*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 August 2021
Carlos Joel Salcedo Hernández (born 29 September 1993), also known as El Titán,[2] is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga MX club Monterrey.
Salcedo began his youth career at Guadalajara in 2006 and moved to Tigres UANL and then Real Salt Lake, where he started his professional career in 2013. He would return to Guadalajara in 2015, and the following year made his move abroad with loan spells at Fiorentina and Eintracht Frankfurt, making a permanent move with the latter in 2018. In January 2019, he returned to Mexico to join Tigres UANL helping them win the 2019 Clausura and the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League. In 2022, he returns to the Major League Soccer to join Toronto FC. That same year he returns to Mexico to join Juárez.
Having previously played at C.D. Guadalajara's and Tigres UANL's youth academy teams, Salcedo joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club Real Salt Lake's academy in January 2012. In August of the same year he began training with the first-team squad.[3] Salcedo signed a home grown player contract with Salt Lake in January 2013, having met the minimum requirement to be defined as "home grown" of one year academy training.[4]
Real Salt Lake
On 4 May 2013, Salcedo made his professional MLS debut for Real Salt Lake as a substitute against Vancouver Whitecaps, ending in a 2–0 win entering as a substitute in the 89th minute.[5] In the second half of the 2013 season he was a regular starter for Salt Lake starting 12 games by season's end.
Following a lack of playing time in the 2014 season with Real Salt Lake, in November 2014, Salcedo took to Twitter asking the team not to bring him into future team plans, citing issues with former general manager Garth Lagerwey.[6][7]
Guadalajara
Salcedo with Guadalajara in 2015
On 6 January 2015, Salcedo returned to Mexican side C.D. Guadalajara, for the price of $450,000.[6][8] Salcedo made his debut for the club in a 2–1 win at home against Pumas UNAM in which he played the first 60 minutes.[9]
On 1 March, Salcedo scored his first goal in a 3–0 win at home against Monterrey in which he played the full 90 minutes.[10] At the end of his first tournament with Chivas, he was listed in the Best XI.[11]
On 21 August 2016, Italian club ACF Fiorentina announced they had acquired Salcedo on loan, with the option to purchase the player at the end of the deal.[14] Salcedo made his debut with Fiorentina on 15 September against PAOK in their 0–0 draw in the Europa League.[15] He made his Serie A debut ten days later against Milan in a 0–0 draw.[16]
In April 2018, Salcedo was listed as one of three center-backs nominated for the Bundesliga Team of the Season, alongside Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng.[21] On 14 May, Eintracht Frankfurt announced they had signed Salcedo to a four-year contract, tying him to the club until 2022.[22] On 19 May, Salcedo won the DFB-Pokal with Eintracht Frankfurt after they defeated Bayern Munich 3–1 in the final.[23]
Eintracht Frankfurt
On 12 August 2018, Salcedo played in his first competitive game of the season in Frankfurt's 5–0 loss to Bayern Munich for the DFL-Supercup.[24] On 1 September, during a league match against Werder Bremen, which Frankfurt lost 2–1, Salcedo suffered a high ankle sprain, meaning he would be ruled out of action for an undetermined amount of time.[25][26] On 2 December, he reappeared as an unused substitute in Frankfurt's 2–1 loss to Wolfsburg.[27] Six days later, he made his return to the starting eleven in Frankfurt's 1–0 loss to Hertha Berlin.[28]
Tigres UANL
On 22 January 2019, amidst much speculation, Tigres UANL announced via social media the signing of Salcedo to a four-year contract,[29] being handed the number 3 which had previously been worn by Juninho, who had retired at the conclusion of the 2018 Apertura.[30] He had cited family issues as the main reason for returning to Mexico.[31][32] Salcedo also revealed that he did not return to C.D. Guadalajara because the team was only looking to acquire him on loan from Frankfurt, an offer which was declined by the German side.[33] Two weeks after being officially presented with Tigres, Salcedo made his Liga MX debut in a 2–0 victory against Veracruz.[34]
On 31 January 2022, Salcedo returned to MLS, signing with Toronto FC as a Designated Player.[41] He made his debut on 26 February in the season opener against FC Dallas.[42] On 12 July 2022, Toronto and Salcedo mutually agreed to terminate his contract to allow him to move back to Mexico for family reasons.[43]
Later Career
Shortly after leaving Toronto, Salcedo joined Juárez.[44]
On 16 June 2023, Cruz Azul reached an agreement to sign Salcedo.[45] On 22 July 2024, Cruz Azul and Salcedo parted ways by mutual agreement.[46] On 4 August, Salcedo returned to Juárez.
On 19 January 2025, Monterrey announced the acquisition of Salcedo. However, on that very day, Salcedo sustained a significant injury during a training session.
On 18 September 2015, Salcedo was once again selected by coach Raúl Gutiérrez to play in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship.[49] Chosen as team captain for the competition,[50] he appeared in four matches, winning the tournament and a berth to the Summer Olympics.[51]
On 7 July 2016, Salcedo was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[52] He appeared in all three group stage matches, scoring the fourth goal in a 5–1 defeat of Fiji,[53] though Mexico failed to make it out of the group after finishing in third.[54]
On 8 June 2017, Salcedo was included by Juan Carlos Osorio to be Mexico's 23-man squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.[59] On 21 June, during Mexico's second group stage match against New Zealand, Salcedo was taken off during the first half after sustaining a shoulder injury following a collision with striker Chris Wood. He was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the tournament.[60]
On 27 March 2018, during a friendly match against Croatia he would pick up a fractured left collarbone injury, putting in risk a call up for the FIFA World Cup.[61] Salcedo was subsequently named in the final 23-man squad for the World Cup.[62] He played in all group stage matches, including in the round-of-16 loss against Brazil.[63] Following Mexico's elimination, Salcedo pondered his future with the national team, citing personal issues.[64] He was eventually called up to participate in September friendlies by interim manager Ricardo Ferretti, but withdrew due to a high ankle sprain injury.[65]
On 6 June 2019, Salcedo was called up by coach Gerardo Martino to participate in the Gold Cup.[66] In the quarter-final match against Costa Rica, as the match was sent to a penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 tie, he scored Mexico's winning penalty before Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa blocked the subsequent Costa Rica shot.[67][68][69] As Mexico went on to win the tournament after defeating the United States 1–0 in the final,[70] he was named in the competition's Best XI.[71]
On 30 September 2020, he appeared as captain in a friendly match against Guatemala, winning 3–0.[72] On 14 November, Salcedo scored his first goal in a friendly match against South Korea, winning 3–2.[73]
Style of play
"[H]is time at Real Salt Lake [defined] his style because he flies into tackles, he’s got that kind of American-style defending. He does have that steel. He plays on the edge."
—Reporter Tom Marshall on Salcedo's playing style.[6]
A natural center-back, Salcedo has been deployed as a full-back: on the right side while playing for the Mexico national team[74][75] and on the left when he used to play for Real Salt Lake.[76][77] He is known as "a good passer and as a concentrated player who likes to play long balls, he is known for his well timed slide tackles and his strength in the back line, his abilities to win most of the aerial duels makes him a complete defender."[78] He has also been described as "tall, strong, physically imposing and quick on the ball. He has superb slide tackling skills and is willing to throw his body into danger if it means stopping an opponents attack."[79] He is commonly known by his nickname Titan, as a result of his imposing physical presence[63] and his speedy recoveries from injuries,[80] as well as being able to play through them.[76] In an interview with Tom Marshall from Goal.com, Salcedo stated that his early move to the MLS would help develop his playing style, arguing "that MLS is generally more physical than in Mexico, but that learning to combat a more direct style complements the technique and comfort on the ball that was drilled into him, first at [Guadalajara] and later with Tigres."[81]
^"Iron Man Carlos Salcedo set for ANOTHER earlier-than-expected return from injury for Eintracht Frankfurt". Bundesliga. 23 October 2018. "Despite suffering a shoulder injury, he returned to fitness quicker than anticipated because he worked intensively on his recovery process," said sporting director Bruno Hübner at the time. "That shows his professional attitude. He's an important pillar of our defence." Then-Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac agreed: "His recovery speed was incredible. No wonder they call him 'El Titan'." And he appears to be living up to that nickname once again.
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