Highlights: the best moments of Rafa Marquez in Barcelona

The legend of Mexican soccer, Rafael Márquez Álvarez, is currently 42 years old, who has managed to get along very well and which they have accompanied with a career full of successes in the world of soccer. In 1979, Zamora, Michoacán saw the birth of one of the greatest figures of Mexican football and a reference for various teams around the world such as Atlas, Monaco, Barcelona, among others, in addition to the Mexican team.

Rafa Marquez began his successful career at Atlas in 1996, but it was until 2000 that the titles came into his life, after winning Ligue 1 with Monaco. For 2003, the French league was too small for the Kaiser and he started his way to Barcelona, where he won absolutely everything and consolidated himself as one of the best defenders in the world.

It was in Barcelona where Rafa Marquez wrote his great history within the sport. In the Catalunia team, he knew how to play 163 games, in which he scored 9 goals. During his time in Spain, he was crowned champion 12 times, with 4 league titles, and 2 UEFA Champions League as some of the most valuable trophies he has ever raised. In fact, he became the first Mexican to win the tournament of European champions.

In 2010 he left Barcelona, and after a brief stint in the MLS with the New York Red Bulls, he returned to the MX League to win the Bicampeonato with the León. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil gave him the opportunity to return to the Old Continent with Hellas Verona, but a year later he returned to Mexico to hang up his boots with the Atlas, the team that saw him born as a professional footballer.

The career with the Mexican National Team was also full of successes, Rafa played five World Cups (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018) four of them with the captain's badge. In terms of achievements, he won the Gold Cup twice and the Confederations Cup once; in addition to a runner-up in the 2001 Copa América in Colombia.

Rafa Márquez: Teams he played for

1996–1999 Atlas 77 appeareances with 6 goals

1999–2003 Monaco 89 appeareances with 5 goals

2003–2010 Barcelona 163 appeareances with 9 goals

2010–2012 New York Red Bulls 44 appeareances with 1 goal

2012–2014 León 50 appeareances with 1 goal

2014–2015 Hellas Verona 35 appeareances without goals

2016–2018 Atlas 58 appeareances with 1 goal

Total: 516 appeareances with 23 goals

Rafa Márquez: Tournaments that he won

- Monaco

Ligue 1: 1999–2000

Coupe de la Ligue: 2002–03

- Barcelona

La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10

Copa del Rey: 2008–09

Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009

UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09

UEFA Super Cup: 2009

FIFA Club World Cup: 2009

- León

Liga MX: Apertura 2013, Clausura 2014

- Mexico National Team

FIFA Confederations Cup: 1999

CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2003, 2011

CONCACAF Cup: 2015

Rafa Marquez: How many games does he play with his National Team?

Rafa Márquez was summoned for the first time to the Mexico National Team in 1997, something that has happened uninterruptedly until 2018. Since then, he has played 147 games, in which he converted a total of 17 games.

Rafa Marquez: Highlights