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Omar Mendiburu

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mendiburu and the second or maternal family name is Cruz.

Omar Mendiburu
Personal information
Full name José Omar Mendiburu Cruz
Date of birth (1960-04-24)24 April 1960
Place of birth Mexico City, Mexico
Date of death 7 March 2025(2025-03-07) (aged 64)
Place of death Mexico City, Mexico
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1981 Cruz Azul 41 (8)
1981–1983 Neza 28 (7)
1983–1984 Oaxtepec 26 (6)
1984–1986 UANL 30 (4)
1986–1988 Puebla 54 (13)
1988–1989 UANL 7 (2)
1989–1990 Tampico Madero ? (1)
International career
1979 Mexico U20 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Omar Mendiburu Cruz (24 April 1960 – 7 March 2025) was a Mexican professional footballer who played as forward. He played 13 seasons in the Mexican Primera División with Cruz Azul (where he won the 1979–80 and 1980-81 championships), Deportivo Neza, Oaxtepec, Tigres UANL, Puebla and Tampico Madero. He also represented Mexico at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship.[1][2]

Early career

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Mendiburu was born on 24 April 1960 in Colonia Guerrero, Mexico City.[3][4] He started playing football in the Deportivo Plan Sexenal, a sports center in the Miguel Hidalgo borough.[4] He joined the academy of Cruz Azul in 1972. He won the 1977–78 reserves championship and finished as the top scorer of the tournament with 27 goals.[5]

Club career

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Mendiburu made his professional debut with Cruz Azul during the 1978–79 Mexican Primera División season. He won back-to-back championships with Cruz Azul in the 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons, playing a key role in the team’s attack.[5][6] In 1981, he transferred to Deportivo Neza, where he played the next two seasons. In 1983, he joined Oaxtepec for the club’s final season, scoring the last goal in the team’s history on 12 May 1984 at the Estadio Olímpico de Oaxtepec against Leones Negros UdeG.[1]

In 1984, he joined Tigres UANL, where he played until 1986. The next season he signed with Puebla, where he played 54 matches, scoring 13 goals and winning the 1987–88 Copa México. In 1988 he returned to Tigres UANL, and he played his last professional season in 1989–90 with Tampico Madero.[1]

International career

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Mendiburu was part of the Mexican squad that participated in the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship played in Japan. He started in two matches, against Algeria and Spain and played as a substitute against Japan.[7][8][9]

Death

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On 11 November 2024, Mendiburu was hospitalized in the General Hospital of Mexico and required blood donations.[10][11] He died on 7 March 2025 in Mexico City, aged 64.[2][12][13]

Honours

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Cruz Azul

Puebla

References

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  1. ^ a b c Navarro, Iván (7 March 2025). "Muere Omar Mendiburu, exjugador de Tigres y bicampeón con Cruz Azul". Telediario (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b Tirado, Víctor (7 March 2025). "Muere Omar Mendiburu, histórico jugador bicampeón con Cruz Azul; tenía 64 años". SDP Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  3. ^ "José Omar Mendiburu Cruz". ligamx.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b Calderón, Enrique (10 July 2022). ""Era un goleador nato; metía goles de chilena, de cabeza, con las dos piernas": Omar Mendiburu". La Lupa (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b "El héroe que no conociste… Omar Mendiburu". maquinacementera.com.mx (in Spanish). 4 January 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  6. ^ Chávez, Irving (7 March 2025). "Luto en la Noria; fallece histórico futbolista y goleador de Cruz Azul a los 64 años". Publimetro México (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  7. ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Japan 1979 - Matches - Mexico-Algeria". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  8. ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Japan 1979 - Matches - Spain-Mexico". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  9. ^ "FIFA World Youth Championship Japan 1979 - Matches - Japan-Mexico". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  10. ^ "ÚLTIMO MOMENTO: Exjugador de Cruz Azul es hospitalizado de emergencia". Azteca Deportes (in Spanish). 11 November 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  11. ^ Buenaventura, Sebastián (11 November 2024). "Hospitalizaron de emergencia a un ex goleador de Cruz Azul: Omar Mendiburu". Bolavip México (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  12. ^ Buenaventura, Sebastián (7 March 2025). "Falleció José Omar Mendiburu, histórico goleador de Cruz Azul y campeón de la Liga MX". Bolavip México (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  13. ^ Carvajal, Jesús (7 March 2025). "Fallece Omar Mendiburu ex jugador de Tigres". Reforma (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2025.