Johan Vasquez: Genoa’s Pillar and Mexico’s Hope at the 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Genoa and Mexico center back Johan Vasquez speaks with us about finding a home in Serie A, preparing for the World Cup, and playing under Italian legend Daniele De Rossi. 

In the last few seasons, Johan Vasquez has emerged as a real pillar at the back for Serie A side Genoa.

Having signed from Pumas UNAM for around €4 million in 2021, the defender’s value and prominence has increased multi-fold. That has been quite evident in recent months.

The Italian side have witnessed a recovery under the tutelage of Italy legend Daniele de Rossi, who replaced Patrick Vieira earlier in the campaign. Genoa started 2026 on a five-match unbeaten streak, and although they dropped their last two matches, there has been a clear shift in the club’s quality.

Vasquez’s presence has been constant throughout the campaign. Reliably enough, the Mexico international has played nearly every minute of the Serie A season, playing a full 90 in 23 of Genoa’s 24 matches, with his only sub off coming in the 73rd minute of the team’s win over Bologna on January 25.

Vasquez also became Genoa’s captain ahead of the 2025-26 season, with Viera handing him the armband on matchday one, and he’s retained the position ever since. At 27, the center back has conducted himself like a true leader of a side that is still quite young.

Consistency has become a hallmark for the Mexico international, who has seen Genoa go through a fair amount of ups and downs. He has stuck with the club, while becoming a well-recognized figure in Serie A.

“The last four years have been great growth on a sporting level, but also on a human level,” Vasquez said. “In Genoa I became a father and I grew a lot in everyday life. I arrived here at 22 years old, now I am 27 and I am a more mature person.”

The Genoa captain understands how important this season is, with the upcoming World Cup looming in the future. Earning the leadership role was a real honor, and while he’s still focused on the club campaign, it will lay down a foundation for his performance this summer on the international stage.

“Being the captain of Genoa is an honor,” Vasquez said. “From the beginning I knew that this season would be very important, a season that will end with the World Cup, but to get there in the right way I first have to think about Genoa, about doing well here, and that is my first and only thought at the moment.”

Vasquez was part of Mexico’s squad for the 2022 World Cup but he didn’t get an appearance in the competition and found himself on the bench for all three games. He’s come a long way over the last four years, and is in his best form in the run up to what could very well be the most important tournament of his career — especially with Mexico serving as a co-host.

If Vasquez wants advice on how to perform at the world’s biggest sporting event, he need not look further than his current manager. One of the greatest to ever wear the Italian Azzurri kit, De Rossi was the youngest member of the 2006 World Cup winning squad, and despite serving a four-match suspension during the tournament, he returned in the final and converted his penalty attempt en route to victory.

De Rossi is tied for the fourth-most caps for Italy, and donned the iconic No. 10 shirt, making him an ideal source for mentorship.

“I hope that at some point during this season I will be able to talk to the manager about this, obviously about everything he experienced in his great career as a footballer at the World Cup,” Vasquez said. “In my opinion these are things that will help me a lot in my own experience, but there will be time to talk about them and I do not want to rush things without thinking about the present, which for me is Genoa.”

Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images

His main priority remains the 2025-26 campaign, and Genoa, currently in 15th in the Serie A table, are closer to the relegation zone than they’d like to be. Vasquez knows better than to get caught up in the hype of a tournament still months away.

“The World Cup is still a long way off,” Vasquez said. “And to get there in the right way I have to keep doing better here at Genoa. It is necessary to be aware of the present, and only daily work will allow me to arrive at the World Cup at my best moment.”

As Vasquez is unable to look ahead to this summer’s World Cup just yet, we’ll do it for him. While Mexico automatically qualified as one of the three co-hosts, they weren’t done any favors with their group draw, which features South Africa, South Korea, and either Denmark, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, or Ireland.

It won’t be an easy route, but Mexico is hoping to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1986, and to avenge their group stage exit at Qatar 2022. Vasquez figures to play a big role in these ambitions.

He has 42 caps for El Tri, and starred in the 2025 Gold Cup final, providing an assist in Mexico’s 2-1 win over the United States.

“I want to go a long way with Mexico,” Vasquez said. “We have not qualified for the quarterfinals and I would really like to get there. It would be a dream.”