Uriel Antuna

3.1. Youth and early senior career

Antuna began his journey in professional football by joining the Santos Laguna youth academy in 2012. He systematically advanced through the club's age-group teams, including the U-15, U-17, and U-20 squads. His promising talent led to his promotion to the first team by manager José Manuel de la Torre in 2017. Antuna made his professional debut in Liga MX on March 5, 2017, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 loss against Pumas UNAM.

3.2. European career

On July 12, 2017, English club Manchester City, operating through the City Football Group, announced they had signed Antuna to a four-year contract. Shortly after, on August 9, he moved to Eredivisie club FC Groningen in the Netherlands on a two-year loan deal. He made his league debut for Groningen on September 10, entering as a substitute in a 1-1 draw against VVV-Venlo. During his loan spell, Antuna also played for Jong Groningen, the club's reserve team, in the Derde Divisie, where he made 19 appearances and scored 5 goals across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. For the senior Groningen side, he made 20 appearances in the Eredivisie.

3.3. Major League Soccer career

On January 29, 2019, Antuna joined MLS side LA Galaxy on a loan spell for their 2019 season. He scored his first goal for the team on April 28 in a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake. In October of the same year, he extended his contract with his parent club, Manchester City, securing his stay through 2022. By the end of his time with LA Galaxy, Antuna had made 31 league appearances, scoring 6 goals and providing 5 assists. His performance during this period reportedly attracted interest from Portuguese club S.L. Benfica.

3.4. Return to Liga MX

Following his stint in MLS, Antuna returned to Mexican football. On November 28, 2019, he joined Liga MX club Guadalajara on a permanent transfer. He made his debut for Guadalajara on January 11, 2020, coming on as a substitute in a 2-0 win against Juárez. His first goal for "Chivas" came on September 5, 2020, in a 3-1 victory over Tigres UANL.

In December 2021, a proposed trade involving Antuna and Sebastián Córdova between Guadalajara and Club América was initially agreed upon but ultimately fell through. Subsequently, on January 4, 2022, Cruz Azul successfully reached an agreement with Guadalajara to sign Antuna. He played for Cruz Azul until August 27, 2024, when he transferred to Tigres UANL, marking another significant move within Liga MX.

4.1. Youth national teams

Antuna's international career began with the under-20 squad. He was called up for the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship and made a significant impact, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory against El Salvador during the classification stage. His performance earned him a spot in the tournament's Best XI. He was subsequently selected for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he appeared in all five of Mexico's matches, as they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by England.

In 2018, Antuna was part of the under-21 roster for the 2018 Toulon Tournament. He played in all five matches, with Mexico reaching the final, where they were defeated 2-1 by England.

He continued his youth international journey by participating in the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship with the U-23 team. He scored three goals in five appearances as Mexico won the competition, and he was included in the tournament's Best XI. His contributions led to his call-up for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he and the Mexican Olympic team earned a bronze medal.

4.2. Senior national team

Antuna received his first call-up to the senior national team on November 3, 2017, for friendly matches against Belgium and Poland, though he did not feature in either game. His senior debut officially came on June 5, 2019, in a friendly against Venezuela, entering as a substitute.

In May 2019, he was included in Gerardo Martino's preliminary squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Although initially left out of the final roster, he was later called up as a replacement due to an injury to Jorge Sánchez. In Mexico's opening match of the tournament against Cuba, Antuna delivered a standout performance, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist in a dominant 7-0 victory. His first goal in that match, scored in the 2nd minute, set a record for the fastest goal ever scored by Mexico in a Gold Cup tournament. He played in every match as Mexico went on to win the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Among his international appearances in 2019, one match against Martinique was not officially recognized by FIFA, as Martinique is not a FIFA member, rendering that particular match statistically invalid for official FIFA records.

On November 19, 2019, during Mexico's final CONCACAF Nations League group stage match against Bermuda, Antuna scored the winning goal in injury time, securing a 2-1 win and maintaining Mexico's perfect record in the group stage. In October 2022, he was named in Mexico's preliminary squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and was ultimately included in the final 26-man roster in November. He also played a key role in Mexico's victory at the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

6.1. Club statistics

6.2. International statistics