Johan Vásquez and his brother Rigoberto left Navojoa, Sonora, with only one certainty: they wanted to reach the First Division. Everything else was uncertainty. They settled in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl with no money, no acquaintances, and no safety net. Their father sent them 200 pesos a week — less than 12 dollars — which they used to cover food, transportation, and everything else. Eggs, tortillas, and milk were the usual menu. There were days when they went to train without breakfast.
They knocked on doors at Pachuca, Cruz Azul, and Pumas. All three were closed. Cruz Azul went further than anyone in rejecting him: it ruled him out because of nutrition problems, a direct consequence of the hardships he was living through at that time. Instead of giving up, Johan returned to Sonora and found an opportunity at Cimarrones, an Ascenso MX club where he began to shine like never before.
A single Copa MX match was enough for Monterrey to set its sights on him. The transfer was around two million dollars. From then on, the path kept going upward: an Olympic medal in Tokyo 2020, a move to Italian soccer with Genoa and, finally, Mexico’s jersey at the 2026 World Cup as a starter. The same player they said was not in physical condition to play. 🙌
