Mexican Legend Manuel Negrete tests positive for COVID-19

Current mayor of Coyoacan, and ex-Mexico NT and Pumas legend Manuel Negrete announced that he has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Negrete announced the result through his twitter account and said he was taking precautions and would remain in his job while he faces COVID-19. Negrete was a key part of the Mexican National team in the 80s where he scored what might be the best goal in Mexican National team history in the Round of 16 match against Bulgaria during the 1986 World Cup.

Manuel Negrete was a historic player who came through Pumas and was key in winning a title in 1980-81. Under coach Bora Milutinovic, Negrete became a mainstay in the Mexican NT that played in the 1986 World Cup. Negrete rose to worldwide fame with his amazing goal against Bulgaria in the Round of 16. Negrete scored a half bicicycle kick that opened up the score in what later was a 2-0 win. The goal is clearly the best goal ever scored by Mexico in a World Cup, and it even won a FIFA internet poll as the best world cup goal ever. After the World Cup, Negrete went to Europe where he played in Sporting Lisboa and later Sporting de Gijon along with ex-Pumas teammate Luis Flores. Negrete would return to Mexico with Pumas. He would later play in Atlante, where he would win a league title in the 92-93 season. After retiring, Negrete went into the sports direction in the state government of his native Guerrero. Negrete later went into politics in Mexico City where he is the current mayor of the Coyoacan delegation of Mexico City.

With the result, Negrete becomes the latest person around Mexican football to test positive for COVID-19 after Atletico San Luis President Alberto Marrero and Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla. While it’s true that Negrete is a government official and not currently in Football, his main popularity comes from his time as a player in the National team and Liga MX. Marrero and Bonilla have said they are free of the virus and hopefully it will be the same with Negrete. Mexico is currently in Phase 3 of the COVID-19 emergency, with the highest numbers it has had so far with 2,700 deaths so far from COVID 19.