Menu
Home Explore People Places Arts History Plants & Animals Science Life & Culture Technology
On this page
Mexican Football Federation
Governing body of association football in Mexico

The Mexican Football Federation , abbreviated as FMF is the official governing body of football in Mexico. It administers the men's and women's national teams with all its youth teams, the national teams of futsal and beach soccer, Liga MX with all its professional divisions, all affiliated amateur sectors, and controls promoting, organizing, directing, expanding, and supervising competitive football in Mexico.

The FMF was established on 23 August 1927 to replace the Federación Central de Fútbol and its first president was Humberto Garza Ramos. It is an affiliate member of FIFA since 1929 and one of the founding members of CONCACAF since 1961. Subject to policies, statutes, objectives and ideals of those international governing bodies. Its headquarters are located in Toluca, State of Mexico.

We don't have any images related to Mexican Football Federation yet.
We don't have any YouTube videos related to Mexican Football Federation yet.
We don't have any PDF documents related to Mexican Football Federation yet.
We don't have any Books related to Mexican Football Federation yet.

History

In 1919, the Mexican amateur league was divided into two leagues (Liga Mexicana and Liga Nacional). Due to the expulsion of Tigres México shortly before the start of the season, Real Club España and España Veracruz withdrew in solidarity and founded their own league. The separation of the leagues took place in the 1920–21 season. After only two seasons, in 1922 under the president Ulises Garza Ramos, the two leagues were unified to found the Federación Mexicana de Football Asociación and creating the Campeonato de Primera Fuerza which was the highest level of Mexican football at that time. The following year it was renamed Federación Central de Fútbol due to its greater national influence, and it was its members who promoted the creation of Mexico's first national team.

Finally in 1927 the current Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación was reorganized and established. The Federation was renewed by the clubs: Club México, RC España, Necaxa, América, Asturias, Aurrerá and Germania, with the president Humberto Garza Ramos, the general secretary Juan B. Orraca and the treasurer Manuel Alonso who registered and affiliated the FMF with FIFA in 1929. The first national championship endorsed and organized by the new FMF was held in the 1927–28 season still in the considered league's amateur era until 1942.

The Federation has three operational centres: the Central Office, the High Performance Centre (Centro de Alto Rendimiento, CAR) and the Training Centre (Centro de Capacitación, CECAP).

Structure

The governing body of the Federation is the General Assembly that conforms with the participation of the Liga MX with 55% of the votes; Liga de Expansión MX with 5%; Liga Premier, with 18%; Liga TDP, with 13%, and the Amateur sector, with 9%. The executive and administrative body is the National Council, which comprises five members, one from each of the divisions mentioned, and are elected every four years.2

Association staff

NamePositionSource
Mikel ArriolaPresident Commissioner34
Ivar SisniegaExecutive President
Lorena Mac FarlandChief of Staff
Iñigo RiestraChief Legal Officer
Luis PalmaChief Operations Officer5
Leonardo ValdezDirector of Human Capital
Luis CantúDirector of IT
Lucía MijaresTechnical Director6
José RomanoSales Manager
Duilio DavinoSports Director of National Teams (men's)
Andrea RodebaughSports Director of National Team (women's)
Arturo VillanuevaOperational Director of National Teams
Víctor Manuel AguadoDirector of Institutional Services
Andrés LilliniCoordinator of Youth National Teams
Jorge Christian TelloScouting Coordinator
Martí MataboschSports Science Coordinator
Javier AguirreHead coach (men's)7
Pedro LópezHead coach (women's)8
Edgar MartínezMedia/communications Manager9
Juan Manuel HerreroDirector of the Referees Committee
Enrique OssesTechnical Director of the Referees Department10
Benito Armando ArchundiaDirector of Referee Delegations and Mentoring11

Source: FMF

National teams

Mexico national team

Main article: Mexico national football team

The first Mexican national team was established in 1923, its first match was that same year with a victory against Guatemala and its first international participation was in the 1928 Olympic Football Tournament in Amsterdam. The national team has participated in the FIFA World Cup 17 times, the first participation was in the first edition in Uruguay 1930 playing the opening match against France. The best participations are reaching the quarterfinals (1970 and 1986) both as hosts.

The first senior titles achieved by the national team were in the football tournament in the multi-sport event of the Central American and Caribbean Games, winning two gold medals (1935 and 1938).

The first official senior titles achieved by the national team were in the NAFC Championship, winning both editions (1947 and 1949).

After the merger of the NAFC and CCCF, Mexico was one of the founding members of CONCACAF in 1961, winning its first title in the new North American confederation in the 1965 CONCACAF Championship.

Mexico is also the only non-UEFA or CONMEBOL member national team to win an official senior title organized by FIFA, winning the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup at home, after defeating Brazil 4–3 in the final.

The honours of the senior national team consists of 16 official titles: 1 FIFA Confederations Cup, 12 CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup, 1 CONCACAF Cup and 2 NAFC Championship.

Mexico women's national team

Main article: Mexico women's national football team

The first women's national team was originally established in 1963, but its first FIFA-recognized match was in 1991. Its first match was in 1970 with a victory against Austria, although its first FIFA-recognized match was in the 1991 CONCACAF Women's Championship against USA. The women's national team has participated in the FIFA Women's World Cup 3 times, the first participation was in USA 1999.

The first senior titles achieved by the women's national team were in the football tournament in the Central American and Caribbean Games, winning three gold medals (2014, 2018 and 2023). They also won the gold medal in the 2023 Pan American Games.

Mexico olympic team

Main article: Mexico national under-23 football team

The under-23 team/olympic team, is an intermediate category between the senior team and the youth teams. Implemented by FIFA since 1992 to participate in the Olympic Football Tournament to replace amateur teams.

The under-23 team won the gold medal in the 2012 Olympic Football Tournament in London and bronze medal in the 2020 Olympic Football Tournament in Tokyo.

Men's youth teams

The under-20 team has participated in the FIFA U-20 World Cup 17 times and were world runners-up in 1977 and third place in 2011.

The under-17 team has participated in the FIFA U-17 World Cup 15 times and were two-time world champions (2005 and 2011) and two-time world runners-up (2013 and 2019).

Women's youth teams

The women's under-20 team has participated in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 10 times, the best participations are reaching the quarterfinals (2010, 2012 and 2022).

The women's under-17 team has participated in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 7 times and were world runners-up in 2018.

Professional divisions

The Mexican football is composed of four men's professional divisions:

The first professional women's league in the country was the Liga MX Femenil, the top level of women's football in Mexico.

  • Liga MX Femenil: Founded in 2016, first season in 2017
  • Liga TDP Femenil: Founded in 2024

Competitions

Men's competitions

Top division

Promotion divisions

Reserves and academy

  • Torneo de Filiales de la Liga Premier2
  • Torneo de Filiales de la Liga TDP2
  • Liga MX Sub-23
  • Liga MX Sub-19
  • Liga MX Sub-17
  • Liga MX Sub-15
  • Torneo Internacional de Fuerzas Básicas3

Women's competitions

Discontinued competitions

  • Copa MX (1942–1976, 1987–1992, 1994–1997, 2012–2020)
  • Supercopa MX (2014–2019)
  • Pre-Libertadores tournament4 (1998–2003)
  • InterLiga4 (2004–2010)
  • Ascenso MX (1994–2020)
  • Campeón de Ascenso (1997–2019)
  • Copa de la Segunda División de México (1950–1972, 1995–96, 2013–2015)
  • Copa de Campeones Segunda División de México (2014)
  • Copa MX Femenil (2017)
  • Liga MX Sub-20 (2009–2023)
  • Liga MX Sub-18 (2021–2024)
  • Liga MX Sub-16 (2021–2024)
  • Liga MX Sub-14 (2022–2024)
  • Liga MX Sub-13 (2012–2019)
Notes
  1. Trophy contested only when a club automatically wins the Campeón de Campeones for winning both tournaments of the season (Apertura and Clausura).
  2. Reserves tournaments played by teams known as "filiales".
  3. International academy tournament with under-15 teams (2014–2019) and under-17 teams (2022–present).
  4. Qualifying tournaments for Mexican clubs for the Copa Libertadores.

Criticism

Multi-team ownership issue

The issue of multi-team ownership has been a highly debated one within the owners of the professional football clubs and the Femexfut. Of 33 clubs in the top two tiers, about a quarter of the teams are owned by three groups: Grupo Pachuca (Pachuca, León), Grupo Caliente (Tijuana, Querétaro, Dorados de Sinaloa) and Grupo Orlegi (Santos Laguna, Atlas). Of those groups that own more than one team, that ownership is usually split between the top two tiers of the league and act as a form of player development.12

In May 2013, the Liga MX club owners approved banning a person or company from owning more than one team. The issue came to fore when rumor was that Carlos Slim, whose telecommunications company América Móvil owns a 30% stake in Grupo Pachuca,13 sought to acquire Guadalajara; he would refute the speculation. The ban applied to future acquisitions, not the then current team ownership, and did not require the sale of teams in excess of the one team limitation.14

The issue reemerged in November 2013 when TV Azteca, owner of Monarcas Morelia, paid out 124 shareholders of Club Atlas US$50 million to acquire the club, which for years had been struggling financially.15

2026 World Cup Bid

Main article: United 2026 FIFA World Cup bid

In September 2012, former Federación President Justino Compeán confirmed plans to bid.16 On 4 March 2016, Federación President Decio De Maria announced continued interest after the new FIFA president Gianni Infantino was elected in the wake of the Garcia Report corruption scandal.17 In April 2017, the Federación, with Canada and the United States, announced a joint bid to host the World Cup. It was awarded on 13 June 2018; 134 votes versus the Morocco bid by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation with 65 votes. Mexico will host 10 matches, Canada 3 matches, and the United States 60 matches in 10 cities including the final. The shortlist of match cities was selected in June 2022: Guadalajara, Mexico City, & Monterrey.

Presidents

Official Federation18

Federación Mexicana de Fútbol
PeriodPresident
1927–1928Humberto Garza Ramos
1928–1929Enrique Gavaldá
1930–1933Jesús Salgado
1933–1937Germán Núñez Cortina
1937–1941Carlos Garcés
1941–1943Manuel Galán
1943–1945Enrique Chávez Peón
1945–1947Sebastián Martínez
1948Ernesto Casillas
1949–1950José Luis Canal
1950–1952José Luis Barros Sierra
1952–1954Pedro Pons
1954–1956Salvador Guarneros
1956–1958Ignacio Gómez Urquiza
1958–1960Moisés Estrada
1960–1970Guillermo Cañedo de la Bárcena
1970–1974José Luis Pérez Noriega
1974Alfonso Estrada
1974Carlos Laviada
1974–1978Juan de Dios de la Torre
1978–1980Guillermo Aguilar Álvarez Mazarrasa
1980–1988Rafael del Castillo
1988Rafael Castellanos
1988–1989Marcelino García Paniagua
1989–1990Jesús Reynoso
1990–1993Francisco Ibarra García de Quevedo
1993–1994Marcelino García Paniagua
1994–1998Juan José Leaño
1998Raúl Borja Navarrete
1998–2000Enrique Borja
2000–2006Alberto de la Torre Bouvet
2006–2015Justino Compeán Palacios
2015–2018Decio de María Serrano
2018–2023Yon de Luisa Plazas
2023–2024Juan Carlos Rodríguez Bas
2024–presentMikel Arriola

Defunct Federation

Federación de Football Asociación
PeriodPresident
1922–1923Ulises García Ramos

See also

19°25′04″N 99°10′12″W / 19.41779°N 99.169887°W / 19.41779; -99.169887

References

  1. fmf.mx https://fmf.mx/

  2. "Introduccion, femexfut" [femexfut introducción] (in Spanish). Femexfut. Retrieved November 10, 2010. http://www.femexfut.org.mx/portalv2/secciones.aspx?s=966&m=15#top

  3. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/associations/MEX

  4. "MEXICO". Concacaf. 2021-03-07. Retrieved 2021-06-17. https://www.concacaf.com/inside-concacaf/member-associations/mexico/

  5. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/associations/MEX

  6. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811011814/https://www.fifa.com/associations/association/mex/about

  7. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/associations/MEX

  8. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/associations/MEX

  9. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/associations/MEX

  10. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/associations/MEX

  11. FIFA.com. "Member Association - Mexico". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023. https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/associations/MEX

  12. Marshal, Tom. "Multi-club ownership causing headaches". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 7 February 2014. https://sports.yahoo.com/news/tom-marshall-multi-club-ownership-050000779--sow.html

  13. Harrison, Crayton. "Billionaire Slim Buys 30% Stakes In Mexico Soccer Teams". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20140222160813/http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-31/america-movil-acquires-30-stakes-in-two-mexican-soccer-teams.html

  14. "Mexican club owners move against multi-team ownership". Goal.com. Retrieved 22 May 2013. http://www.goal.com/en-ke/news/4631/soccerex/2013/05/22/3996373/mexican-club-owners-move-against-multi-team-ownership

  15. "Multi-Ownership Is Back; TV Azteca Buys Atlas". soccerly. Archived from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140325112218/http://soccerly.com/article/jonnyrico/multiownership-is-back-tv-azteca-buys-atlas

  16. "Mexico to bid for 2026 World Cup". ESPN, Press Association. 21 September 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20120924035912/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1166753/mexico-to-challenge-u.s.-in-2026-world-cup-bid?cc=5901

  17. "Mexico wants to host 2026 World Cup as first nation to stage three editions". ESPN, Press Association. 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20120924035912/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1166753/mexico-to-challenge-u.s.-in-2026-world-cup-bid?cc=5901

  18. "Historia". FMF (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 February 2025. https://fmf.mx/historia