Antonio Carbajal

Antonio Carbajal

Carbajal with the Mexico national football team
Personal information
Full name	Antonio Félix Carbajal Rodríguez
Date of birth	(1929-06-07)7 June 1929
Place of birth	Mexico City, Mexico
Date of death	9 May 2023(2023-05-09) (aged 93)
Place of death	León, Guanajuato, Mexico
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1948–1950	Club España	45	(0)
1950–1966	León	364	(0)
Total		409	(0)
International career
1950–1966	Mexico	48	(0)
Managerial career
1969	León
1970–1972	León
1974–1977	Unión de Curtidores
1978–1979	León
1979–1981	Mexico (assistant coach)
1980	Atletas Campesinos
1985–1995	Atlético Morelia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Antonio Félix "Tota" Carbajal Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈtonjo kaɾβaˈxal]; 7 June 1929 – 9 May 2023) was a Mexican professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.^[1] He was also called "El Cinco Copas", in reference to his record of having played five World Cups.^[2]

Born in Mexico City, Carbajal became a professional footballer with the local Club España in 1948,^[3] after having been in the squad that participated at the Olympic tournament in 1948. After the disappearance of España in 1950, he joined Club León, where he would remain until the end of his career.^{[citation needed]}

Carbajal made his international debut with the Mexico national team in the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on 24 June 1950, against World Cup hosts Brazil. He was the youngest goalkeeper to play in that tournament, at the age of 23. He appeared in one match at the 1954 World Cup, against France, and in three at the 1958 tournament; at the 1962 World Cup in Chile, he became the first footballer ever to appear in four World Cups, also helping his team win its first-ever World Cup match^[4] when they defeated Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the first round. Four years later Carbajal, aged 39, established another mark with his fifth World Cup appearance. That record was equaled by German player Lothar Matthäus in 1998, by his compatriot Rafael Márquez in 2018, in 2022 by Argentine Lionel Messi, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and another compatriot in Andrés Guardado. In 2015 Homare Sawa and Formiga became the first footballers to appear for a record sixth time at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.^[5] In total, Carbajal appeared in 48 international matches for Mexico. In 11 World Cup matches from 1950 to 1966, he conceded 25 goals, a record that was tied by Saudi goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea in 2002.^[6]

After retiring as a player, he became a manager in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s with Club León, Unión de Curtidores, Atletas Campesinos and Atlético Morelia. He twice won both the Copa México as Campeón de Campeones with Club Leon in the early 1970s. Then he managed Unión de Curtidores in the only two seasons this club advanced to the play-offs, and was awarded Primera División's best coach one time. He achieved the championship in Segunda División with Atletas Campesinos in partnership with Antonio Ascencio.^{[citation needed]}

During the 1984–85 season, Carbajal was appointed as manager for Atlético Morelia; he helped the team avoid relegation in his first season. He went on to manage the team for over a decade, where the team qualified various times to the postseason, including two semi-finals.^[7][8]

Carbajal died on 9 May 2023, at the age of 93. He had been hospitalised the week prior with blood pressure problems.^[9] From January 2023 until his death in May 2023, Carbajal was the last surviving player from the 1950 World Cup.^[10]

¹Includes results from season 1969-1970 Primera División de México & cup tournament

²Includes only results from 1970 to 1971 & 1971-72 Primera División de México (regular seasons and play-offs), cup tournaments and Campeón de Campeones. It does not include results from Torneo México 70 and 1972-73 Primera División de México's season

³Includes results from Primera División de México (regular seasons and play-offs) and cup tournaments

⁴Includes only results from 1978 to 1979 Primera División de México. It does not include results from 1979 to 1980 Primera División de México

⁵Includes only eight play-offs results from Segunda División de México

⁶Includes results from Primera División de México (regular seasons and play-offs), cup tournaments and 1988 CONCACAF Championship

León

• Primera División: 1951–52, 1955–56
• Copa México: 1957–58
• Campeón de Campeones: 1955–56

Individual

• CONCACAF Team of the Century: 1998^[11]
• IFFHS CONCACAF Men's Team of All Time: 2021^[12]

León

• Copa México: 1970–71, 1971–72
• Campeón de Campeones: 1970–71, 1971–72

Atletas Campesinos

• Segunda División: 1979–80

Individual

• Citlalli Trophy (Best Coach): 1975-76

• Antonio Carbajal – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Antonio Carbajal at National-Football-Teams.com