César Montes
#3 · Defender · age 29
1.92m centre-back; pillar of the 'safety triangle'
81
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 55
- Career peak
- 89
- League level
- 72
- Competition pedigree
- 24
- International pedigree
- 91
- Longevity
- 67
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Montes’s path from Monterrey through Spain and on to Moscow has made him one of the more travelled Mexican defenders of his generation, and the experience shows. He reads the game well enough to step out and intercept, yet his aerial dominance lets him stay the last line when needed. For a Mexico side that has lacked physical CBs at past tournaments, he’s a non-negotiable.
The Lokomotiv move raised eyebrows but has kept him in regular high-stakes minutes, which matters more to Aguirre than league prestige.
Strengths
- Aerial dominance
- Long passing range
- Set-piece threat at both ends
Recent form
Regular starter for Lokomotiv across 2025-26 with strong Russian Premier League returns.
Scored Mexico's only goal at the 2022 World Cup against Saudi Arabia (alongside Henry Martín), keeping El Tri agonisingly close to qualifying from the group.