Luis Francisco Romo Barrón (; born 5 June 1995) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Liga MX club Guadalajara, whom he captains, and the Mexico national team.
Early life Born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Romo began his career playing for the youth squads of Cruz Azul. At the age of 15, Romo was cut by Cruz Azul, and eventually joined the youth squads of Querétaro.
Club career Querétaro 2018–19: Debut season He made his Liga MX debut with Querétaro on 20 July 2018, in the team's opening match of the season, against Atlas.
2019–20: Assuming the captaincy and departure By the 2019 Apertura, he was named club captain. It proved to be Romo's final campaign with Querétaro, playing in 17 matches and scoring three goals.
Cruz Azul 2019–20: Debut season In January 2020, he joined Cruz Azul, returning to the club he had played for as a youngster. He made his league debut for the club on the 17th of the month in a 2–1 defeat to Atlético San Luis.
2020–21: Liga MX Best XI and first league title On 25 July, he scored his first goal for La Máquina in a 3–0 victory over Santos Laguna. On 3 December, he scored his first brace in Cruz Azul's 4–0 first leg victory over Pumas in the Guardianes 2020 semi-finals. He played in the return leg of the series which Cruz Azul lost 4–0, resulting in the team's elimination 4–4 on aggregate.
Romo played an integral part in Cruz Azul's championship-winning Guardianes 2021 campaign. He played in 19 matches, scored three goals, and provided seven assists, and was named the league's best player.
2021–22: Final season and departure On 6 January 2022, Romo announced his official departure from Cruz Azul on social media.
Monterrey Shortly after departing from Cruz Azul, it was officially confirmed that Romo had signed with Monterrey. During the presentation, Romo declared that he wanted to become successful at the club like Jesús Arellano, who he idolized as a kid.
Return to Cruz Azul On 8 July 2024, Romo announced that he would be making his return to Cruz Azul.
Guadalajara In January 2025, Romo joined Guadalajara in an exchange that included Jesús Orozco joining Cruz Azul and Cruz Azul paying an additional $4.5 million.
International career Youth 2021: Summer Olympics Romo was called up by Jaime Lozano as one of three over-age reinforcements for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He won the bronze medal with the Olympic team.
Senior 2019: Beginnings Romo received his first call up to the senior national team by Gerardo Martino, and made his debut on 19 November 2019 in the 2–1 CONCACAF Nations League victory against Bermuda.
2022: First FIFA World Cup In October 2022, Romo was named in Mexico's preliminary 31-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and in November, he was ultimately included in the final 26-man roster, but did not receive any minutes on the field during the tournament.
2023–2025: First titles Romo was a member of the Mexico teams that captured the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League, with both titles secured by victories over Panama in the finals.
2026: Second FIFA World Cup Romo was named in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted on home soil. He scored his first World Cup goal and earned Man of the Match award in a 1–0 victory over South Korea, securing his nation's qualification for the knockout stage.
Personal life Romo is married to his teenage sweetheart María Fernanda, with whom he has two children, a son and a daughter.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season amd competitionClubSeasonLeagueCopa MXContinentalIntercontinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsQuerétaro2016–17Liga MX—10———102017–18—60———602018–1929130———3212019–2019310———203Total484110———594Cruz Azul2019–20Liga MX92—20——1122020–213965040——4862021–2291———10101Total5795060—10649Monterrey2021–22Liga MX171——20—1912022–23403————4032023–24331—71—60462Total905—7120601056Cruz Azul2024–25Liga MX200———40240Guadalajara131—40——1712025–26281———303112026–27101———30131Total513—40—60613Career total266211601712017031822
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsMexico20191020204020211202022101202315220241212025402026101Total685
Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Romo goal. + List of international goals scored by Luis RomoNo.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 14 June 2022 Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica 24 1–1 1–1 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League A2 25 June 2023 NRG Stadium, Houston, United States 31 1–0 4–0 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup3 2–04 7 September 2024 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States 50 3–0 3–0 Friendly5 18 June 2026 Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico 64 1–0 1–0 2026 FIFA World Cup
Honours Cruz Azul Liga MX: Guardianes 2021
Mexico Olympic Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
Mexico CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2023 CONCACAF Nations League: 2024–25
Individual Liga MX Best XI: Guardianes 2020, Guardianes 2021 Liga MX Player of the Month: August 2020, February 2021, May 2021 Liga MX Most Valuable Player: Guardianes 2021 Liga MX Best Defensive Midfielder: 2020–21 Liga MX All-Star: 2021 The Best of America Best Liga MX Player: 2021 Liga MX top assist provider: Apertura 2024 (Shared)
See also
References
External links