Mexico will be heading to Qatar in November to play in their 17th World Cup. The national have taken part in the last seven World Cups and have always gotten past the group stage but never gone beyond the Round of 16.
Mexico's farthest finish in the World Cup came in 1970 and 1986 when they managed to reach the quarter-finals. Mexico is arguably the most successful North American team in history.
The country has a rich history of players that have made a significant impact on the global stage. These players began their careers in Mexico but some ventured into Europe and played at some of the biggest clubs in football. We look at three top goalscorers to have played for the Mexican national team.
#3 Cuauhtémoc Blanco - 39 goals
Cuauhtémoc Blanco made 120 appearances for Mexico during his career and won two Gold Cups along with a Confederations Cup in 1999. He spent most of his career playing for Club América, winning multiple titles with the club. Blanco also spent two years with Spanish side Real Valladolid between 2000 and 2002.
The Mexican forward was a physical and aggressive striker who was clinical in front of goal. His character and the way he presented himself made him a larger-than-life figure for the Mexican people.
Blanco's immense popularity helped him transition into a career in politics post-retirement. If Blanco was fit, then the national team always felt they had a chance to win their game, and that is how important he was to the team.
#2 Jared Borgetti - 46 goals
Jared Borgetti made 89 appearances for Mexico during his career and won the Gold Cup with the team in 2003. He spent the majority of his career at the Mexican team Santos Laguna, where he won the Mexican Primeira Division in 1996 and 2001.
Borgetti spent a season at Bolton Wanderers from 2005 to 2006 and went on to play for seven more clubs, never spending more than a year at each team.
The Mexican forward is the all-time top scorer for Santos Laguna, having scored 205 goals, and like Blanco, he chose to stay in his country.
As a player, he was known for his ability to head the ball and was dangerous from set pieces. Following his retirement, Borgetti has worked as a pundit for ESPN Mexico.
#1 Javier Hernández - 52 goals
Javier Hernández, or Chicharito as he is more commonly known, has made 109 appearances for Mexico. He won the Gold Cup in 2011 and the CONCACAF Cup in 2015 with the national team, and is arguably, the country's best player ever.
Chicharito began his career at Guadalajara before Manchester United signed him in 2010.
Under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson, Hernández won the Premier League twice and was a constant menace in the opposition box. As a short striker, his low center of gravity meant that he could turn within the box and catch opponents off balance.
Combined with his clinical finishing, Chicharito scored plenty of goals during his career.
The Mexico international went on to spend a season at Real Madrid and played for Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, and Sevilla. He made his return to North America in 2020, signing for Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS.
Chicharito could make the squad for the World Cup and is also a professional gamer playing Call of Duty for Complexity Gaming.