Introduction
Luis Francisco Romo Barrón (born 5 June 1995) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Liga MX club Monterrey and the Mexico national team.
Club career
Querétaro
Born in Sinaloa, Romo began his career playing for the youth squads of Cruz Azul. At the age of 15, Romo was cut by Cruz Azul, and eventually joined the youth squads of Querétaro.
He made his Liga MX debut with Querétaro on 20 July 2018, in the team's opening match of the season, against Atlas. By the 2019 Apertura, he was named club captain. It proved to be Romo's final campaign with Querétaro, playing in 17 matches and scoring three goals.
Cruz Azul
In January 2020, he joined Cruz Azul, returning to the club he had played for as a youngster. He made his league debut for the club on the 17th of the month in a 2–1 defeat to Atlético San Luis. On 25 July, he scored his first goal for La Máquina in a 3–0 victory over Santos Laguna. On 3 December, he scored his first brace in Cruz Azul's 4–0 first leg victory over Pumas UNAM in the Guardianes 2020 semi-finals. He played in the return leg of the series which Cruz Azul lost 4–0, resulting in the team's elimination 4–4 on aggregate.
Romo played an integral part in Cruz Azul's championship-winning Guardianes 2021 campaign. He played in 19 matches, scored three goals, and provided seven assists, and was named the league's best player.
International career
Romo received his first call up to the senior national team by Gerardo Martino, and made his debut on 19 November 2019 in the 2–1 CONCACAF Nations League victory against Bermuda.
Romo was called up by Jaime Lozano as one of three over-age reinforcements for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He won the bronze medal with the Olympic team.
In October 2022, Romo was named in Mexico's preliminary 31-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and in November, he was ultimately included in the final 26-man roster, but did not receive any minutes on the field during the tournament.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 19 May 2024
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Querétaro | 2016–17 | Liga MX | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | – | 6 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 | |||||
| 2018–19 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 1 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 48 | 4 | 11 | 0 | — | — | 59 | 4 | ||||
| Cruz Azul | 2019–20 | Liga MX | 9 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | 39 | 6 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 6 | |||
| 2021–22 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 57 | 9 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 9 | |||
| Monterrey | 2021–22 | Liga MX | 17 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | 40 | 3 | — | — | — | 40 | 3 | |||||
| 2023–24 | 33 | 1 | — | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 46 | 2 | |||
| Total | 90 | 5 | — | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 105 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 195 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 228 | 19 | ||
International
- As of match played 30 June 2024
| Mexico | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021 | 12 | 0 |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 |
| 2023 | 15 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | 49 | 3 |
International goals
- Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 June 2022 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica |  Jamaica | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 2. | 25 June 2023 | NRG Stadium, Houston, United States |  Honduras | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3. | 2–0 |
Honours
Cruz Azul
- Liga MX: Guardianes 2021
Mexico Olympic
- Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
Mexico
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2023
Individual
- Liga MX Best XI: Guardianes 2020, Guardianes 2021
- Liga MX Player of the Month: August 2020, February 2021, May 2021
- Liga MX Most Valuable Player: Guardianes 2021
- Liga MX Best Defensive Midfielder: 2020–21
- Liga MX All-Star: 2021