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Who is Rafael Marquez?
Rafael Marquez, the best defender in Mexican history and possibly the best player to ever play for his country, is also one of the most successful football players of all time. Rafael Marquez has won over 25 trophies during his 23-year professional career.
In addition, with 147 appearances, he is Mexico’s third most capped player.
As a result, it is only natural that so many people are curious about this 41-year-old, $25 million man.
So join us as we tell you about Marquez’s complete life narrative, from his childhood through his golden days and eventual retirement.
Aside from that, there is a wealth of other information to whet your appetite.
Rafael Marquez | Wikimedia Commons
Rafael Marquez Alvarez is the son of Rafael Marquez Esqueda and Rosa Maria Alvarez.
He was also born and reared in Zamora, Michoacan.
Aside from that, Rafael appears to be his parents’ sole child.
In his youth, he played for several youth teams until joining Atlas’ youth team at the age of 14.
He would later make his professional debut with Atlas’ senior team in the Primera Division (now Liga MX).
Rafael Marquez | Career, Teams, and Accomplishments
When it comes to Marquez’s career, nothing short of exceptional can be said.
Rafael, for example, made his professional debut for Atlas at the age of 17.
After three years there, he signed for the French club Monaco for $6 million in 1999.
Marquez went on to have four successful seasons in Monaco, winning the Ligue 1.
In 1999-2000, he was also named to the Ligue 1 squad of the year.
Barcelona swooped in and signed the Mexican international for an undisclosed amount as a result.
Rafael went on to make 163 appearances for the Catalan club, scoring nine goals in the process.
However, it is his prize haul over his seven years at Barcelona that is outstanding, not his goals.
Marquez, for example, has four La Liga titles, three Supercopa de Espana titles, and one each of the UEFA Super Cup, Copa del Rey, and FIFA Club World Cup.
The 41-year-most old’s cherished success, however, has to be winning the UEFA Champions League twice.
So, after having a fantastic time in Barcelona, Rafael chose to relocate to the United States to play for the New York Red Bulls.
He stayed there for two years before returning to his own country, Mexico, to play for Leon.
Marquez then played for Hellas Verona in the Seria A for the 2014-15 season.
Rafael, however, only stayed in Italy for a year before returning to Atlas, the club where he began his professional career.
As a result, after a long and successful career, Marquez decided to retire in 2018.
Rafael participated in 504 games and scored 23 goals over his 22-year career.
In addition, the 41-year-old earned an incredible 21 prizes over that time span.
International
Marques is the best defender in Mexican national team history.
As a result, the 41-year-old has made 147 appearances for his country.
As a result, he has the third most caps in El Tri’s history.
Marquez captained his country for 16 years.
Rafael debuted in 1997 and played for another 20 years before retiring from international duty in 2018.
He won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999, the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2003 and 2011, and the CONCACAF Cup in 2015.
In addition, Marquez was named to the CONCACAF Best XI in 2016 and won the CONCACAF Best Player title in 2005.
As a result, Rafael’s international career has been as successful as his club’s.
Rafael Marquez is a member of the Mexican National Team
For the Mexican National Football Team, Marquez wore jersey number 4.
Rafael Marquez’s Career Statistics (Clubs)
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Second Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
| FC Barcelona | 242 | 13 | 12 | 52 | 5 | 1 | 18.143′ |
| AS Monaco | 114 | 5 | — | 26 | 1 | 2 | 9.609′ |
| Atlas Guadalajara | 58 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 1 | — | 4.935′ |
| Club León FC | 58 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 4.811′ |
| New York Red Bulls | 50 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 3.931′ |
| Hellas Verona | 39 | — | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3.337′ |
| Total | 561 | 21 | 26 | 134 | 10 | 8 | 44.766′ |
Rafael Marquez | Achievements and Awards
- AS Monaco won the Ligue 1 title in 1999-2000.
- 2002-2003 French League Cup Winner
FC Barcelona
- La Liga Champion 2005-2006-2009-2010 Champions League Winner 2006 and 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Winner 2010 UEFA
- Super Cup Winner 2006 and 2007 Spanish Super Cup Winner
- 2009 Copa Del Rey Winner
Club Leon
- FC was the Mexican champion in 2013 and 2014.
Mexico
- Mexico won the Confederations Cup in 1999, and the Gold Cup in 2011 and 2013.
What is Rafael Marquez’s age? Body Dimensions & Nationality
Rafael is 41 years old at the present, having been born in the year 1979.
Similarly, Marquez was born on February 13th, which makes him an Aquarius.
Furthermore, Aquarians are incredibly intellectual and quickly establish great friends with everyone.
Moving on, Rafael is exactly 6 feet (1.82 m) tall, although the specifics of his weight are unknown.
Nonetheless, as a former athlete, we feel Marquez values being fit and healthy.
Rafael was born in Zamora, Michoacan, and is of Mexican descent.
He is thus a proud Mexican citizen.
Rafael Marquez Net Worth | Salary & Earnings
Marquez began his professional career at the age of 17.
He then continued to play for another 23 years before retiring at the age of 39.
As a result, it should come as no surprise that Rafael has an astounding net worth of $25 million.
As a result, Marquez is one of the wealthiest athletes in his native Mexico.
Similarly, his annual pay is estimated to be $5 million.
Furthermore, the 41-year-old was regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.
As a result, Rafael was among the highest paid.
Rafael Marquez | Wife and Children
Rafael’s love life is just as intriguing, if not more so than his football career.
To clarify, the former Mexican national team captain has married twice.
On December 23, 2003, he married Adriana Lavat.
Unfortunately, the couple divorced four years later, in 2007.
The couple has two children, Santiago Marquez and Rafaela Marquez.
Similarly, Santiago was born in 2003, while Rafaela was born in 2005.
Marquez finally discovered his true love in Jaydy Michel after four years of seeking for the proper soulmate.
Following months of courting, the couple married on January 4, 2011, in an extravagant wedding.
Jaydy is an actress who made her most recent television debut in 2014 on Mexico’s Next Top Model.
Moving on, Rafael and his wife have been inseparably linked since their marriage.
Furthermore, the two are parents to Leonardo Marquez, who was born on June 16, 2016.
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Rafael Marquez | Online Presence
587k followers on Instagram
Twitter has 3.8 million users.
