through their ranks.

Efren Herrera –born in Guadalajara– was the first, a placekicker who played three seasons in Dallas, from 1974 to 1978, this last season a Pro Bowl and All-Pro designation. Rafael Septiena native of Mexico City–was also a Pro Bowl and All-Pro placekicker for Dallas from 1978 to 1986. Both won a Super Bowl, each, with the Lone Star infield.

Isaac Alarcon He is the third and most recent Mexican to reach the squad of the cowboyswhere he has been since 2020. A Monterrey-born offensive lineman who came via the MLB international player program. NFL, Alarcon is still waiting for its official debut in Dallasalthough he has already seen minutes of activity in the preseason.

Buoyed by a dominant 1980s decade and a strong start to the 1990s, the San Francisco 49ers were the first NFL team to win five Super Bowls. There have been two Mexicans — both offensive linemen — who have passed through the Bay squad, although it happened in more recent times.

Ramiro Pruneda arrived in San Francisco in 2008, after spending time on the roster of the Chiefs and Eagles, and a stint in NFL Europe, although he did not make his official debut for the Niners. Currently, he works as an NFL analyst for ESPN Mexico.

Alfredo Gutiérrez, for his part, arrived in San Francisco through the international players program, and remains on the 49ers squad waiting to make his debut with the club in an official match. –Rafael Zamorano

Baseball

The winningest team in the history of the Major Leagues has had the presence of great Mexicans on its roster at different stages.

players like Karim Garcia, alfredo aceves, Esteban Loaiza –after a great stage with the Chicago White Sox–, they defended the Manhattan Mules.

Recently there was also the reliever louis caessawho was subsequently traded to the Cincinnati Reds, and is currently Manny Banuelos is part of the payroll of the ‘Bronx Bombers’.

The Californian ninth has a large base of Latino fans, particularly Mexicans, due to its proximity to the country south of its border, but not only because of that but also because of the great national baseball players who have helped them build their history.

In recent years, Julius Uriah and the reliever Victor Gonzalez They were a key piece in the title they won in the World Series and, at the moment, the left-handed starter is part of Dave Roberts’ rotation, delivering more than outstanding numbers by having a season of more than 20 wins.

However, the most famous Mexican baseball player in the Major Leagues also defended the Dodgers and he did it in a great way when the ‘Bull‘ Valenzuela was able to unleash ‘Fernandomania’.

A few years later another Mexican shone recurrently in the Chavez Ravine compound with his hits. Adrian Gonzalez for a long time he was one of the most important men in the team, but we can’t forget names like that of Ishmael ‘Rocket‘ Valdez.

The Massachusetts ninth broke a long drought without titles in the Big Top and, despite so many years without championships, they are still one of the most popular teams in Mexico and one of the ones with the most drag also in the United States and at a level world.

The ‘King of sports’, being a very followed discipline in Mexico, has enjoyed national players playing regularly at Fenway Park, as the outfielder is currently doing Alex Verdugobut others have also paraded like Alfred ‘Paton‘ Aceves‘ and at the time Adrian ‘Titan‘ Gonzalezwho in his time signed with them the most lucrative contract for a national athlete. –Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso