Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 7y

Mexico legend Rafa Marquez deserves fifth World Cup - Hugo Sanchez

Mexico legend Hugo Sanchez has urged Mexico's federation to learn from past mistakes and take veteran Rafa Marquez to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Marquez will be 39 when the competition gets underway, but Sanchez believes the former Barcelona defender and current Atlas captain must be there.

"I hope that they've learned from so much foolishness and so many mistakes and that they treat a legend and symbol like Rafa Marquez well and give him the sendoff he deserves," Sanchez told Futbol Picante on ESPN. "They didn't do it for me, they didn't allow me and I hope they do with Rafa. I ask and I demand that the directors do it."

Sanchez would have been 39 had he been selected for France in 1998. But his career at World Cups ended in bitter fashion, with the Real Madrid legend missing out on the 1990 World Cup due to the Cachirules scandal; then he only featured once in the 1994 edition. Mexico were sanctioned by FIFA for using overage players in that scandal and were banned from the 1990 World Cup.

Marquez is with the Mexico squad in Las Vegas ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Iceland and has been in good form in Liga MX. The former New York Red Bulls player will turn 38 on Feb. 13 and debuted with the Mexican national team just over 20 years ago as a 17-year-old.

Marquez -- the only player to captain a team at four different World Cups -- netted the vital goal in Mexico's 2-1 victory last November over the United States in Columbus and indicated that he still has something to give.

"It would be very easy for me to retire from football, after winning so many things, but I see the quality and clarity that there is in this national team and this group of players and I want to write a new history and want to help Mexican football to change,"  Marquez said after that game.

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio has consistently lauded Marquez's leadership qualities and has stressed he still has a role moving forward, unless the player indicates otherwise.

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