Joel Sánchez

Who is Joel Sánchez?

Joel Sánchez Ramos is a retired Mexican football defender who last played for Veracruz. He is nicknamed "El Tiburón" Sánchez. He was also a member of the Mexico squad that won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup.

A strong central defender, Sanchez made his debut with Guadalajara during the 1991–92 season. He is best known for his time at Chivas, where he won the Verano 1997 championship. At Guadalajara, he formed a powerful defensive core alongside Claudio Suárez, with whom he played at both club and international level. After spending a year at rival Club América, he returned to Chivas in 2000. In later years, he played for Veracruz, Dorados, Querétaro, and Tecos.

He was a member of the Mexican national team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, playing in the first-round games against Belgium and the Netherlands. In addition, Sanchez represented Mexico at the Copa América tournaments of 1997 and 1999, helping the team to third-place finishes on both occasions.