Andres Guardado revealed his intent to retire from the Mexican national team after his participation in Qatar 2022, stating “it’s my last dream, my last goal.”
The midfielder has long been a staple of El Tri, serving as a veteran and captain. He’s currently on the verge of making his World Cup appearance for Mexico, after first featuring in the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 editions of the international tournament.
When he and Guillermo Ochoa make Gerardo Martinez’s final roster, the two will be the third and fourth Mexican players to reach five World Cups, alongside legends Antonio Carbajal and Rafael Marquez.
“For me, I play the World Cup and my participation in the National Team ends. It’s my last dream, my last goal, and I also don’t see it as saying, I want to go because I want to play five World Cups. No. For me it is my last chance to get something for my national team,” he said to Rondo Magazine.
He first debuted with El Tri in 2005, working rapidly to make a name for himself while with Liga MX side Atlas to propel a national team career. Guardado began to feature regularly in 2007, securing Concacaf and friendly appearances, but it wasn’t until 2014 that he became a prominent figure on the international stage.
That year, Guardado started all of Mexico’s World Cup matches, earned the captain’s armband and marked 100 appearances for the team. He continues to serve as one of the most experienced in the squad, guiding the younger generation as they plan for Qatar 2022.
“I give you the example of the Olympics at Wembley, they said they would make a fool of themselves and they brought gold. I don’t know if it will last us that long, but I trust that we will be reinforced with everything that moves around, we will convince ourselves that we are capable and we are going to show that when we least trust is when things are achieved”, he concluded.
Mexico drew in Group C, against Argentina, Poland and Saudi Arabia in Qatar 2022 seeing a difficult, but not impossible, road to the Round of 16.
