Rafael Márquez: An Icon of Mexican Soccer

There is not a single player who wears the Mexican national team jersey that does not respect El Patrón. Even the coaches ask him for advice. The younger generations remember his triumphs with Barcelona and his commanding performances with the national team. That's why they applaud his vision on the field, his precise passes, and his impeccable marking, which the years have inevitably slowed down.

Time takes its toll, and Rafael has not escaped it. Since 2015, he has suffered eight injuries, although there are also records of other important ones in previous years. However, the last few years have marked a constant, and it seems unlikely that at 39 years old, he will be at a hundred percent for the World Cup in Russia. Although, of course, his still outstanding qualities would be a great contribution to the team led by Juan Carlos Osorio.

In 2009, he damaged the external meniscus of his left knee. In August of that same year, he was unable to participate in the Hexagonal match against the United States, which took place at the Azteca Stadium.

In January 2013, the defender suffered a muscle strain in his left leg during León's debut in the Copa Libertadores against Deportes Iquique from Chile. In the Liga MX, in the Clausura 2013, he did not play against Chivas or Puebla. Those are just a few examples.

In March 2015, he missed two preparation matches with the national team against Ecuador and Paraguay. He aggravated his knee injury during a practice with Hellas Verona, causing him to miss the 26th round of the Italian Serie A. That same year, the then coach of the national team, Miguel Herrera, chose Rafa as his leader for the Copa America in Chile. It was a team with several players who were not regulars in the national team, so his experience and leadership were needed.

In the first match of the group stage against Bolivia, he suffered a muscular injury in the anterior thigh of his left leg. He missed the last two matches against Chile and Ecuador.

On September 21st, he caused alarm once again, as he was forced to retire from the match against Atalanta in the 70th minute due to a strain in his right thigh. It was believed that he would not be available for the next match against the United States, a match that determined qualification for the Confederations Cup in Russia. However, he recovered and started the game.

In early November, he was substituted in the match between Verona and Carpi in the 59th minute due to a strain in his right abductor. As a result, he could not participate in Juan Carlos Osorio's debut as the national team coach against El Salvador and Honduras.

In the second round of the Clausura 2016, in a match between Atlas and América, Rafa left the field due to a muscular injury in the posterior thigh of his left leg. As a result, he missed two rounds (against Monterrey and Pumas).

In March 2016, Juan Carlos Osorio called him up to face Canada twice in a row in the qualification for the 2018 World Cup. He played 45 minutes as the captain in Vancouver but was substituted due to a strain in his left abductor.

In February 2017, Mexico played a friendly against Iceland in Las Vegas, and Márquez Álvarez was substituted in the 53rd minute due to a strain in his right posterior thigh. Because of this, he missed the clásico tapatío against Guadalajara.

Furthermore, he also suffered from lumbar pain that required surgery, which worsened after the match between the Mexican national team and Costa Rica at the Azteca Stadium last month. In fact, Rafa did not travel to Trinidad and Tobago for the subsequent match. After the operation, a recovery time of six weeks is estimated. It seems very unlikely that he will be risked in the Confederations Cup or Gold Cup.