Carlos Garcés

In Mexico the sport of football owed a great debt to Carlos Garcés, who helped to found two domestic teams, played for the national team, and eventually presided over the country’s football federation. In 1916 Garcés was one of the founders of Club América, playing for the team until 1928 where he won multiple league titles. He did not earn enough money from just playing football so he became a dentist for the cement company Cemento Cruz Azul where he provided dental care to the staff. The cement company initially had a baseball team, but Garcés successfully lobbied to change the company’s main sport to football. The Cruz Azu football team was founded in May 1927 with Garcés named as the head coach of the side.

In 1923 Mexico formed its first national football team with Garcés playing in the team’s inaugural international fixtures, against Guatemala. He played in six matches for the team that year, scoring two goals. Mexico did not play another international match until 1928 when they competed at the Amsterdam Olympics with Garcés playing in their 7–1 defeat to Spain. From 1937 to 1942 he served as the President of the Mexican Football Federation.

Garcés was also a sprinter who ran in the 200 metres and 400 metres at the 1924 Paris Olympics but did not advance from his heats in either race. Two years later he won gold at the 1926 Central American and Caribbean Games in the 4 × 400 metres relay with Alfonso García, Jesús Moraila, and Lucílo Iturbe.

Personal Bests: 200 – unknown; 400 – 52.0 (1924).