# Diego Reyes
**Diego Reyes** (full name Diego Antonio Reyes Rosales, nicknamed El Flaco) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a center-back and won the gold medal in men's football at the 2012 Summer Olympics with Mexico. Born in 1992 in Mexico City, he came through [Club América](https://www.edgepedia.org/club-america), moved to [FC Porto](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-porto) in 2013, and later played for [Tigres UANL](https://www.edgepedia.org/tigres-uanl) and Querétaro in Liga MX.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/124479)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / nickname | Diego Antonio Reyes Rosales; known as El Flaco[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/124479) |
| Born | 1992, Mexico City, Mexico[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/124479) |
| Position | Central defender (center-back)[12](https://www.transfermarkt.com/diego-reyes/profil/spieler/131090) |
| Olympic result | Gold, men's football, 2012 Summer Olympics; played every match including the 2-1 final win over Brazil at Wembley[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/124479) |
| Club honors | Liga MX Clausura 2013 (América); Portuguese champion 2018 (FC Porto); FIFA Club World Cup finalist 2020 (Tigres UANL)[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/diego-reyes/211314) |
| Mexico caps | 65 caps, 2 goals as of 6 September 2019[13](https://www.transfermarkt.com/diego-reyes/nationalmannschaft/spieler/131090/verein_id/6303) |
## Youth international career
Reyes was selected by coach José Luis González China for the 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, where Mexico qualified for the U-17 World Cup and reached the round of 16.[3](https://futbol-mexicano.fandom.com/es/wiki/Diego_Reyes)
With the under-23 side he won gold at the 2011 [Pan American Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/pan-american-games), beating Argentina 1-0 in the final, and in 2012 he was part of the team that won the Toulon Tournament, defeating Turkey 3-1 in the final.[3](https://futbol-mexicano.fandom.com/es/wiki/Diego_Reyes)
## 2012 Olympic gold
At 19 he was the youngest member of the squad.[4](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Diego_Reyes_Rosales) Across the tournament he played six matches totaling 570 minutes.[5](https://www.footballtransfers.com/us/players/diego-antonio-reyes/stats) In the qualification campaign earlier that year he had made five appearances, scored one goal, and played 435 minutes in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the United States.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/124479) The gold was Mexico's only gold medal of the 2012 Games.[6](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/MEX/editions/54) • [14](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/MEX)
## Club career
**América.** In December 2012, FC Porto announced his signing for an undisclosed fee on a contract running to 2018, with the 20-year-old remaining at América until the summer.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0204-0e8281ceb219-a221e2c7b44f-1000--porto-make-move-for-mexico-defender-reyes/)
**Porto and loans.** He was part of the Porto side that won the 2018 Portuguese championship.[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/diego-reyes/211314) A 2017 report in the Mexican edition of AS described him as among the best central defenders of the previous Spanish league season, alongside [Sergio Ramos](https://www.edgepedia.org/sergio-ramos), Diego Godín, and [Gerard Piqué](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerard-pique).[8](https://as.com/us/2017/07/16/futbol/1500211120_157743.html)
**Later clubs.** With Tigres he was a finalist in the 2020 [FIFA Club World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-club-world-cup).[2](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/diego-reyes/211314) He later appeared for [Querétaro](https://www.edgepedia.org/queretaro).[9](https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/diego-reyes/)
## Mexico national team
Reyes debuted for the senior national team at the 2011 [Copa América](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-america), in a match against Chile on 4 July, with Mexico fielding an under-22 squad at that tournament.[4](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Diego_Reyes_Rosales)
He first captained Mexico on 29 January 2014 against South Korea, taking the armband after [Rafael Márquez](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafael-marquez) was substituted in a 4-0 win.[4](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Diego_Reyes_Rosales) Coach Miguel Herrera included him in the final 23-player squad for the 2014 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup), where he played against the Netherlands in the round of 16.[4](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Diego_Reyes_Rosales)
## Other athletes named Diego Reyes
The name is shared by several other competitors. A Guatemalan taekwondoin named Diego Reyes competes internationally in the men's -54 kg kyorugi division, taking silver at the 2025 Central American Games and at the 2026 Nations Cup.[10](https://taekwondo.tv/de/athletes/75554-diego-reyes) A Mexican goalkeeper named Diego Fernando Reyes Victoria, born in 2003 in [Zamora de Hidalgo](https://www.edgepedia.org/zamora-de-hidalgo), is a former Mexico U20 international.[11](https://www.transfermarkt.us/diego-reyes/profil/spieler/694163)
## References
1. [Diego Reyes, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/124479)
2. [Diego Reyes, fiche joueur, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/diego-reyes/211314)
3. [Diego Reyes, Fútbol Mexicano Wiki](https://futbol-mexicano.fandom.com/es/wiki/Diego_Reyes)
4. [Diego Reyes Rosales, Mexpedia](https://mexpedia.org/index.php/Diego_Reyes_Rosales)
5. [Diego Reyes stats, FootballTransfers](https://www.footballtransfers.com/us/players/diego-antonio-reyes/stats)
6. [Mexico at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/MEX/editions/54)
7. [Porto make move for Mexico defender Reyes, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0204-0e8281ceb219-a221e2c7b44f-1000--porto-make-move-for-mexico-defender-reyes/)
8. [Diego Reyes regresaría con el Porto, por la revancha, AS USA](https://as.com/us/2017/07/16/futbol/1500211120_157743.html)
9. [Diego Reyes, MLSsoccer.com](https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/diego-reyes/)
10. [Diego REYES, taekwondo profile, TAEKWONDO.TV](https://taekwondo.tv/de/athletes/75554-diego-reyes)
11. [Diego Reyes, player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/diego-reyes/profil/spieler/694163)
12. [Diego Reyes - Player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/diego-reyes/profil/spieler/131090)
13. [Diego Reyes - National team, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/diego-reyes/nationalmannschaft/spieler/131090/verein_id/6303)
14. [Olympedia, Mexico (MEX)](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/MEX)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of North and Central America and the Caribbean › Mexico men's footballers*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license