History of Rafael Márquez in Timeline
Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican football coach and former player recognized as one of Mexico's all-time best. Nicknamed 'El Káiser', he excelled as a defender. Currently, he serves as the assistant coach for the Mexico national team.
February 1979: Rafael Márquez's Birth
Rafael Márquez Álvarez was born in February 1979. He is a Mexican football coach and former player who played as a defender.
October 1996: Debut with Atlas
In October 1996, Rafael Márquez made his professional debut with Atlas at the age of 17.
1996: Began career with Atlas
In 1996, Rafael Márquez began his professional career with Atlas, where he played in over 70 games.
1998: Not chosen for 1998 FIFA World Cup squad
Rafael Márquez was not chosen for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad.
1999: Other CONCACAF Finalist
As of July 2010, Rafael Márquez was one of two players from CONCACAF to play in a Champions League final, the other being Dwight Yorke for Manchester United in 1999.
1999: Runner-up with Atlas
In 1999, Rafael Márquez and Atlas were runner-up in the league, losing the final against Toluca.
2002: Played in 2002 FIFA World Cup
Rafael Márquez played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
2002: 2002 World Cup and Red Card
Rafael Márquez started all four of Mexico's games during the 2002 World Cup, where he received a red card during Mexico's second round 2–0 loss to the United States.
2003: Joined Barcelona
In 2003, Rafael Márquez joined Barcelona, becoming the first Mexican to represent the club.
2004: UNAM Consecutive League Titles
In 2013, León became only the second team in history to win consecutive league titles in the short tournament era, the first being UNAM, who won the Clausura 2004 and Apertura 2004.
2006: Won Champions League with Barcelona
In 2006, Rafael Márquez became the first Mexican player to win the Champions League with Barcelona's victory over Arsenal.
2006: Won UEFA Champions League Title
In 2006, Rafael Márquez won the UEFA Champions League title with Barcelona after defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the final, becoming the first Mexican to play in and win a Champions League final.
October 2007: Nomination for FIFA World Player of the Year
In October 2007, Rafael Márquez was included in the list of players nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
2007: Participated in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa América
In 2007, Rafael Márquez participated in the CONCACAF Gold Cup championship game against the United States, where Mexico lost 2-1, and also in the Copa América.
December 2008: 200th Match for Barcelona
On December 13, 2008, Rafael Márquez played his 200th match for Barcelona in their 2–0 win against Real Madrid.
April 2009: Knee Injury
In April 2009, Rafael Márquez sustained a knee injury during Barcelona's Champions League semi-final match against Chelsea.
November 2009: Signed New Contract with Barcelona
In November 2009, Rafael Márquez signed a new contract with Barcelona that would keep him at the club until 2012.
February 2010: First Goal Since Return
On February 20, 2010, Rafael Márquez scored his first goal since his return against Racing Santander.
July 2010: Released from Barcelona
On July 31, 2010, Rafael Márquez was released from his contract by Barcelona after playing in 242 matches and scoring 13 goals.
2010: Juventus Interest
After participating at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Italian club Juventus were interested in signing Rafael Márquez.
2010: Joined New York Red Bulls
In 2010, Rafael Márquez joined Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls.
2010: 2010 World Cup
Rafael Márquez captained Mexico at the 2010 World Cup, scoring a goal against South Africa and assisting Javier Hernández against France.
2010: Played in 2010 FIFA World Cup
Rafael Márquez played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
December 2012: Released by New York Red Bulls
In December 2012, Rafael Márquez was released by the New York Red Bulls, and later described playing in the United States as "a bad decision".
2012: Released by New York Red Bulls
In 2012, Rafael Márquez was released from New York Red Bulls.
2012: Contract End Date
Rafael Márquez's contract with Barcelona would have kept him at the club until 2012.
October 2013: First Goal for León
On October 5, 2013, Rafael Márquez scored his first goal for León in the Liga MX against Puebla.
2013: Liga MX Title with León
In 2013, Rafael Márquez captained León to a Liga MX title.
August 2014: Signed with Hellas Verona
In August 2014, Rafael Márquez signed with Hellas Verona of Serie A and made his league debut on August 31.
2014: Back-to-back Liga MX Title with León
In 2014, Rafael Márquez captained León to a second consecutive Liga MX title.
2014: Played in 2014 FIFA World Cup
Rafael Márquez played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
December 2015: Transferred to Atlas
In December 2015, Rafael Márquez officially transferred to Atlas, marking his return to the club where he debuted.
2015: Transferred to Hellas Verona and Returned to Atlas
In 2015, Rafael Márquez transferred to Hellas Verona of the Italian Serie A, and later returned to his boyhood club, Atlas.
2017: Champions League Appearances Record Surpassed
By 2017, Javier Hernández surpassed Rafael Márquez's record of 46 UEFA Champions League appearances, the most by a Mexican or CONCACAF player.
April 2018: Retirement Announcement
On April 19, 2018, Rafael Márquez announced that he would retire at the end of the season but stated his intention to represent Mexico at the World Cup. His final match was played on April 20.
2018: Fifth World Cup Appearance
In 2018, Rafael Márquez became only the fourth player to play for his national team in five consecutive editions of the FIFA World Cup.
July 2024: Departure from Barcelona Atlètic
On July 21, 2024, Barcelona Atlètic announced Rafael Márquez's departure from the club.
July 2024: Joins Mexico National Team as Assistant Coach
On July 22, 2024, Rafael Márquez joined the Mexico national team as the assistant coach to Javier Aguirre.
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