The Mexican defender Rafael Márquez made history on Sunday by playing in his fifth World Cup when he took the field in his team's match against Germany in Russia 2018, a competition that will end his career of over 20 years.
The 39-year-old defender entered the game in the 73rd minute as a replacement for Andrés Guardado, becoming the fourth player - and the second from Mexico - to play in five World Cups.
Márquez matched the record of World Cup appearances held by Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal (Brazil 1950, Switzerland 1954, Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, and England 1966), German midfielder Lothar Matthäus (Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, Italy 1990, United States 1994, and France 1998), and Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014).
Márquez, who was linked to the drug trafficker Raúl Flores Hernández in August 2017, made his debut with the Mexican national team in February 1997 in a friendly match against Ecuador that Mexico won 3-1.
At the club level, he ended his career on April 28 in the final match of the Clausura local tournament, where his team Atlas drew 0-0 against Pachuca.
Márquez started his career in 1996 with Atlas. In Europe, he played for Monaco in France and Barcelona in Spain, winning the domestic league title four times and the UEFA Champions League in 2006 and 2009. He also played in the United States with the New York Red Bulls from 2010 to 2012.
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