We’re going World Cup mode and building the “Ideal Episcopal Team” of the Church in Mexico, made up of valuable, pastoral and courageous profiles; putting the squad together hasn’t been easy. These are the players who belong in the sticker album and are capable of taking the team to the very gates of heaven.
Goalkeeper: Sigifredo Noriega Barceló (Zacatecas)
“Sigi” Noriega Barceló, born in Sonora, embodies the calm, calculated goalkeeper with great media presence. With more than 18 years as Bishop of Zacatecas, he has shown the ability to anticipate complex situations of tension on the pitch. His style is marked by clear, balanced messages that “save” discouragement. On the field, Sigi not only stops shots, he also organizes the build-up with judgment, transmits calm under pressure and steps out with charisma to lead the collective defense. His career and his steady voice on the pitch position him as the reference goalkeeper who keeps a clean sheet even in high-stakes matches. A national-team goalkeeper who combines pastoral prudence with spiritual authority.
Striker and Captain: Ramón Castro (Cuernavaca)
Ramón Castro Castro, Bishop of Cuernavaca and current President of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, is the combative, strategically minded captain the team needs. His unanimous selection as captain of the national side confirms his leadership and his reading of the national ecclesial game. On the pitch, Castro is not afraid to push forward or score prophetic-pastoral goals, even against the opponent’s dirty play. His style blends courage with calculation: he calls, unites and sets the team’s tempo. The faithful and the media recognize his clear voice in homilies and public statements. As the ideal captain, he lifts the squad in difficult moments and projects the hope of the people of God forward. He becomes the natural reference to lead the episcopal team toward collective victories.
Striker: José Francisco Robles Ortega (Guadalajara)
Veteran José Francisco Robles Ortega, cardinal and Archbishop of Guadalajara, brings the experience and composure of someone who has played in multiple pastoral “World Cups.” A former captain of the national team, his veteran status translates into precise passes, well-calculated plays and a serene presence that stabilizes the side. Robles’ strength lies in intelligent combination play, enabling younger teammates and reading the game with historical perspective. Firmly planted on the pitch, he continues to show skill in connecting generations. His trajectory as a national and international reference and his measured voice in key moments make him the experienced striker who, with one well-timed touch, can tilt the result toward communion and hope.
Central Defender: Cristóbal Ascencio García (Apatzingán)
Cristóbal Ascencio García represents the central defender of integrity and courage in the most demanding areas of the pitch. He faces dangerous plays with firmness, anticipating risks and clearly blocking situations of violence that could affect the match. His public denunciations and national-media interviews (including notable interventions on the state’s situation) show that he neither intimidates nor retreats. Ascencio moves across the field with confidence, recovers balls of hope and organizes the pastoral build-up with judgment. His prophetic voice protects the “flock” without fear and spreads courage to the rest of the team. In the episcopal squad he is the center-back who keeps the defensive line solid even under constant pressure, allowing the attack to breathe and create.
Central Defender: Jaime Calderón Calderón (León)
Jaime Calderón Calderón, Archbishop of León since July 2024, stands on the pitch with charisma, authority and anticipation. His recent reception of the archiepiscopal pallium from Pope Leo XIV and his collegial appointment consolidate him as a high-level defender. Calderón neutralizes opposing strategies with tactical reading and well-calculated defending; he knows how to read movements on the pitch and respond with balance. He connects deeply with fans who recognize him as a valuable player with great potential. In the episcopal team he represents the center-back who transmits security, initiates build-up play with clear vision and has the maturity to lead in decisive matches, perfectly complementing the team’s direction.
Right-back: Andrés Luis García Jasso (Auxiliary of Mexico)
Andrés Luis García Jasso, Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico since 2021, is one of the youngest and most promising members of the squad. His technical, communicative and dynamic style is reflected in his pastoral work. García Jasso “goes for more” with total commitment to the team’s good: he surges down the flank with energy, delivers quality crosses and generates synergy with his teammates. His youth brings tactical freshness and future vision without sacrificing solidity. With great potential to rise to greater responsibilities, he represents the modern full-back who combines constant work, good ball control and the ability to unbalance the opponent in attack. In the episcopal team he is the flank player who can become a reference for an entire generation.
Left-back: Mons. Juan María Huerta Muro, OFM (Xochimilco)
Juan María Huerta Muro, OFM, Bishop of Xochimilco since March 2025, is the selection’s discovery heading into his first major “World Cup” of visibility. A Franciscan, he combines service experience with empathy and dialogue skills to thread plays together. His style on the left flank features intelligent recovery, measured crosses and constant projection. He is already appreciated for his closeness and for building pastoral bridges. Huerta Muro has all the qualities to break forward and become a legend of episcopal football: Franciscan humility, solidity and vision for the future. In the squad he represents the attacking full-back who, with total commitment, can mark an era.
Defensive Midfielder: Alfonso G. Miranda (Piedras Negras)
Alfonso Gerardo Miranda Guardiola, Bishop of Piedras Negras, is the midfielder who connects defense and attack with creativity, rhythm and values. On the Coahuila border he has publicly urged an end to violence and called for dialogue for peace, imprinting an ethical and constructive style on the game. Miranda recovers balls of despair, distributes with judgment and maintains the collective pulse. His previous collegial experience gives him tactical vision to thread quick transitions between lines. In the episcopal squad he is the engine that stabilizes the midfield, promotes pastoral fair play and allows the forwards to find clear spaces. A high-performance player who balances containment and construction.
Attacking Midfielder: José Francisco “Paco” González González (Tuxtla Gutiérrez)
“Paco” González, Archbishop of Tuxtla Gutiérrez since April 2025 (taking possession on the seminary’s football field), is the natural midfielder who controls the play, provides width and creates chances. His career (auxiliary in Guadalajara, bishop in Campeche and now in Chiapas) has hardened him to form a perfect partnership with the ball: creative, communicative and combative when it comes to finishing. González González not only recovers and distributes; he opens the field with intelligent passes and game vision. His closeness to teammates and pastoral leadership make him indispensable in the team’s mechanism. In the episcopal squad he represents the class midfielder who, with a touch of quality, raises the collective level and keeps the fighting spirit alive until the final whistle.
Midfielder with International Vision: Gustavo Rodríguez Vega (Yucatán)
Gustavo Rodríguez Vega, Archbishop of Yucatán, brings the broad perspective that only elite international experience provides. As president of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean, he has threaded continental-range plays with goal-scoring impact on migration, peace and charity. His ethical character translates into the ability to read the global game and deliver precise, balanced crosses that find the strikers in shooting positions. Rodríguez Vega balances defense and attack with maturity and social sensitivity. In the episcopal squad he is the strategically visionary midfielder who raises the team’s tactical level, connects local realities with wider horizons and shows that good pastoral football is built with collective intelligence and depth.
Recovering and Balancing Midfielder: Mons. José de Jesús González Hernández, OFM (Chilpancingo-Chilapa)
José de Jesús González Hernández, OFM, Bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa since February 2022, is the composed midfielder who brings balance to the game in one of Guerrero’s most complex dioceses. A Franciscan (like his club-mate Huerta Muro), he moves with assurance, destroys rival attacks of violence and insecurity, and recovers balls of hope for the team. His style is one of intelligent containment and pastoral counter-attack: he does not seek individual brilliance, but rather collective solidity. In threatening contexts, González Hernández stays calm, communicates clearly and generates stability. In the episcopal squad he represents the containing player who, with Franciscan composure and experience in high-pressure zones, allows the team to attack with confidence and maintain balance until the final whistle.