Mexico’s most-capped player, Andres Guardado, announced on Thursday that he will retire from football at the season’s conclusion.
This could occur as soon as Sunday if the former Valencia star is unable to guide Leon to the Mexican top flight’s postseason playoffs. At 38, Guardado has participated in five World Cups and was instrumental in Mexico’s triumphs at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2011, 2015, and 2019. His final appearance for his country came during last month’s friendly against the U.S., where he received an emotional send-off after being substituted in the first half. “Here I am, on the pitch of the Leon stadium, where I want to publicly announce my decision to retire from football after 19 years and conclude my professional career at the end of this season,” he declared during a live Instagram broadcast. Born in Guadalajara, Guardado has also played for PSV Eindhoven, Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Betis. He stated that he would continue playing until Leon’s journey in the Apertura tournament reaches its conclusion.
Leon are striving for a place in Mexico’s ‘Play-In’, a competition that will decide which teams advance to join the top six in the postseason. “We still have a faint hope of competing in the Play-In. Let’s hope it materialises, but if not, Sunday will mark my final match as a professional,” he stated. “I depart with gratitude and immense pride for all that I have accomplished, and for having realised my dream.” Guardado’s career began at Atlas before he transferred to Deportivo La Coruna in Spain.
He played a pivotal role in Real Betis’s Copa del Rey victory in 2022 and was a key player in PSV Eindhoven’s consecutive Dutch league triumphs from 2014 to 2016. Guardado mentioned his intention to remain involved in football after retiring, with reports suggesting he will join Javier Aguirre’s coaching team for the national side.
