Mexico Wins 1947 North American Football Confederation Title

1947 Mexican National Team at 1st North American Football Confederation Championship/Photo Courtesy – Alfonso Moncada

By Steven Torres - ANCCIF President   (Posted on  14 September 2026)

   Mexico captured its first North American Football Confederation (NAFC) Championship by defeating the USA and host nation Cuba in a three-team tournament held at Havana’s Gran Stadium Cerveza La Tropical from 13-20 July 1947.

   Following the NAFC's formation the previous year, this triangular event was the first staged by the confederation. The NAFC would later merge with the CCCF (Confederación Centroamericana y Caribe de Fútbol) in 1961 to create what is now known as Concacaf.

   After capturing consecutive gold medals at the Central American & Caribbean Games in 1935 and 1938, Mexico featured an entirely new roster for the 1947 tournament, playing under the direction of Hungarian-born head coach György “Jorge” Orth.

   Mexico opened the inaugural NAFC tournament on 13 July with a commanding 5:0 victory over the USA before 5,400 spectators. Forward José Adalberto López led the charge with a hat-trick, while midfielder Rodrigo Ruiz and teammate Ángel Segura each added a goal.

   “The North Americans were very noble but strong and physical,” López recalled in Carlos F. Ramírez's book, Selección Nacional. “The first goal was similar to many I scored in the Mexican League, resulting from yours truly outpacing the defense.”

   López, who would finish as the top scorer in the Mexican League from 1947 to 1949, opened the scoring in just the third minute of play before adding two more goals in the 35th and 85th minutes. Segura and Ruiz completed the scoring for El Tri in the 53rd and 78th minutes, respectively.

   Four days later, 4,000 fans witness goals from forward Carlos Septién (29’), Segura (59’) and López (80’) as Mexico secured a 3:1 triumph over Cuba.

   After Cuba topped the USA, 5:2, on 20 July, the tournament was scheduled to have another series of round-robin matches, however two days later the NAFC decided to conclude the event, and Mexico was declared the champion.

   These back-to-back victories in Cuba extended Mexico’s unbeaten streak to 13 games. The team had not lost an international match since their 4:2 defeat against the USA in Rome, Italy, during the 1934 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff.

   Reflecting on the whirlwind tournament, López noted in Ramírez’s Selección Nacional: “Coach Jorge Orth didn’t have much time to put this team together because everything happened so quickly—from the player invitations and the decision to travel, to our ultimate departure for the tournament.”

  Mexico would later capture three of the four North American Nations titles in its history (1947, 1949, 1991).  Canada would be the only other country to obtain the crown in 1990.

Mexico Roster - 1947 NAFC Championship

GK: Raúl “Tarzán” Landeros (Tampico), Federico “Potrillo” Villavicencio Benavides (Atlante FC)

DF: Sergio Bravo Martínez (España), Juan “Chapetes” Gómez González (Atlas CF), Alfonso “Capi” Montemayor Crespo (Club León), Alberto Medina Villalobos (Atlante FC);

MD: Salvador “Caballo” Arizmendi Rocha (Atlante FC), Juan “Bigotón” Jasso Martínez (CD Guadalajara), Mario Ochoa Gil (Club América), Rafael “Rafles” Orozco Torres (CD Guadalajara), Rodrigo Ruiz Zárate (CD Guadalajara);

AT: Javier “Ingeniero” De La Torre (CD Guadalajara), Julián “Pachuco” Durán Contreras (España), Antonio Francisco "Niño" Flores Rodríguez (Atlas CF), José Adalberto “Dumbo” López Santos (Club León), Maximiano "Max" Prieto Sánchez (CD Guadalajara), Miguel Ángel “Angelillo” Segura Ramírez (Atlante FC), Luis Reyes Ayala (CD Guadalajara), Carlos Septién González (España), Ángel Segura (Atlante FC), Octavio “Pulga” Vial De La Llata (Club América).

TD: György Orth (HUN)

1947 Results

13.07: MEXICO – USA 5:0

17.07: CUBA – MEXICO 1:3 

20.07: CUBA – USA 5:2

Editor’s Note: Acknowledgement to ANCCIF Board Members – Marcelo Assaf (Mexico) & Alfonso Moncada (Cuba) for their assistance on this article