He went from receiving advice from Messi to finally being called to Mexico National Team

Gerardo “Tata” Martino finally revealed the list of 29 players that will be part of the Mexico National Team roster that will play the last CONCACAF Qualifiers match window next week, looking to secure their ticket to Qatar 2022.

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It stands out the absence of players like Rogelio Funes Mori, Luis “Chaka” Rodríguez, or Julio César “Cata” Domínguez, who were regulars with El Tri in Martino’s era, although the weak performances they’ve had both with the Aztec squad and their clubs left them out of this match window.

Instead of them, it surprised the apparition of new faces, as “Cata” Domínguez was replaced with 21-year-old center back Israel Reyes from Club Puebla, “Chaka” Rodríguez by Jesús Angulo from Tigres and Funes Mori by Santiago Giménez from Cruz Azul.

The apparition of Santiago Giménez in the final roster consolidates the good work he’s done not only with Cruz Azul, but also throughout his stint in El Tri academy squads and opens the door for his potential arrival in Qatar 2022, if he manages to impress “Tata” Martino.

Messi gave him advice

Although Messi likes to keep his private life away from the spotlight, it is known that he’s good friends with Christian “Chaco” Giménez, which opened the door for “Chaquito” to be in touch with PSG’s superstar through his youth.

Messi has helped Santiago Giménez with advice to improve his game, same advice that now have placed him on his first call to an official match with El Tri, as he already made his debut with the senior squad last year on a friendly match.

Santiago Giménez’s numbers this season

So far, Giménez has played just one game with El Tri, against Ecuador in a match that ended with a 3-2 defeat for the Aztec squad, where “Chaquito” was the starter forward, although he was substituted at 67’ after not being able to score.

With Cruz Azul, Giménez has played eight games in Clausura 2022, where he’s scored two goals and one assistance, and even if his numbers don’t are the bests, they don’t reflect the impact he’s had in La Máquina, as he’s become an essential player in the past few games.

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