The Mexico national football team — the Tricolores or Tri for short — is the national team of Mexico and is controlled by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación.
For most of the 20th century, but especially in the 1990s, they dominated the other CONCACAF sides, earning them the nickname of Giants of CONCACAF. Surprising wins by Canada and the United States in the 2000 and 2002 Gold Cups respectively, and Mexico's dismissal by the United States in Round 2 of the 2002 World Cup, seemed to signal a new era of parity on the continental football scene. However, Mexico then experienced a resurgence with the continuous and overall good participation of the Mexican national team and Mexican club sides as guests the CONMEBOL tournaments of Copa Libertadores and Copa América, as well as their qualification run for the 2004 Athens Olympics and the win in the 2003 Gold Cup. The 2005 Gold Cup tournament will serve as a rubber match of sorts, with each of the most populous CONCACAF nations having previously taken home the winner's trophy once in the preceding half-decade.
Although Mexico has made 11 World Cups, they have not had much success on the global stage. Many observers blame it on the footballing quality of the area comparing it to e.g. South America, or the lack of Mexican players abroad, but that is a very lengthy discussion. They only made the quarterfinals twice, in 1970 and 1986, both times when they hosted the tournament. They were suspended for 1990 competition for falsifying players' ages at a youth championship.
Mexico also won the Confederations Cup in 1999 , when they hosted the tournament. The beat Brazil in the final, 4-3.
World Cup record
Gold Cup record
Copa América record
- 1916 to 1991 - Did not enter
- 1993 - Second place
- 1995 - Quarterfinals
- 1997 - Third place
- 1999 - Third place
- 2001 - Second place
- 2004 - Quarterfinals
Famous players
