Enrique Alejandro Esqueda Tirado (born 19 April 1988) is a Mexican former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a striker. He represented

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

at the

2015 Copa América The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...

. He is popularly known by his nickname "Paleta".

Club career

América

At club level, he made his debut for América on 4 February 2006 against

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...

. His debut in an international tournament came in 2007, when América participated in the

Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...

, where they finished runner-up. In 2009, América participated in the

World Football Challenge The World Football Challenge was an international club association football Exhibition game, exhibition competition featuring club teams from Europe and North America, that was held from 2009 until 2012, when it was replaced by the International C ...

, where he scored in the 2–1 win against

AC Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...

. In 2011, Esqueda scored against European powerhouses

Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...

in a 1–1 draw and against

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...

in a 2–3 loss.

Pachuca, Atlas, Tigres UANL, Veracruz and Chiapas

On 23 May 2011, he was transferred to C.F. Pachuca. After several years of injuries and ups and downs with Pachuca, he was loaned to

in 2014. Under the command of

Tomás Boy Tomás Juan Boy Espinoza (28 June 1951 – 8 March 2022) was a Mexican professional manager and footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his technical skills and field vision, Boy is considered as one of the greatest Mexica ...

, Esqueda scored three goals with Atlas in the season. On 2015, he was loaned again to

Tigres UANL Club Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, abbreviated as Tigres UANL and simply known as Tigres or internationally as Tigres de México, is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in the Monterrey metropo ...

. With Tigres, he scored a hat-trick in the

Copa Libertadores 2015 The 2015 Copa Libertadores de América (officially the 2015 Copa Bridgestone Libertadores for sponsorship reasons) was the 56th edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, South America's premier club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. ...

victory of 5–4 over

Juan Aurich Club Juan Aurich S. A., commonly known as Juan Aurich, is a Peru, Peruvian association football, football club based in Chiclayo. The original Juan Aurich club was founded in 1922, this incarnation however was founded in 2005. The club currently ...

on 15 April 2015. He also scored the last goal of the 3–0 victory in the

Clásico Regiomontano The Clásico Regiomontano, Clásico Regio, Clásico del Norte or Clásico Norteño is a football derby in Nuevo León, Mexico, between crosstown rival teams C.F. Monterrey and Tigres UANL. Since the first Clásico in 1974, the two teams have comp ...

against arch-rivals

C.F. Monterrey Club de Fútbol Monterrey Rayados, A.C., simply known as Monterrey or by its nickname Rayados, is a Mexican professional association football, football club based in the Monterrey metropolitan area, Nuevo León, that plays in Liga MX, the top d ...

on 18 April, as well as Tigres' first goal in the 2–1 victory over

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

n side

Club Universitario Club Universitario de Deportes is a Peruvian sports club based in Lima, which has soccer as its main activity. It also has women's football, volleyball and basketball sections. The football team, popularly known as Universitario, has competed in ...

in the round of 16 of the 2015 Copa Libertadores. After winning his first

Liga MX Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divis ...

with Tigres UANL as a reserve player, Esqueda was loaned out to

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

where he had a discreet stint. In July 2016, Esqueda was loaned out to

second division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

team

FC Juárez Fútbol Club Juárez, also known as Bravos de Juárez or simply Juárez, is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, that currently competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football ...

a move which Esqueda refused to comply with. After an inactive fall 2016 semester, Esqueda was loaned out to

Chiapas F.C. Jaguares Fútbol Club is a Mexican football club based in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, that plays in Liga Premier, the third level division of Mexican football. Founded in 2002 as Jaguares de Chiapas Fútbol Club, then changed its name to Chiapas ...

His resentment for Tigres UANL is apparent as he has publicly desecrated the Tigres UANL crest on television. After the disaffiliation of Chiapas F.C., Esqueda became a free agent.

Arka Gdynia

On 20 January 2018, Esqueda began trials with

Ekstraklasa (; meaning "Extra Class" in Polish), officially known as PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa due to its Sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski, is a professional association football league in Poland and the highest level of the Polish foo ...

club

Arka Gdynia Morski Związkowy Klub Sportowy Arka Gdynia () is a professional football club based in Gdynia, Poland, that plays in the Ekstraklasa after winning the 2024–25 I liga. The club was founded as Klub Sportowy Gdynia in 1929. History The h ...

. On 22 January, he made his unofficial debut with the Polish side in a friendly against Romanian side

Botoșani Botoșani () is the capital city of Botoșani County, in the northern part of Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga and Grigore Antipa. Origin of the ...

, and scored opening goal in a 2–0 win, making Esqueda the 1st Mexican to score for any team in Poland. On 6 February, he signed a contract valid for the rest of 2017–18 season, with an extension option.

East Bengal

On 20 August 2018,

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

Esqueda joined Indian

I-League The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...

club

East Bengal East Bengal (; ''Purbô Bangla/Purbôbongo'') was the eastern province of the Dominion of Pakistan, which covered the territory of modern-day Bangladesh. It consisted of the eastern portion of the Bengal region, and existed from 1947 until 195 ...

for the upcoming season. On 27 October, he made his debut, scoring a brace in a 2–0 victory over NEROCA. He went onto score 9 goals in 14 matches as East Bengal finished 2nd in the I-League, with 3 assists and 3 Man of the Match awards. He finished as the highest goal getter for East Bengal along with teammate Joby Justin in the

2018–19 I-League The 2018–19 I-League was the 12th season of the I-League, the top Indian professional football league, since its establishment in 2007. The season started on 26 October 2018 and is scheduled to conclude in March 2019. Unlike the Indian Super L ...

season. On 10 March 2019, Enrique was released from his contract.

International career

Esqueda was a part of the U-17 world champion team in

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

in 2005. He was also part of the U-20 team that represented Mexico at the 2007

FIFA U-20 World Cup The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members' men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when i ...

, but was cut from the team at the last minute. He formed part of the U-23 team that was to represent Mexico at the

2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games () and commonly known as Rio 2007, were a major Americas, continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of ...

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas. Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city wa ...

. He helped Mexico achieve a bronze medal, with him scoring four goals, becoming one of the top scorers of the tournament. He was called up by the Mexico national team for a game against

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

. He scored his first goal on 14 October 2009 against

Trinidad & Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several smaller islets. The capital city is Port of Spai ...

in a 2–2 draw. His most recent appearance was on 3 June 2015 in a friendly against

. He was part of the

2015 Copa America Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number) *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album), 2007 * ''15'' (Phatfish album), 2008 * ' ...

roster, however he did not make any appearances during the tournament.

International goals

, - , 1. , , 14 October 2009 , ,

Hasley Crawford Stadium The Hasely Crawford Stadium, formerly the National Stadium, is located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It was inaugurated and formally opened by Prime Minister George Chambers on 12 June 1982. On 30 December 1996, Prime Minister Basdeo P ...

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

, , , , 1–1 , , 2–2 , , 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

International appearances

''As of 12 October 2010''

Honours

América *

InterLiga InterLiga was an association football competition and the qualification method between eight Mexican clubs to determine two clubs qualified for the Copa Libertadores, it was held from 2004 to 2010. History From 1998 to 2003, the Mexican clubs c ...

: 2008 East Bengal *

: Runner-up 2018–19 Tigres UANL *

Apertura 2015 The ' () and ' () tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is ...

Mexico U-17 *

FIFA U-17 World Championship The FIFA U-17 World Cup, founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later changed to U-17 in 1991 and to its current name in 2007, is the annual world championship of association football for male players under the age of 17 organized by ''Fé ...

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

: Bronze medal

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

References

External links

Pasionaguila
Blog y Noticias al minutos del Club America
Enrique Esqueda's stats
* *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Esqueda, Enrique 1988 births Living people Footballers from Querétaro Sportspeople from Querétaro City Men's association football wingers Mexican men's footballers Mexico men's international footballers Footballers at the 2007 Pan American Games 2015 Copa América players Pan American Games bronze medalists for Mexico Pan American Games footballers for Mexico Pan American Games bronze medalists in football Club América footballers C.F. Pachuca players Atlas F.C. footballers Tigres UANL footballers C.D. Veracruz footballers FC Juárez footballers Jaguares F.C. footballers Arka Gdynia players East Bengal Club players Liga MX players Ekstraklasa players I-League players Mexican expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Poland Expatriate men's footballers in India Mexican expatriate sportspeople in Poland Mexican expatriate sportspeople in India Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games 21st-century Mexican sportsmen