Mexico are one of the big teams in the 2023 Gold Cup but this time they are going through a difficult situation where a lot of players like Andres Guardado will not be available to play.

Among the favorites in the Gold Cup Mexico shares place with the United States and Canada, but this time they are not considered as favorites as in other editions of the tournament.

Andres Guardado is one of the veterans that was supposed to be available to join Mexico’s squad in the 2023 gold cup, he is playing in Spain in the local league La Liga for Real Betis since 2017.

Why won’t Andres Guardado be present at the 2023 Gold Cup?

It is not the first time that he has missed the Gold Cup, in 2022 it was another occasion where Andres Guardado did not play with the national team, in 2023 he was not called up to play with Mexico and it is likely that he will not return to play in the Gold Cup in upcoming editions.

Mexico has other players who can replace Andres Guardado in the tournament, they will have available several midfielders who play in the local league, Liga MX, such as Orbelin Pineda, Luis Chavez, Uriel Antuna, among others.

Andres Guardado’s career is coming to an end, although he continues to play in a top tier league in Europe, it is likely that after the 2023-2024 season he will return to Mexico to play for a local team or join an MLS team.

Antonio Carbajal was the first player ever with five tournaments(1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966) and Rafael Marquez got that record too(2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018).Lothar Matthäus(1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) was the first player to tieAntonio Carbajalafter decades with that record untouched. In theQatar 2022 World Cup, two spectacular players were added to the list: Lionel Messi(2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022) andCristiano Ronaldo(2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).

The pride of Atlas’academy in Guadalajara had his breakthrough performance againstArgentinaduring the Round of 16 in the2006 World Cupat Leipzig. One year later, he took his first chance in Europe with Deportivo la Coruña. After brief periods with Valencia andBayer Leverkusen, Andres Guardado became one of the best players in the Eredivisie withPSV Eindhoven(2014-2017). He’s played the last five years forReal Betisand was crucial to win the Copa del Rey in 2022.

Why is Andres Guardadonot playing in Mexico vs Saudi Arabia?

Though Andres Guardado left injured the game against Argentina, the midfielder confirmed during a press conference that he was ready to play the final match of Group C with Saudi Arabia. That’s why the decision is entirely tactical by coach Gerardo Martino.

Considering Mexico haven’t scored a goal in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Gerardo Martino changed two players in the midfield to face Saudi Arabia. Andres Guardado and Hector Herrera go to the bench. Edson Alvarez and Orbelin Pineda start. Even after the hit received agastin Argentina,Andres Guardado is available for this game.

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One year later, he took his first chance in Europe with Deportivo la Coruña. After brief periods with Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen, Guardado became one of the best players in the Eredivisie withPSV Eindhoven(2014-2017). He’s played the last five years for Real Betis and was crucial to win the Copa del Rey in 2022.

At 36-years old, this is most definitely his last appearance in a World Cup. After some problems with injuries and the inevitable impact of age, no one knew for sure if he would have minutes with Mexico in Qatar. However, Andres Guardado took the field against Argentina to clinch an amazing record.

Mexico vs Argentina: Andres Guardado got a World Cup record?

Andres Guardado appeared on the starting lineup for Mexico to face Argentina and with that he became only the sixth man ever to play in five different World Cups. Two Mexican players already did it. Antonio Carbajal was the first player ever with five tournaments(1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966) and Rafael Marquez got that record too(2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018).

Lothar Matthäus(1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) was the first player to tie Antonio Carbajal after decades with that record untouched. In the Qatar 2022 World Cup, two spectacular players were added to the list: Lionel Messi(2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022) and Cristiano Ronaldo(2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).

Now, Andres Guardado joins them (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022) emphasizing he has played in all those five tournaments. For example, Guillermo Ochoahas been called with Mexico for firve World Cups, but didn’t play in all of them.

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Now more and more Mexican players are making the jump, some have been massive flops, others have had moderate to great success. The best of the best play in Europe that is why it is important to test oneself in those competitions.

Here is a list of the best Mexican players to play in Europe, past and present, from the legendary Hugo Sánchez to the stars of today like Hirving Lozano. Here are the best players from Mexico to play in Europe.

Luis García

Luis García was a rarity during the 90’s, a Mexican player in Europe and with Atlético Madrid. The Mexican World Cup veteran would play in Spain for 4 years, but his best stint was with Atlético Madrid playing 2 seasons and scoring 28 goals in 58 games.

Néstor Araujo

The defender moved to Celta de Vigo in 2018 and has played over 100 games for the club and has been a rock at the back. Araujo is as cool as they get protecting the backline and has carved out a place as one of the nation’s all-time best exports.

Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela gets an incomplete grade in Europe, his time at Arsenal had him going on loan to various teams until finding his groove at Real Sociedad. At Sociedad, Vela played 7 seasons scoring over 50 goals in over 180 games for the club. Vela would leave Europe for a big money move to MLS.

Hector Moreno

Hector Moreno held firm in Europe, the defender had pit stops in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. Moreno’s best work came manding the backline for Espanyol from 2011-2015.

Francisco Rodriguez

A tough defender who had a good run at PSV and VfB Stuttgart, Francisco Rodriguez played in Europe a total of 5 seasons. Playing well for the most part.

Gerardo Torrado

The tough defensive midfielder played a lot of his career in Europe with stops at Tenerife, Poli Ejido, Sevilla, and Racing Santander. Gerardo Torrado was as tough as they came and had a reputation for going in hard.

Guillermo Ochoa

Guillermo Ochoa’s best stuff was while he played in France for Ajaccio, the netminder also had a good stint at Standard Liège, before returning to Mexico to play for Club America.

Hector Herrera

The midfielder has played very well at FC Porto and has been a helping hand at Atlético Madrid. Hector Herrera can brag that he has won silverware as well winning 4 titles in his European journey.

Jesús Corona

The talented winger is manding the midfield at FC Porto after coming up in the Netherlands with Twente. Jesús Corona has played over 190 games for Porto and has won 5 titles at the club.

Raul Jimenez

Current El Tri forward Raul Jimenez is the best Mexican player to ever have played in the Premier League. He gets regular 90-minute games and finds the back of the next at Wolverhampton Wanderers consistently.

Hirving Lozano

The Napoli forward is among the best Mexican soccer players of all-time, and one of the best to ever make the move to Europe. Hirving Lozano has played very well at Napoli after coming to light at PSV. He won 1 title with each club so far.

Javier Hernández

While never truly exploding and becoming world class, Javier Hernández did have a great spell in Europe, he was a go-to bench man at Manchester United, a talented goal scorer at Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham United. His stint at Sevilla is forgettable, but Chicharito did win 5 titles and can boast saying he played at Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Andrés Guardado

A great utility player, Andrés Guardado always found a home in Europe and has had stops at Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV, and now Real Betis. Spain is where he has shined the most playing in over 250 games and winning 5 titles in his European career.

Rafael Marquez

Rafael Marquez played in one of the most dominant soccer teams of all-time at Barcelona, and while at Barca he was humble and hard working. Before his move to Barcelona, Marquez won two titles with Monaco and with the Catalan giants would win 12 titles, including two Champions Leagues. Marquez played 242 games at Barca. Marquez would later have a huge attitude problem in MLS and went to play in Mexico and had a uneventful stint in Serie A.

Hugo Sánchez

El Hugo or El Gran Hugo Sánchez, the greatest Mexican soccer player of all-time and greatest export of all-time. Hugo Sánchez was a goal machine at Real Madrid, playing seven seasons and scoring 208 goals in 243 games. Hugo Sánchez began his European career with Atlético Madrid, after Real Madrid he played for Rayo Vallecano and FC Linz in Austria. Sánchez was the Spanish leading goal scorer a record 5 times and won 12 titles in his European career.

Andrés Guardado is the captain and one of the most experienced players of Mexico. However, the Real Betis midfielder isn’t part of the Mexico roster for the Gold Cup as he suffered an injury just weeks before the start of the competition.

After receiving the results of the medical tests, head coach Tata Martino decided that Guardado wasn’t going to take action in the current Gold Cup. He decided to call Erick Sánchez of Pachuca to replace him. Here, check out why Guardado is out of the Gold Cup.

Why isn’t Andrés Guardado playing for Mexico in the Gold Cup 2021?

Guardado was in camp with Mexico in Los Angeles ahead of their friendly match against Nigeria on July 3. However, he suffered a muscle tear injury. The Real Betis midfielder will be out of action for a month, and he’s even in doubt for the start of the Spanish league.

That’s why Tata Martino decided to call Erick Sánchez to join the squad. The Pachuca player started 17 games in the Torneo Clausura of Mexico and scored four goals. He’s been with the national team before and Martino knows him well.

Despite Guardado not being in the squad, Mexico still has a strong midfield with experienced players such as : La Galaxy’s Jonathan dos Santos, Atlético de Madrid’s Héctor Herrera, PSV Erick Gutiérrez or Jesús Gallardo of Monterrey.

Originally scheduled forJuly 2toJuly 25,2021, the internationalsoccertournamentwill take place fromJuly 10toAugust 1. The defending champions areMexico. The CONCACAF Gold Cup will be played for the first time with the video assistant (VAR) system.

The Gold Cupwill be held at 11 stadiums across eight metropolitan areas of the United Statesthis summer. Itis a major part of Concacaf’s 60th-anniversary celebration. The final match will be held on Sunday, August 1, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Gold Cup 2021: Who are the most capped players in Gold Cup history?

No doubt, Landon Donovan is the most capped player in Gold Cup history. The United States national hero played 34 matches in the competition in 6 different editions. He managed to winfour Gold Cups, ended up a runner-up once, and took third place on one occasion. In addition, he is also the all-time leading goalscorerin the Concacaf Gold Cup with a total of 18 goals.

He has left behind Panama duo Gabriel Gomez andJaime Penedo.They are the only two active Panamanian starson the list at the moment,but they have not been called up for the 2021 Gold Cup. As a result, the two of themwill not be able to make any changes to the top 10 list of the all-time most capped players in the Gold Cup.

Interestingly, the Panama team can boast of having even five players in the top 10 list, the largest number of all. Next up is the US men’s soccer squad with four players.The only one who will be present in the 2021 Gold Cup is Andres Guardado of Mexico, who is currently sitting inthe sixth position with 24 games so far. If El Tri reaches the Final,and he plays all the matches, he will have the possibility of reaching 30 appearances and thus,climb to the thirdposition in the historical table.

At the moment, Gerardo Martino can rely on a significant amount of players that perform in Europe, which is considered to involve the best teams and footballers in the world. Well, Mexico have some of their own featuring in that level.

El Tricolor arguably is the most powerful side in the region at the moment, and that’s partly because ofhaving a bunch of their players taking part in Europe’s prime competitions. Here, check out the best Mexican players in those teams.

Andrés Guardado -(Real Betis)

To begin with, we start with the iconic midfielder and captain from El Tricolor. One of the most experienced in thesquad, Guardado has been afigureof the Mexico national team for a long time due to his leadership skills and the talent that enabled him to perform in Europe since 2007.

He amassed 143 games playing for Deportivo La Coruna before moving to Valencia, then had a short spell in Bayer Leverkusen, and after that PSV signed him. Guardado is currently playing his fourth season for Real Betis, where he earned an important place as well with his experience.

The 34-year-old played a huge part for El Tricolor in his career. He took part in four FIFA World Cups – 2006, 2010,2014, and 2018 – and lifted three Concacaf Gold Cup trophies. Guardado is the second player with most appearances for Mexico with 163 games, below Claudio Suárez who has 177.

Hirving Lozano – (Napoli)

‘Chucky’ Lozano is probably the most exciting Mexican player at the moment. It didn’t take too long for him to jump intoprofessional soccer, as he made his first appearance at Pachuca with only 18 years of age. Almost four years later, PSV signed him.

Lozano was up to the challenge with the Dutch side, being the team’s leading goalscorer in his two-year stint. Napoli meant another huge step in his career, in the most expensive transfer in history for a Mexican player – tied with Raúl Jiménez. And he didn’t let the Italians down, as he madehis way to being recognized as one of the best wingers in Serie A.

With El Tricolor, he took part in the 2018 World Cup, in which his goal against Germany in the first gamecleared the path for Mexico to progress to the following stage.

Diego Lainez – (Real Betis)

Lainez is a young, promising talent that Real Betis have in their squad withhigh hopes for his future. The 20-year-old is expected to be one of the greatest players, not only forMexico but in the world as well, as overthe last yearsmany newspapers ranked him among the best youth talents.

He already was called up for Mexico’s senior squad playing a part in International Friendlies. Lainezstill is developing as a soccer player onthe big stage, but he has a bright future ahead.

Raúl Jiménez – (Wolverhampton)

The Wolverhampton striker earned recognition as one of the best offensive players in the entire Premier League. He is, alongside the likes of Lozano and Guardado, one of the greatestMexican players at the moment.

Atlético de Madrid were the first oneto bring him to Europeafter he became unstoppable in Liga MX playing for América. Even though that move didn’t turn out well, from then on Jiménez wentonrisingin soccer’s elite level. He bounced back in Benfica, before making a permanent move to Wolverhampton. Jiménez was the top scorer and named MVP ofthe English side in two consecutive seasons – 2018/19 and 2019/20.

He and Hirving Lozano share the record for the most expensive transfers for a Mexican player in history. Moreover, Jiménez tasted success in the 2012 Olympic Games with the Mexico national teamU-23’s, played in the 2018 World Cup, and lifted the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Jesús ManuelCorona – (Porto)

The winger movedto Europe shortly after making his first steps in Monterrey. Corona played for Twente for three seasons before calling the attention of Portuguese giants Porto, where he established himself as a great player.

Corona saw first-team actionfrom the very beginning with that sideand went on to spend many years with them in a successful stint which included five domestic titles. He already featured for more than 200matches thereand was namedbest player of the Liga NOS 2019/20 season.

Edson Álvarez – (Ajax)

Mexico have a good piece at the back in Edson Álvarez. Heperforms for Dutch giants Ajax, whosigned him for around $17million in 2019. Asides from being a solid central-back, Álvarez can also be a good option for the right-back or even may perform asa defensive midfielder.

He already played important tournaments with El Tricolor, such as the 2018 Russia World Cup, and two Concacaf Gold Cups, including the successfulcampaign in 2019 when they claimed the title.

Héctor Herrera – (Atlético de Madrid)

The midfielder was also part of the Mexican squad that claimed the gold medal in London 2012, and he built an impressive career to remain for many years in top European teams.

He arrived at Porto for the 2013/14 season and stayed with them for six years, in which he played an amazing amount of253 matches. He left in 2019 to a big Spanish side like Atlético de Madrid, where he still performs, being one of the Mexicans that are currently in a world-class side.