Álvaro Fidalgo dedicates World Cup goal to late grandfather: 'I remembered him'

MEXICO CITY — Álvaro Fidalgo looked up with tears welling up in his eyes, pointed both fingers to the sky and said “Te amo mucho, abuelito. Te amo mucho.”

The 29-year-old had just cemented Mexico’s historic 3-0 win over Czechia in the final minutes of stoppage time. Santiago Giménez dribbled the ball into the box from the right wing and had his shot stopped by Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovár, but Roberto “El Piojo” Alvarado got the ball on the follow and dished it to Fidalgo at the top of the box, who volleyed it past Kovár’s diving arms and into the top left corner of the net.

Immediately, in all the euphoria of scoring his first career World Cup goal, Fidalgo thought of his grandfather.

“I lost my grandpa two months ago,” he said in Spanish. “The whole world knows what my family means to me. What my grandparents are to me. I remembered him in a situation like this one, with a goal in the World Cup for the whole country. I’m happy for the victory, for helping the team. It was a dream night for everybody.”

Rafael Fidalgo Ciprés saw something in his grandson. How he always seemed to have a ball at his feet. How he’d shoot the ball at least 100-200 times by his estimate. He even once said that he felt Fidalgo was able to dribble past the opponent twice and score from the moment he was born.

A former player in Spain‘s second division with UP Langreo, Real Oviedo and Caudal Deportivo, Rafael took it upon himself to train the younger Fidalgo.

“I am how I am, 90% because of my grandfather, in terms of football,” Fidalgo said in his Claro Sports documentary. “It was all football, football, football. Anything other than football didn’t exist. Nothing else. He told me since I was little: take care of yourself, nutrition, rest. He instilled that in me since I was eight, seven or six years old.”

Growing up in Noreña, a municipality in Asturias, Spain, Fidalgo would spend most of his days with his grandfather at Condal Club. After they were done there, Rafael would take Fidalgo down to the riverbank to get some more reps. And on the days they weren’t at Condal Club, Rafael would have Fidalgo in the front yard of the house, working on touches and passes against the wall.

“I was always on top of him,” Rafael said. “And he responded.”

<1 / 5

<2 / 5

<3 / 5

<4 / 5

<5 / 5

With his heart full, Fidalgo responded one more time in the best way he could. In the way Rafael taught him.

The goal not only held a deep meaning for his family going through a difficult moment, it also helped El Tri make history, slamming the door shut on Czechia to finish off a perfect 3-0-0 group stage for Mexico for the first time in its 18 World Cup appearances.

And if you ask Fidalgo, they’re not quite done just yet.

“We got nine points; we’re all really happy but now comes the important part. Now comes the round of 32. We have to keep going at this level, we have to keep it up as a team and from game-to-game,” he said. “We’re going together, carrying everyone’s dreams with us.”