Who is Mateo Chavez? The Mexican player sent off after an altercation with Sebastian Berhalter
The Mexican fullback was shown a red card during the loss to the United States.
M Mexico and the United States met again on October 3 in Arizona, but this time the match featured a moment that quickly put Mateo Chávez in the spotlight.
What happened between Mateo Chávez and Sebastian Berhalter?
It all happened in the 67th minute , after Chávez committed a foul on Yunus Musah . Berhalter approached the Mexican player to confront him about the play, and the exchange escalated when the American pushed him. Chávez responded with a slap to the face, Berhalter fell to the ground , and several players rushed over. The referee's response was immediate: a straight red card for the Mexican, who had entered at the start of the second half in place of Jesús Gallardo .
Behind that red card is a 22-year-old Mexican player who began his development in Chivas' youth academy . Mateo later moved through Tapatío before reaching the first team, where he made his Liga MX debut in January 2024.
His time in Mexican soccer was brief. In July 2025, AZ Alkmaar signed him to take him to the Netherlands, where the left back continued his professional career.
From Chivas to scoring at a World Cup
A year after moving to Europe, Chávez experienced one of the biggest moments of his career. The fullback was part of the Mexico national team at the 2026 World Cup and played in his first-ever World Cup .
His performance did not go unnoticed. In Mexico's 3-0 win over the Czech Republic, Chávez scored a goal and was named the MVP of the match , becoming one of the standout players in that performance by the Mexican team.
The Chávez name already had a story behind it
Mateo's story is also connected to a familiar figure in Mexican soccer. He is the son of Paulo César “Tilón” Chávez , a former Chivas and Monterrey player who was close to making the 1998 France World Cup squad but was left out of the final roster at the last moment.
