Rafael Marquez Biography

Rafael Marquez Alvarez was born on 13 February 1979 in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico. Marquez was the first Mexican to make his debut in the Spanish league and is considered one of the best football players in Mexico. Son of Rafael Marquez Esqueda and Rosa Maria Alvarez, his father was a football player who played for the Tigres, Atletico Zamora, and the Irapuato Sports Club, among others. Since childhood, Rafael Marquez, was interested in sports, especially football, and his father was largely the source of that interest.

When he was little he played football in his father's club and, a few years later he joined Atlas de Guadalajara. At just 13 years old, Marquez managed his time to study at Colegio Francisco and play for Atlas. After four years, he made his debut in the Mexican First Division facing the UNAM Pumas. Marquez remained in the Atlas for three seasons, played 77 games, and scored 6 goals before moving to Europe.

Rafael Marquez nationality

 is Mexican and he is known as one of the most respectable players in La Liga Rafael Marquez was a great defender and without a doubt, is one of the legends of Barcelona. Sure it is not all about Marquez's life story as there is so much to say. Stay tuned as we take a look at Rafael Marquez biography.

All You Need to Know About Rafael Marquez 

Rafael Marquez was born on February 13, 1979, in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico, and is now 42 years old. Rafael Marquez, who was signed by AS Monaco in 1999, agreed on a five-year contract. He made his debut against

on August 14, 1999.

His skills helped him win Ligue 1, during his first season in the Ligue 1, in that period he was chosen as the best center back of the season. In 2003, Marquez won the French League Cup. During the same year, he transferred to FC Barcelona, with a fee of €5m. Marquez was the first Mexican to debut in the La Liga, he played his first game with Barcelona on September 3, 2003, against Sevilla; and on November 9 of that same year, he scored his first goal in the La Liga.

In this period, he used to play as a central and defensive midfielder. In Barcelona he earned so many triumphs, he won the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League, then, he became the first Mexican to win a Champions League.

Later, his contract was extended and he was granted Spanish nationality in 2006, then in 2009, he won the European Cup again, followed by the Spanish League and the King's Cup. At the end of 2009, he had a large number of trophies. Rafael Marquez is considered one of the best midfielders in the history of the Mexican national football team.

Rafael Marquez Information

In this part of Rafael Marquez biography, you could find some general information about Rafael Marquez listed down here.

Rafael Marquez Bio

• Full Name: Rafael Marquez Alvarez

• Nickname: “El Kaiser”, “Rafa”

• Profession: Former Professional Football Player

Rafael Marquez Physical Stats

• Weight: 75 Kilograms

• Height: 1.84 Meters

• Eye Color: Dark Brown

• Hair Color: Dark

Rafael Marquez Football Information

• Position: Defender

• Jersey Number: 4

• Professional Debut: 1996

Rafael Marquez Date of Birth and Personal Info

• Date of Birth: 13 February 1979

• Birth Place: Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico

• Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

• Nationality: Mexican

Rafael Marquez Early Life

Rafael Marquez was born on February 13, 1979 in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico.

Rafael Marquez childhood

was not all about football.

Rafael Marquez's parents have always behaved well with their son as Marquez's father, Marquez Esqueda, was also a professional football player in Mexico and because of that, he understood very well what does it meant for Rafa to dream about becoming a footballer.

His parents are Rafael Marquez Estrada and Rosa Maria Alvarez, who always encouraged him to pursue his training in football. He received a taste for football from his father, Rafael Marquez Estrada, with whom he practiced during the afternoons when he was still a child, as well as participating in informal matches with teams of novice players.

When he was just 13 years old, he began his formal training at the

club in Guadalajara. There, he received the training to become a defensive and somehow a midfielder. Those hard workings paid off and, years later people were calling him one of the most legendary players in the history of Mexico.

His career grew little by little until he was seen as one of the star players of the Atlas, a team with which he remained for three seasons. Their greatest achievement with Atlas was reaching the final of the 1999 summer tournament, in which they finally succumbed to Toluca.

Rafael Marquez life story

is filled with memories of joyful memories and this probably makes him one of the best personalities in the history of football.

Rafael Marquez Profile

In this section of 

Rafael Marquez biography

, we will take a look at his professional career from his early days until now. The turning point in Rafael Marquez’s career was 1992 when Rafa had a chance to show his skills.

Rafael Marquez is the first Mexican player to play for

. He came to Barca in the 2003-04 season as a player to strengthen the team's defense. His youth and the progress he has made in recent years have combined to make him one of the most promising defenders in Europe.

He started playing football in Atlas Guadalajara (1996-99) and at the age of 17 made his S-League debut in Mexico. Three years later, he signed with AS Monaco, where he soon adapted to European football. In 2000, his team won the French League and was named the league's top defender. In 2003, his team won the French League Cup.

He also captained the Mexican national team in the 1999 and 2001 Copa America and the 2002 World Cup. Marquez has earned the full respect and trust of Frank Rijkaard and has been included in Barcelona's regular squad. He was one of the key players in the team during his first season at the club, and in the same year, the team obtained the quota to participate in the group stage of the Champions League. In the 2005-2004 season, Marquez proved his worth.

The fact that Thiago Motta and Edmilson suffered a knee ligament injury meant that Marquez had to leave his main position in the middle of the defensive line and play as a defensive midfielder, as he did when he played for Mexico and

. He proved that he could play great in front of the defense and helped the team win the league title that season.

The captain of the Mexican national team has been a steady player for his team over the past few years and has also won the Confederations Cup with his team in 1999 and the Golden Cup in 2003. Marquez played in the Copa America in 1999, 2001, and 2004, and also played for the Mexican national team at the 2002 World Cup.

His time at Barcelona was one of the highlights of his career, since in a short time he became one of the starting players, appearing in more than 200 games during the seven years he did with the team. With Barca, Marquez managed to win titles such as the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League, positioning himself as one of the foreign players with the most participation in Barcelona.

Despite having a current contract with the Catalan team, the player decided to change his professional course and signed for the

in 2010, although he only remained there for two years.

Marquez ended his football career playing for the team that saw him born as a star: Club Atlas de Guadalajara, where he played two seasons and played his last game as a professional on April 20, 2018. Stay tuned to read more about Rafael Marquez biography and get to know him better.

Style of Play

Regarding Rafael Marquez’s style of play, he used to play as a center-back or defensive midfielder during his years with Monaco, Barcelona and

. He was solid and very skilled. He used to read the game very well and had a high ability to start a counter-attack.

He was also very good at hitting free-kicks and was very strong in aerial duels. He was known as "Emperor Michoacan " for his beautiful job on the ball, his reliability, and his defensive skill. Marquez could also play as a midfielder, which is why he is compared to Franz Beckenbauer.

As a defensive midfielder, Marquez could show his strength in aerial duels, as well as helping the team build up from the defensive line, and had this feature to break the organization of the opposing team's attacks with his tackles.

Reception

Rafael Marquez is 42 years old and has retired from football. In mid-2010, Rafael Marquez was signed by NY Red Bull, with which Marquez began his career in Major League Soccer, this period did not last long, after 18 months in the League, he resigned from NY Red Bull and returned to Mexico.

Two years after returning, he joined the Leon de Mexico sports club, the following year the team was proclaimed champion of the MX League, by obtaining this title he became the first Mexican to win three leagues from different countries, France, Spain, and Mexico.

The Lions won the league again the following year. In 2014, he was signed by Hellas Verona FC, which is why he moved back to Europe, at

, he played until 2016, at which point he returned to Mexico and again joined the Atlas de Guadalajara in which he stayed until April 28, 2018, the day on which Rafael Marquez played his last game as a professional footballer. Without exaggerating, Rafael Marquez is one of the most respected players in the history of football.

Goal Celebration

Rafael Marquez has always been calm and non-controversial as a professional player. Rafael Marquez's goal celebration was not very special but he really used to do it with a certain enthusiasm. Rafael Marquez had an interesting goal celebration. He always used to score crucial goals, so he used to hold and pull his shirt tightly.

He then would kiss the logo and raise his hands. It was easy to see the excitement in the Rafael Marquez goal celebration. His teammates were thrilled after each Rafa Marquez goal and continued to play with more excitement.

Rafael Marquez Outside Football

Rafael Marquez outside football is a very respected person. Rafael Marquez played in many teams and became a legend in all of them. Fans of all teams, from Atlas to the New York Red Bulls, love Rafael Marquez. He has become a coach these days, which we will mention later. There is a saying that respect should be earned, and Rafa Marquez has shown well that his character deserves respect.

The always elegant Rafa Marquez – on and off the pitch has returned to Spain and is coaching Cadet A of RSD Alcala. Stay tuned to read more about

Rafael Marquez biography

and get to know him better.

Rafael Marquez Personal Life

Marquez has been married twice. The first of them was with the Mexican actress Adriana Lavat, with whom he married in 2003 and from whom he separated four years later, in 2007. With the actress, he has two children: Rafaela and Santiago, born in 2005 and 2003, respectively.

Being a recognized public figure in Mexico and Europe, her divorce became one of the most famous cases in Spain in 2007, and although both became involved in a controversy over the amount of the payment allocated for child support, in 2015 They managed to reach an agreement that included the reduction of the initial figure requested by the actress.

In 2011 he married the Mexican model Jaydy Michel; from that marriage his third son, Leo was born in 2017. Surely you have heard or read about Jaydy Michel, and not necessarily because of his popularity on Instagram, but because he has previously worked as a model and had an affair that ended in marriage with the popular singer, Alejandro Sanz. We should also note that

Rafael Marquez religion

is Christianity. In fact, Marquez is Roman Catholic.

Family, Children and Relationships

Adriana and Rafa were married in 2003, the fruit of their marriage Santiago and Rafaela were born. Although the couple divorced in 2008 and unleashed a legal war over custody and support of their children, they reached an agreement in 2015.

Santiago has already been training for a few months with the U-15 of the Atlas club, the same one that saw his father born as a footballer. he chose to live with his mother and now staying with her in Mexico. Although Santiago and Rafaela, aged 14 and 12 respectively, live with their mother Adriana Lavat in Miami, that is not an impediment for Rafael Marquez not to be aware of them and they live together as a family.

Also It is true that the footballer constantly shares moments on social networks with the son he has with his wife Jaydy Michel.

Philanthropy

In 2005 he created the Rafa Marquez Foundation, in order to help Mexican children to have equal opportunities and keep them away from social vices. Opened a sports injury rehabilitation clinic in Puerto Vallarta.

The Rafa Marquez Foundation will seek to bring over 6,000 families from North America- US and

- for the year 2014, through their Inolvidables program. Part of the income from these sales will be destined directly to his cause, which supports education, the development of sports and fights against hunger, focusing on the children.

The foundation promotes quality food to combat eating disorders, improve and increase physical and mental performance through the Rafa Marquez Children Center also provides tools to reduce the dropout rate and promotes the sport as an essential element in the human formation encouraging teamwork, discipline, and integrity. No wonder, we said that Rafael Marquez is an exceptional person. Keep reading to know more about Rafael Marquez biography and see if he has had any legal issues so far or not.

Legal Issues

Rafael Marquez, one of the best-known stars in Mexico’s history, was on the United States Treasury Department blacklist. But it has nothing to do with his prowess on the field. Relative people said he has helped laundered money for drug cartels. His inclusion on the list prohibits American individuals, businesses, and banks from having anything to do with him.

So Marquez did not drink from the same branded water bottles as his teammates or wore the same uniform at practices. Besides, as we said, he had a problem during the divorce from his first wife and they had a problem with how to pay, which was finally agreed in 2015, and this legal problem was also resolved. After giving specific information about Rafael Marquez's legal issues, we go to the next part, the Rafael Marquez career statistics part.

Rafael Marquez Career Statistics

Rafael Marquez statistics are just fantastic. Rafael Marquez signed a professional contract in the 1996 season and went on to appear in 77 Liga MX games in 1996–1999, helping Atlas to winning championships. The next season he played 89 Ligue1 games.

In his first season he managed to win the French League, and was distinguished as the ideal central defender of the entire league in the 1999-2000 season. In 2003, he won the French League Cup and established himself as one of the best central defenders in all of Europe, receiving offers from quite important clubs (Juventus, Inter Milan,

and Real Madrid).

Surprisingly, he joined FC Barcelona and After a first season of adaptation, he consolidated in the first team in the 2004-2005 season, in which he collaborated to make his team champion of the League.

Club

During the 2007–08 season, Marquez formed a partnership with new signing Gabriel Milito while captain Carles Puyol was out injured. Constant injuries, however, threw off his form. Marquez's success declined with the rest of the season, leading Barcelona to end up in third place in La Liga. Even so, new coach Pep Guardiola continued to rely on his contributions; with the departure of Ronaldinho, Marquez had become the last original signing of the Frank Rijkaard era to remain on the team.

In October 2007, Marquez was included in the list of players nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, the only player from the CONCACAF to be nominated. Marquez was Guardiola's first-choice at center-back along with captain Puyol for the 2008–09 season. On 13 December 2008, Marquez played his 200th match for Barcelona in their 2–0 win against

.

International

Rafael Marquez has a 21-year history for the Mexican national team, resulting in 127 games and 17 goals. With Mexico, he participated in important competitions.

With the Mexican national team, he played 147 international matches, participating in the Confederations Cup, the Copa America (1999, 2001 and 2004), the

, and the Korea-Japan World Cups and Germany (2002 and 2006 respectively). Stay tuned to read more about

Rafael Marquez biography

and find out what awards and titles he has won.

Rafael Marquez Honors

The former Mexican star performed brilliantly, especially when he was with Barcelona, winning the 2006 and 2009 Champions League. Most of his honors are related to his days in Blaugrana.

Rafael Marquez has achieved all the trophies he wanted and could have, and it can easily be said that he is one of the best, most respected, and memorable players in the history of Barcelona and Mexico. "I am satisfied with my record as a professional footballer and all the achievements I have had," Rafael Marquez said in an interview.

"At the moment, after leaving Atlas, I enjoy my free time, but even though I was there for a short time, but I enjoyed the position of sporting director, I did not have much experience, but I was preparing myself in my free time. I can imagine myself as a coach, and coaching in Barcelona would be a dream.

I would like to find another job related to football, but it must be on a European team. I know I can get a job there as I have made good friends there since playing."

Europe has the best football in the whole world, so if there is an opportunity, I will definitely use it. "As I said, my priority is Europe, but if I find a job in Mexico and I like their project, I can work there as well."

AS Monaco

• Ligue 1 Champion in 1999-2000

• French League Cup Winner in 2002-2003

FC Barcelona

• La Liga Champion in 2005-2006-2009 and 2010

• Champions League Winner in 2006 and 2009

• FIFA Club World Cup Winner in 2010

• UEFA Super Cup Winner in 2010

• Spanish Super Cup Winner in 2006 and 2007

• Copa Del Rey Winner in 2009

Club Leon FC

• Mexican Champion in 2013 and 2014

Mexico

• Confederations Cup Winner in 1999

• Gold Cup Winner in 2011 and 2013

Read more: 

Follow 

 for the