Goodbye Cuauhtémoc Blanco

Cuauhtémoc Blanco announced in a press conference in Tuxla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico that he would be retiring from the Mexican national team after Mexico's victory over Canada in the CONCACAF Classification Games.

Blanco was accompanied by the President of the Mexican Football Federation, Justino Compeán, who announced that Mexico will be going to the next set of classification for the World Cup in 2010.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco will begin his retirement after the end of the Mexican Football Season of 2008-2009.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco was one of the institutions of Mexican Football (called by their supporters with the nickname El Tri). Cuauhtémoc Blanco participated in the World Cups of 1998 in France and Korea/Japan in 2002. His achievements on and off the field are an example of how a sports professional should interact with fans and people alike.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco has also survived coaches, players, and people who have been his detractors. His achievements have been numerous and will be remembered.

The achievements of Cuauhtémoc Blanco in football are one of the greatest, taking into account his association with the following teams: El Tri, America, Necaxa, Real Valladolid, Veracruz, and the Chicago Fire.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco is the recipient of the following awards:

Campeon del Goleo del Futbol Mexicano [Goal Champion of Mexican Football/Soccer], Citlali Hugo Sanchez, Citlali al Mejor Jugador del Futbol Mexicano Invierno [Citlali of Best Player in Mexican Football/Soccer in the Winter], and the FIFA Confederation Cup with the Gold Boot, Silver Ball, Top Scorer in Mexican Football/Soccer, MVP in the First Mexican Division successfully [from 1997-2007], the 2007 MLS Sierra Mist Goal of the Year Award, and the 2008 Tecate Best Athlete of the Year Award.

He also has the distinction with Ronaldinho in sharing first place for the most goals in the FIFA Confederation Cup.

The achievements of Cuauhtémoc Blanco off the football field have been astonishing as well. Blanco, like many of his contemporaries in football, founded an academy with the hope of promoting sports, especially football, in children. At the present time, he has this academy in Mexico, and there will be another one to be opened in Chicago, Illinois.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco is a believer in the need to say yes to sports and no to drugs.  Blanco should receive praise for this humanitarian gesture independent of what detractors would say. I too believe in people doing sports instead of drugs.

In closing, I would like to say goodbye to Cuauhtémoc Blanco, and that he will be missed in Mexican football.