# Jesús Gallardo
**Jesús Gallardo**, full name Jesús Daniel Gallardo Vasconcelos (born 1994 in Cárdenas, Tabasco), is a Mexican footballer who plays as a left back, and formerly as a left winger, for Toluca in [Liga MX](https://www.edgepedia.org/liga-mx) and for the [Mexico national team](https://www.edgepedia.org/mexico-national-football-team), with which he has appeared at three FIFA World Cups (2018, 2022, and 2026)[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html) • [2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). He is the first footballer from Tabasco to reach the Mexican national team[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Cárdenas, Tabasco, Mexico; height 1.77 m[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html) |
| Position | Left back; also listed at left winger and left midfielder[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html) |
| Clubs | Pumas UNAM (2014–2018), CF Monterrey (2018–2024), Toluca (2024– )[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html) |
| Transfer fees | Pumas to Monterrey, €5.15M (2018); Monterrey to Toluca, €4.7M (2024)[3](https://www.aiscore.com/player-jesus-gallardo/o17pjippl1ij7jw) |
| Mexico caps | 126 FIFA matches, 3 goals, as recorded by National Football Teams[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html) |
| World Cups | 2018, 2022, and 2026; seven World Cup matches in total[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html) |
| Major honors | Three Liga MX titles, two Concacaf Champions League titles, three Gold Cups, 2025 Nations League[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html) |
## Early life and club career
Gallardo was born in Cárdenas, the second-largest city in the state of Tabasco, to an oil-platform worker from Campeche and a hairdresser[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). Before reaching the top flight he played in the lower Mexican divisions for Once Hermanos Huimanguillo and Jaguares de la 48 Reforma in the [Tercera División](https://www.edgepedia.org/tercera-division), and for Pumas Naucalpan in the [Segunda División](https://www.edgepedia.org/segunda-division), where he scored 13 goals in 25 matches in 2013/14[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html).
He reached Primera División in 2014 with Pumas UNAM under Guillermo Vázquez, starting as a left-sided attacker[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). His league appearances grew from 1 in 2015/16 to 32 in each of the next two seasons, with 6 goals in 2016/17 and 4 in 2017/18[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html).
In June 2018 he moved to CF Monterrey for a reported fee of €5.15 million[3](https://www.aiscore.com/player-jesus-gallardo/o17pjippl1ij7jw). Across six seasons there he was a regular, peaking with 34 league matches in 2018/19, the season [Monterrey](https://www.edgepedia.org/monterrey) won the Liga MX title[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html). He also won the Concacaf Champions League with Monterrey in 2019 and 2021[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). At Toluca he became a league champion twice in 2025, and his scoring rose to 7 league goals in 2024/25 and 5 in 2025/26[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html) • [2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html).
## Mexico national team
Gallardo debuted for Mexico in 2016, in an October friendly against New Zealand called up by coach [Juan Carlos Osorio](https://www.edgepedia.org/juan-carlos-osorio), who also moved him from the attack to the left side of the defense[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). The decision drew criticism at the time because the left-back position had a strong history in Mexican football[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). He played in the 2017 Gold Cup with a B-team squad while the main side was at the Confederations Cup[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html).
**World Cups.** Osorio included him in the final squad for the 2018 World Cup and made him a starting left back, beginning with Mexico's 1-0 win over Germany[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). He played 4 matches and 335 minutes at that tournament[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/10251/jesus-gallardo/national/career). He kept his place through the Tata Martino cycle, playing all 3 matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Mexico exited in the group stage[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/10251/jesus-gallardo/national/career). Under [Javier Aguirre](https://www.edgepedia.org/javier-aguirre) he was named to the 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup, which Mexico hosted jointly, and started in the group stage and knockout rounds; Opta records 5 appearances and 372 minutes for him at that tournament, which ended for Mexico with a 2-3 round-of-16 loss to England at [Estadio Azteca](https://www.edgepedia.org/estadio-azteca)[5](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-06-25/la-seleccion-mexicana-en-el-mundial-2026-quienes-son-los-26-jugadores-convocados.html) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/10251/jesus-gallardo/national/career) • [1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html). Across the three tournaments he has played seven World Cup matches[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html).
**Other tournaments.** His international honors include three Concacaf Gold Cup titles (2019, 2023, and 2025) and the 2025 Concacaf Nations League, in which Mexico beat Panama 2-1 in the final[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html) • [1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html). His scoring record for Mexico is modest: National Football Teams records 3 goals in 126 FIFA matches, while Opta's competition-by-competition table for 2017 onward lists 1 goal and 3 assists in 69 matches[1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html) • [4](https://theanalyst.com/players/10251/jesus-gallardo/national/career). Sources also differ on his total cap count: [El País](https://www.edgepedia.org/el-pais)'s 2026 World Cup squad list gives 121 international appearances, against 126 at National Football Teams[5](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-06-25/la-seleccion-mexicana-en-el-mundial-2026-quienes-son-los-26-jugadores-convocados.html) • [1](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html).
## Playing style
Gallardo is left-footed, and he has attributed his value to that scarcity in Mexican football, saying in a 2018 interview that left-footed players are fewer but stand out[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html). He began as a left winger and converted to left back under Osorio, retaining the attacking role in his play as an overlapping wing-back[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html) • [6](https://fafifa.com/player/jesus-daniel-gallardo-vasconcelos). Under Aguirre he has served as a senior figure in the squad, captaining Mexico in a pair of matches and mentoring younger players such as [Gilberto Mora](https://www.edgepedia.org/gilberto-mora)[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html).
## Honors
- Liga MX: Monterrey (2019); Toluca (2025, two championships)[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html)
- Concacaf Champions League: Monterrey (2019, 2021)[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html)
- Concacaf Gold Cup: Mexico (2019, 2023, 2025)[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html)
- Concacaf Nations League: Mexico (2025)[2](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html)
## References
1. [Jesús Gallardo (Player), National Football Teams](https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/65514/Jesus_Gallardo.html)
2. [Jesús Gallardo, el triunfo del niño de Tabasco que jugará su tercer Mundial, El País México (29 April 2026)](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-04-29/jesus-gallardo-el-triunfo-del-nino-de-tabasco-que-jugara-su-tercer-mundial.html)
3. [Jesús Gallardo stats and transfer history, AiScore](https://www.aiscore.com/player-jesus-gallardo/o17pjippl1ij7jw)
4. [Jesús Gallardo International Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/10251/jesus-gallardo/national/career)
5. [La selección mexicana en el Mundial 2026: quiénes son los 26 jugadores convocados, El País México (25 June 2026)](https://elpais.com/mexico/2026-06-25/la-seleccion-mexicana-en-el-mundial-2026-quienes-son-los-26-jugadores-convocados.html)
6. [Jesús Gallardo, FAFIFA player profile](https://fafifa.com/player/jesus-daniel-gallardo-vasconcelos)
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*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 Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license