Mexico captain Edson Álvarez was forced off with an injury in the first half of his team’s Copa América opener vs. Jamaica on Saturday at Houston’s NRG Stadium.
After sprinting back during a counter from Jamaica, the West Ham midfielder suddenly hit the ground in pain, clutching his left hamstring.
Álvarez had to be helped off the field in obvious pain and was visibly distraught at his match and potentially his tournament coming to an end after less than 30 minutes.
Monterrey’s Luis Romo was chosen to replace Álvarez by Mexico manager Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano, with the score tied at 0-0.
Speaking on Friday, Álvarez stated that he had “goosebumps” at the thought of captaining Mexico for the first time at a major tournament.
Álvarez was a key experienced figure in a young Mexico squad undergoing a generational change under Lozano at the Copa América. Since his debut with Mexico in February 2017, only Jesús Gallardo has played more games for El Tri than Álvarez’s 80.
He has also played more minutes for Mexico than any other player since Lozano took charge last year.