Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Encyclopedia
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (kwauˈtemok ˈblaŋko; born January 17, 1973) is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso
.
Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder. He is widely considered one of the greatest and most talented Mexican players in the last two decades.
Blanco is the only Mexican football player with an award in a major international FIFA
competition, as he won the Silver Ball and the Silver Shoe awards in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
. He has been awarded the MVP of the Mexican First League Division five times.
He is tied with Ronaldinho
as the leading Confederations Cup goalscorer
. Blanco is the second leading goal scorer for the Mexican national football team and his debut team Club América
; he is also Mexico's second top scorer in both the FIFA World Cup
and the Copa Libertadores tournament. Blanco is currently doing a Mexican Telenovela
, Triunfo del Amor
, but grew up in Tepito
, a poor neighborhood of Mexico City, where he learned to love playing football in the local fields. Growing up in a rough environment with a high crime rate, Blanco developed a style of play based on creativity and aggressiveness leading him to sometimes lose his temper. Ángel González a scout for Club América discovered him as he won the Torneo Benito Juarez as a part of the Distrito Federal selection team, and brought him to Club America's basic forces.
, with 333 appearances and 125 goals, Cuauhtémoc has become an idol to the club's supporters and an important figure in the history of the team.
Blanco made his debut in the Primera División
(Mexican First Division) in 1992 at the age of 19 with Club América. He won his first Golden Boot with 16 goals in the Winter 1998 season for Las Aguilas
.
In May 2005, Blanco won his first club championship as a player, leading Club América to its tenth league title, when Club América defeated U.A.G. by an aggregate score of 7–4 (1–1, 6–3). In the next three consecutive years between 2005 to 2007, he was awarded the MVP.
He scored his last goal is this club during the championship final against Pachuca in 2007. After that game he moved to Chicago and played the next two seasons for Chicago Fire.
for the 2000–01 campaign. On October of that year in an international WCQ match against Trinidad and Tobago, he received a strong kick from an opposing defender, breaking his leg and leaving him out of the fields for the next 8 months.
After the peak of his career was stopped by an injury, he continued in the club for another season (2001–02), in which he struggled with homesickness and regaining his form; after scoring great goals in Spain, including a free-kick against Real Madrid
's Iker Casillas at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
, he returned to Mexico.
as he conducted interviews with the media, signed autographs and greeted with fans.
He was later voted as a finalist for both the M.V.P. and Newcomer of the Year awards in 2007. Blanco was the 2007 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year Winner which was his first season, goal came in week 20 against RSL.
As of the 2008 season, Blanco was the second-highest paid player in Major League Soccer, after Los Angeles Galaxy
midfielder David Beckham
, earning $2.7 million a year. Once again finalist for the M.V.P of the year award.
On 24 July 2008 during the MLS All-Stars
vs West Ham United
, Blanco won the MVP of the game with one assist and one goal, a game in which he only played 46 minutes. The MLS All-stars won 3–2.
ian striker Christian Benítez. Blanco was formally presented to the press the next day, wearing jersey number 9, and stated that he looks forward to giving Santos a back-to-back championship.
Blanco scored his first goal with Santos Laguna 29 November 2008. It was penalty against San Luis goalkeeper Adrian Martinez in the return game which Santos Laguna won 2–1 and 5–2 aggregate score.
. He was part of the squad at France '98
, Korea-Japan 2002
and South Africa 2010
. He was also a member of the Mexico team that won the Confederations Cup in 1999 where he was the tournament's leading scorer with six goals, including one in the final. He was awarded the "Golden Boot" and "Silver Boot" for outstanding player of the tournament. Blanco holds the record along with Brazil
's Ronaldinho
as the highest scoring players in the Confederations Cup with nine goals, three in 1997 and six in 1999.
In the selection for the final 23-man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in Germany, former Mexican national team coach Ricardo Lavolpe
left Blanco out of the team. While the ostensible reason given was that Blanco was frequently injured and not in good form; some people considered this to be a consequence of the previous year's constant bickering, due to on-going personal problems between coach and player.
Blanco became part of the squad that played the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring one penalty goal, and the 2007 Copa America, where he scored 2 goals also in penalty kicks. He has since been praised for his influential performance and is now tipped to be a certain starter for the majority of Mexico's qualifying games, mostly due to his experience and current form with Chicago Fire in MLS
. On 13 September 2008, he earned his 100th cap for his country in its 2–1 World Cup qualifier victory over Canada at Tuxtla Gutierrez, coming on with only 15 seconds left in regulation.
Blanco returned to the national team since Javier Aguirre
's arrival to the team in April 2009, playing in all the games throughout the Hexagonal
of the World Cup Qualifying since then; Blanco becoming an important factor for Mexico's team regain of form and confidence.
On 10 October 2009, Blanco provoked the first opposition own goal
and scored the second goal in a 4–1 victory over El Salvador to help Mexico clinch a spot in the 2010 World Cup
. On 17 June 2010, he scored a penalty in the 78th minute of the 2–0 win against France
at the World Cup in South Africa. With this goal he became the first Mexican to score a goal in three World Cup tournaments and the third-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history. Blanco is considered by many to be one of the greatest penalty kickers of all time. He also has a penalty-taking record; out of a total of 58 taken, he has only ever missed three.
| 1. || January 19, 1996 || Jack Murphy Stadium
, San Diego, United States || || align=center|1–0|| align=center|1–0 || 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup
|-
| 2. || January 21, 1996 || L.A. Memorial Coliseum
, Los Angeles, United States || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–0 || 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup
|-
| 3. || February 7, 1996 || Estadio Sausalito
, Viña del Mar
, Chile
|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–2 || Friendly
|-
| 4. || June 16, 1996 || Rose Bowl
, Pasadena
, United States || || align=center|2–1 || align=center|2–2 || 1996 U.S. Cup
|-
| 5. || June 22, 1997 || Estadio Félix Capriles
, Cochabamba
, Bolivia
|| || align=center|1–1 || align=center|1–1 || 1997 Copa América
|-
| 6. || December 14, 1997 || King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
, Saudi Arabia
|| || align=center|3–0 || align=center|5–0 || 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 7. || December 14, 1997 || King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia || || align=center|5–0 || align=center|5–0 || 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 8. || December 16, 1997 || King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia || || align=center|1–1 || align=center|2–3 || 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 9. || February 7, 1998 || Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland
, United States|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|2–0 || 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
|-
| 10. || February 7, 1998 || Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, United States || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–0 || 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
|-
| 11. || June 20, 1998 || Parc Lescure
, Bordeaux
, France || || align=center|2–2 || align=center|2–2 || 1998 FIFA World Cup
|-
| 12. || July 6, 1999 || Antonio Oddone Sarubbi
, Ciudad del Este
, Paraguay
|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|3–1 || 1999 Copa América
|-
| 13. || July 6, 1999 || Antonio Oddone Sarubbi, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–1 || 1999 Copa América
|-
| 14. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca
, Mexico City
, Mexico
|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 15. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 16. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|4–1 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 17. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|5–1 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 18. || August 1, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–0 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 19. || August 4, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|4–2 || align=center|4–3 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 20. || January 9, 2000 || Networks Associates Coliseum, Oakland, United States || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–1 || Friendly
|-
| 21. || September 3, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|4–0 || align=center|7–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 22. || September 3, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|7–1 || align=center|7–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 23. || October 8, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|7–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 24. || October 8, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|7–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 25. || September 2, 2001 || Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica
|| || align=center|1–1 || align=center|2–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 26. || September 2, 2001 || Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica || || align=center|2–1 || align=center|2–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 27. || September 5, 2001 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 28. || November 11, 2001 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|3–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 29. || November 11, 2001 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 30. || June 3, 2002 || Niigata Stadium, Niigata
, Japan || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup
|-
| 31. || February 28, 2007 || Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–0 || Friendly
|-
| 32. || June 10, 2007 || Giants Stadium
, East Rutherford
, United States || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–2 || 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
|-
| 33. || July 8, 2007 || Estadio Monumental de Maturín
, Maturín
, Venezuela
|| || align=center|5–0 || align=center|6–0 || 2007 Copa América
|-
| 34. || July 14, 2007 || Estadio Olímpico
, Caracas
, Venezuela || || align=center|1–1 || align=center|3–1 || 2007 Copa América
|-
| 35. || June 6, 2009 || Estadio Cuscatlán
, San Salvador
, El Salvador
|| || align=center|1–1 || align=center|1–2 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 36. || September 9, 2009 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 37. || October 10, 2009 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|4–1 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 38. || March 17, 2010 || Estadio Corona
, Torreón
, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|2–1 || Friendly
|-
| 39. || June 17, 2010 || Peter Mokaba Stadium
, Polokwane
, South Africa
|| || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup
|}
striker Kiko Narvaez. In a 2005 interview with Mexican newspaper El Universal (Mexico City)
, Blanco explains that while watching a Spanish league game accompanied by his teammate Germán Villa
, both players agreed to celebrate their next goal by imitating the "Archer" gesture. In the end, only Blanco did it, and jokingly reprimanded Villa for not keeping his word.
However, the Chicago Fire official website claims that Blanco celebrates scoring a goal by acting like the Prehispanic Tlatoani
Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc
, "in order to show respect for the Mexican people, and their indigenous Amerindian heritage".
. In the trick, when two or more opposition players are trying to take the ball from him, he traps the ball between his feet and jumps through the defenders- releasing the ball in the air and landing with it under control as he leaves the opposition players behind. The trick is easy to perform but is eye-catching and has been incorporated as a special skill into the FIFA series of football video games.
|1992–93||rowspan="5"|América
||rowspan="8"|Primera División
||12||0||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1993–94||4||0||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1994–95||33||6||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1995–96||32||5||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1996–97||27||9||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1997–98||Necaxa||28||13||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1998–99||rowspan="2"|América
||31||31||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1999-00||36||20||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="2"|Real Valladolid
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
||3||0||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||20||3||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="5"|América
||rowspan="5"|Primera División
||36||11||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2003–04||38||20||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2004–05||35||13||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2005–06||28||7||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2006–07||36||13||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2007
||rowspan="3"|Chicago Fire
||rowspan="3"|Major League Soccer
||14||4|||||||||||||
|-
|2008
||27||7||||||||||
|-
|2009
||21||5|||||||||||||
|-
376||143||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
23||3||||||||||||
62||16||||||||||||
437||158||||||||||||
Golden Boot: 1999
FIFA Confederations Cup
Silver Ball: 1999
Mexican Player of the Year: 2001–2002
Primera División de México
MVP: 1997–1998, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007
Primera División de México
Top Scorer: Invierno 1998
MLS Best XI
: 2008
MLS All-Star Game MVP
: 2008
MLS Goal of the Year
: 2007
Tecate
Athlete of the Year: 2008
Mexico
Premio Nacional del Deporte: 2009
Liga de Ascenso
The Liga de Ascenso is the second professional level of the Mexican football league system. The champion of the competition is promoted to the Primera División de México ....
.
Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder. He is widely considered one of the greatest and most talented Mexican players in the last two decades.
Blanco is the only Mexican football player with an award in a major international FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
competition, as he won the Silver Ball and the Silver Shoe awards in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:...
. He has been awarded the MVP of the Mexican First League Division five times.
He is tied with Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
as the leading Confederations Cup goalscorer
FIFA Confederations Cup goalscorers
This article lists each country's goalscorers in the FIFA Confederations Cup.Numbers in green means the player finished as the tournament top scorer .-Overall top goalscorers:9 goals Ronaldinho Cuauhtémoc Blanco7 goals Adriano Romário...
. Blanco is the second leading goal scorer for the Mexican national football team and his debut team Club América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
; he is also Mexico's second top scorer in both the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and the Copa Libertadores tournament. Blanco is currently doing a Mexican Telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
, Triunfo del Amor
Club career
Blanco was born in TlatilcoTlatilco
Tlatilco was a large pre-Columbian village in the Valley of Mexico situated near the modern-day town of the same name in the Mexican Federal District. It was one of the first chiefdom centers to arise in the Valley, flourishing on the western shore of Lake Texcoco during the Middle Pre-Classic...
, but grew up in Tepito
Tepito
Tepito is a barrio located in Colonia Morelos in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City bordered by Avenida del Trabajo, Paseo de la Reforma, Eje 1 and Eje 2. Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the colorful tianguis or open-air market. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional...
, a poor neighborhood of Mexico City, where he learned to love playing football in the local fields. Growing up in a rough environment with a high crime rate, Blanco developed a style of play based on creativity and aggressiveness leading him to sometimes lose his temper. Ángel González a scout for Club América discovered him as he won the Torneo Benito Juarez as a part of the Distrito Federal selection team, and brought him to Club America's basic forces.
Club America
Having played most of his career in Club AmericaClub América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
, with 333 appearances and 125 goals, Cuauhtémoc has become an idol to the club's supporters and an important figure in the history of the team.
Blanco made his debut in the Primera División
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
(Mexican First Division) in 1992 at the age of 19 with Club América. He won his first Golden Boot with 16 goals in the Winter 1998 season for Las Aguilas
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
.
In May 2005, Blanco won his first club championship as a player, leading Club América to its tenth league title, when Club América defeated U.A.G. by an aggregate score of 7–4 (1–1, 6–3). In the next three consecutive years between 2005 to 2007, he was awarded the MVP.
He scored his last goal is this club during the championship final against Pachuca in 2007. After that game he moved to Chicago and played the next two seasons for Chicago Fire.
Necaxa
He was loaned for Winter 1997 and Summer 1998 at Club Necaxa, in which he scored 13 goals in 28 appearances.Real Valladolid
In the year 2000, after winning the Golden Shoe in the Confederations Cup 1999, Blanco was loaned to Real ValladolidReal Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
for the 2000–01 campaign. On October of that year in an international WCQ match against Trinidad and Tobago, he received a strong kick from an opposing defender, breaking his leg and leaving him out of the fields for the next 8 months.
After the peak of his career was stopped by an injury, he continued in the club for another season (2001–02), in which he struggled with homesickness and regaining his form; after scoring great goals in Spain, including a free-kick against Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
's Iker Casillas at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
, he returned to Mexico.
Veracruz
In the Apertura 2004 he had a successful season with the Tiburones Rojos in which they ended up leaders, Blanco being an important factor. During this season he gained an important following at the port, which led him to come back later on.Chicago Fire
On 2 April 2007, Blanco ventured on to Major League Soccer in the United States and signed with Chicago Fire. He was welcomed by 5,000 fans at Toyota ParkToyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
as he conducted interviews with the media, signed autographs and greeted with fans.
He was later voted as a finalist for both the M.V.P. and Newcomer of the Year awards in 2007. Blanco was the 2007 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year Winner which was his first season, goal came in week 20 against RSL.
As of the 2008 season, Blanco was the second-highest paid player in Major League Soccer, after Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
midfielder David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, earning $2.7 million a year. Once again finalist for the M.V.P of the year award.
On 24 July 2008 during the MLS All-Stars
MLS All-Star 2008
The 2008 Pepsi Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 13th consecutive MLS All-Star Game. The MLS All-Stars faced West Ham United of the English Premier League. The game was played on July 24, 2008, with the MLS winning 3–2. New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol coached the All-Stars...
vs West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, Blanco won the MVP of the game with one assist and one goal, a game in which he only played 46 minutes. The MLS All-stars won 3–2.
Santos Laguna
On November 19, 2008, it was announced that Santos Laguna signed Blanco on a loan to play only for the Apertura 2008 Liguilla, after the injury of their EcuadorEcuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian striker Christian Benítez. Blanco was formally presented to the press the next day, wearing jersey number 9, and stated that he looks forward to giving Santos a back-to-back championship.
Blanco scored his first goal with Santos Laguna 29 November 2008. It was penalty against San Luis goalkeeper Adrian Martinez in the return game which Santos Laguna won 2–1 and 5–2 aggregate score.
Return to Mexico
On October 29, 2009 Blanco announced that he would not be renewing his three-year contract with Chicago Fire in December 2009, and would instead sign for Veracruz, beginning in January 2010.International career
Blanco has played for Mexico at three World CupsFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. He was part of the squad at France '98
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, Korea-Japan 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and South Africa 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. He was also a member of the Mexico team that won the Confederations Cup in 1999 where he was the tournament's leading scorer with six goals, including one in the final. He was awarded the "Golden Boot" and "Silver Boot" for outstanding player of the tournament. Blanco holds the record along with Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
's Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
as the highest scoring players in the Confederations Cup with nine goals, three in 1997 and six in 1999.
In the selection for the final 23-man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany, former Mexican national team coach Ricardo Lavolpe
Ricardo Lavolpe
Ricardo Antonio La Volpe Guarchoni, born February 6, 1952 in Buenos Aires, is an Argentine football manager. He is a former Argentine World Cup-winning goalkeeper and the former coach of the Mexican national team. He is known for his tactical flexibility during matches and abrasive manner, as well...
left Blanco out of the team. While the ostensible reason given was that Blanco was frequently injured and not in good form; some people considered this to be a consequence of the previous year's constant bickering, due to on-going personal problems between coach and player.
Blanco became part of the squad that played the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring one penalty goal, and the 2007 Copa America, where he scored 2 goals also in penalty kicks. He has since been praised for his influential performance and is now tipped to be a certain starter for the majority of Mexico's qualifying games, mostly due to his experience and current form with Chicago Fire in MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. On 13 September 2008, he earned his 100th cap for his country in its 2–1 World Cup qualifier victory over Canada at Tuxtla Gutierrez, coming on with only 15 seconds left in regulation.
Blanco returned to the national team since Javier Aguirre
Javier Aguirre
Javier Aguirre Onaindía , popularly nicknamed El Vasco , is a Mexican football manager and former midfielder. He was also a member of the Mexico national team and later became manager in two different occasions, but resigned after the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
's arrival to the team in April 2009, playing in all the games throughout the Hexagonal
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - CONCACAF Fourth Round
This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Fourth Round, often referred to as "The Hexagonal" or "The Hex", matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification...
of the World Cup Qualifying since then; Blanco becoming an important factor for Mexico's team regain of form and confidence.
On 10 October 2009, Blanco provoked the first opposition own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
and scored the second goal in a 4–1 victory over El Salvador to help Mexico clinch a spot in the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. On 17 June 2010, he scored a penalty in the 78th minute of the 2–0 win against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
at the World Cup in South Africa. With this goal he became the first Mexican to score a goal in three World Cup tournaments and the third-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history. Blanco is considered by many to be one of the greatest penalty kickers of all time. He also has a penalty-taking record; out of a total of 58 taken, he has only ever missed three.
International goals
|-| 1. || January 19, 1996 || Jack Murphy Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
, San Diego, United States || || align=center|1–0|| align=center|1–0 || 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the third edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|-
| 2. || January 21, 1996 || L.A. Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, Los Angeles, United States || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–0 || 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup
|-
| 3. || February 7, 1996 || Estadio Sausalito
Estadio Sausalito
Estadio Sausalito is a multi-purpose stadium in Viña del Mar, Chile. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of CD Everton. The stadium holds 18,037 people and was built in 1929...
, Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–2 || Friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|-
| 4. || June 16, 1996 || Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
, Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, United States || || align=center|2–1 || align=center|2–2 || 1996 U.S. Cup
1996 U.S. Cup
The 1996 U.S. Cup was a United States Soccer Federation organized international football tournament in June 1996. The USSF had hosted the annual U.S. Cup since 1992, except for the World Cup years of 1994 and 1998. The four teams in 1996 were the United States, Mexico, Bolivia, and Ireland...
|-
| 5. || June 22, 1997 || Estadio Félix Capriles
Estadio Félix Capriles
The Estadio Félix Capriles is a multi-purpose stadium in Cochabamba, Bolivia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a maximum capacity of 32,000 people., although it's normal capacity is 27,588. It is the home stadium of Club Jorge Wilstermann and Club Aurora. It is...
, Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
|| || align=center|1–1 || align=center|1–1 || 1997 Copa América
Copa América 1997
Bolivia hosted the Copa América for the second time in its 38th edition. It was held from June 11 to June 29, 1997. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament...
|-
| 6. || December 14, 1997 || King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
|| || align=center|3–0 || align=center|5–0 || 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:7 goals Romário5 goals Vladimír Šmicer4 goals Ronaldo-References:...
|-
| 7. || December 14, 1997 || King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia || || align=center|5–0 || align=center|5–0 || 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 8. || December 16, 1997 || King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia || || align=center|1–1 || align=center|2–3 || 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 9. || February 7, 1998 || Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, United States|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|2–0 || 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|-
| 10. || February 7, 1998 || Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, United States || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–0 || 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
|-
| 11. || June 20, 1998 || Parc Lescure
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Stade Chaban-Delmas is a sporting stadium located in the city of Bordeaux, France. It is the home ground of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.Until 2001, the stadium's name was the Stade du Parc Lescure...
, Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France || || align=center|2–2 || align=center|2–2 || 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
|-
| 12. || July 6, 1999 || Antonio Oddone Sarubbi
Estadio Antonio Oddone Sarubbi
Tte. Cnel. Antonio Oddone Sarubbi, is a football stadium in the city of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. It is the home venue of Club Atletico 3 de Febrero and is named after a former military figure....
, Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of Alto Paraná department, located at the Rio Paraná....
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|3–1 || 1999 Copa América
Copa América 1999
The 1999 Copa América was a football tournament held in Paraguay, from June 29 to July 18, 1999. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament...
|-
| 13. || July 6, 1999 || Antonio Oddone Sarubbi, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–1 || 1999 Copa América
|-
| 14. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca is a stadium in Santa Ursula, Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.The stadium was the venue for football soccer in the 1968 Summer Olympics....
, Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
|| || align=center|1–0 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:...
|-
| 15. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 16. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|4–1 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 17. || July 25, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|5–1 || align=center|5–1 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 18. || August 1, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–0 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 19. || August 4, 1999 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|4–2 || align=center|4–3 || 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
|-
| 20. || January 9, 2000 || Networks Associates Coliseum, Oakland, United States || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–1 || Friendly
|-
| 21. || September 3, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|4–0 || align=center|7–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
The 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, CONCACAF Zone ran from March 2000 to November 2001 in order to determine the three CONCACAF representatives at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. For an overview of the qualification rounds, see 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....
|-
| 22. || September 3, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|7–1 || align=center|7–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 23. || October 8, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|7–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 24. || October 8, 2000 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|7–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 25. || September 2, 2001 || Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
|| || align=center|1–1 || align=center|2–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 26. || September 2, 2001 || Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica || || align=center|2–1 || align=center|2–1 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 27. || September 5, 2001 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 28. || November 11, 2001 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|3–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 29. || November 11, 2001 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 30. || June 3, 2002 || Niigata Stadium, Niigata
Niigata, Niigata
is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....
, Japan || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
|-
| 31. || February 28, 2007 || Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States || || align=center|3–0 || align=center|3–0 || Friendly
|-
| 32. || June 10, 2007 || Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
, East Rutherford
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, United States || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–2 || 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
|-
| 33. || July 8, 2007 || Estadio Monumental de Maturín
Estadio Monumental de Maturín
The Estadio Monumental de Maturín is the largest stadium in Venezuela by seating capacity, with 51,796 spectators. It was one of the venues of the 2007 Copa America...
, Maturín
Maturín
Maturín is a city in Venezuela, the capital of the Venezuelan state of Monagas and a centre for instrumental exploration and development of the petroleum industry in Venezuela. The metropolitan area of Maturín has a population of 401,384 inhabitants...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
|| || align=center|5–0 || align=center|6–0 || 2007 Copa América
|-
| 34. || July 14, 2007 || Estadio Olímpico
Estadio Olímpico (Caracas)
The Estadio Olímpico de la UCV is a multi-purpose stadium in Caracas, Venezuela. It is a multipurpose stadium with a running track used primarily for the practice of football, athletics and rugby, which is part of the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas and as such named a UNESCO World Heritage Site,...
, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela || || align=center|1–1 || align=center|3–1 || 2007 Copa América
|-
| 35. || June 6, 2009 || Estadio Cuscatlán
Estadio Cuscatlán
Monumental Estadio Cuscatlán is a football stadium located in San Salvador, El Salvador. It is the largest stadium in Central America with a capacity of 45,000...
, San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
|| || align=center|1–1 || align=center|1–2 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
The CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
|-
| 36. || September 9, 2009 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|1–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 37. || October 10, 2009 || Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico || || align=center|2–0 || align=center|4–1 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
|-
| 38. || March 17, 2010 || Estadio Corona
Estadio Corona
The Estadio Corona was one of the smallest football stadiums in Mexico having only capacity for 20,100 seats. It was located in the city of Torreón, Coahuila. This sport facility was used mostly for football games and was the home of the club Santos Laguna...
, Torreón
Torreón
Torreón is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2010, the city's population was 608,836 with 639,629 in the municipality. The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila, and Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in adjacent Durango,...
, Mexico || || align=center|1–0 || align=center|2–1 || Friendly
|-
| 39. || June 17, 2010 || Peter Mokaba Stadium
Peter Mokaba Stadium
The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football stadium in Polokwane , South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733. and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League...
, Polokwane
Polokwane
Polokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
|| || align=center|2–0 || align=center|2–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
|}
Celebration
Blanco himself has accepted on Mexican television and to the press that his goal celebration is an imitation of the "Archer" celebration created by former Atletico de MadridAtlético de Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D., commonly known as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish football club based in Madrid who play in La Liga. Atlético have won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey on nine occasions, including a double in 1996; in Europe, they won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962, were...
striker Kiko Narvaez. In a 2005 interview with Mexican newspaper El Universal (Mexico City)
El Universal (Mexico City)
El Universal is a major Mexican newspaper.El Universal was founded by Félix Palavicini and Emilio Rabasa in October 1916, in the city of Santiago de Queretaro to cover the end of the Mexican Revolution and the creation of the new Mexican Constitution...
, Blanco explains that while watching a Spanish league game accompanied by his teammate Germán Villa
Germán Villa
Germán Villa Castañeda is a Mexican football player who currently plays for Querétaro he has two children by the name of German VIla Jr. and America Villa....
, both players agreed to celebrate their next goal by imitating the "Archer" gesture. In the end, only Blanco did it, and jokingly reprimanded Villa for not keeping his word.
However, the Chicago Fire official website claims that Blanco celebrates scoring a goal by acting like the Prehispanic Tlatoani
Tlatoani
Tlatoani is the Nahuatl term for the ruler of an altepetl, a pre-Hispanic state. The word literally means "speaker", but may be translated into English as "king". A is a female ruler, or queen regnant....
Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc
Cuauhtémoc
Cuauhtémoc was the Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521...
, "in order to show respect for the Mexican people, and their indigenous Amerindian heritage".
Cuauhtemiña
Blanco remains remembered for the Cuauhtemiña (also spelled Cuauhteminha), or Blanco Trick, which he performed notably at the 1998 World Cup1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. In the trick, when two or more opposition players are trying to take the ball from him, he traps the ball between his feet and jumps through the defenders- releasing the ball in the air and landing with it under control as he leaves the opposition players behind. The trick is easy to perform but is eye-catching and has been incorporated as a special skill into the FIFA series of football video games.
Career statistics
|-|1992–93||rowspan="5"|América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
||rowspan="8"|Primera División
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
||12||0||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1993–94||4||0||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1994–95||33||6||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1995–96||32||5||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1996–97||27||9||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1997–98||Necaxa||28||13||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1998–99||rowspan="2"|América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
||31||31||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|1999-00||36||20||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="2"|Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||3||0||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||20||3||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="5"|América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
||rowspan="5"|Primera División
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
||36||11||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2003–04||38||20||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2004–05||35||13||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2005–06||28||7||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2006–07||36||13||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
|-
|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
||rowspan="3"|Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire (soccer)
Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top soccer league in the United States and Canada...
||rowspan="3"|Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
||14||4|||||||||||||
|-
|2008
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
||27||7||||||||||
|-
|2009
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
||21||5|||||||||||||
|-
376||143||colspan="2"|-|||||||||
23||3||||||||||||
62||16||||||||||||
437||158||||||||||||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico Mexico national football team The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre... |
1995 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | 11 | 4 | |
| 1997 | 15 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 15 | 3 | |
| 1999 | 19 | 8 | |
| 2000 | 5 | 5 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 9 | |
| 2002 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2010 | 15 | 2 | |
| Total | 121 | 39 | |
Mexico
- FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
(1): 19991999 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:... - CONCACAF Gold CupCONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
(2): 19961996 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the third edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
, 19981998 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
América
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1): 2006CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2006The 2006 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 41st edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region , the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The tournament is also a qualifying event for the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup...
- Primera División de MéxicoPrimera División de MéxicoThe Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
(1): Clausura 2005 - Campeón de CampeonesCampeón de CampeonesCampeón de Campeones was an annual Mexican association football competition -as well as the name of the trophy given to its winner-, initiated in 1942 as a contest between each year's Mexican First Division league winner and its Mexican Cup counterpart, and then reformatted in 2001 as a yearly...
(1): 2005
Irapuato
- Liga de AscensoLiga de AscensoThe Liga de Ascenso is the second professional level of the Mexican football league system. The champion of the competition is promoted to the Primera División de México ....
: Clausura 2011
Individual
FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
Golden Boot: 1999
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:...
FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
Silver Ball: 1999
1999 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:...
Mexican Player of the Year: 2001–2002
Primera División de México
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
MVP: 1997–1998, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007
Primera División de México
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
Top Scorer: Invierno 1998
MLS Best XI
MLS Best XI
The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
: 2008
MLS All-Star Game MVP
Major League Soccer All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
: 2008
MLS All-Star 2008
The 2008 Pepsi Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 13th consecutive MLS All-Star Game. The MLS All-Stars faced West Ham United of the English Premier League. The game was played on July 24, 2008, with the MLS winning 3–2. New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol coached the All-Stars...
MLS Goal of the Year
MLS Goal of the Year Award
In the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Goal of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. It is selected from the season's Goal of the Week Award winners by fans' online vote. Here is a list of the past winners:...
: 2007
Tecate
Tecate
Tecate is a small city in Baja California, Mexico and the municipal seat of Tecate Municipality. It is located on the border with Tecate, California, United States in the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. There is a small port of entry betwixt the sister cities that serves as a calmer...
Athlete of the Year: 2008
Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Premio Nacional del Deporte: 2009
See also
- FIFA Confederations Cup goalscorersFIFA Confederations Cup goalscorersThis article lists each country's goalscorers in the FIFA Confederations Cup.Numbers in green means the player finished as the tournament top scorer .-Overall top goalscorers:9 goals Ronaldinho Cuauhtémoc Blanco7 goals Adriano Romário...
- Retired numbers in association football