Ángel Mena

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mena and the second or maternal family name is Delgado.

Ángel Israel Mena Delgado (born 21 January 1988) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Orense and the Ecuador national team.

Ángel Mena

Mena with Ecuador in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Ángel Israel Mena Delgado[1]
Date of birth	(1988-01-21) 21 January 1988 (age 37)[1]
Place of birth	Guayaquil, Ecuador
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Orense
Number	13
Youth career
2004–2007	Emelec
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2016	Emelec	249	(68)
2010	→ Deportivo Cuenca (loan)	30	(5)
2017–2018	Cruz Azul	52	(10)
2019–2024	León	187	(70)
2024	Pachuca	5	(0)
2025–	Orense	21	(5)
International career‡
2015–2024	Ecuador	62	(8)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 November 2024

Club career

Emelec

Mena had extended his contract until 2017 with Club Sport Emelec. He played in 129 games for the national championship and scored 25 goals, according to records of the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF).^[2]

He debuted in the first division in 2007. He scored his first official goal on 16 March 2008 at the Técnico Universitario.^{[citation needed]}

In 2010, he was loaned to Deportivo Cuenca. In 2011, he returns to Club Sport Emelec, and was champion in 2013 and 2014.^{[citation needed]}

After scoring 14 goals as Emelec won the 2014 championship, Mena extended his contract with the club for two years in February 2015.^[3] Mena scored the first goal in the 2014 Ecuadorian Serie A season final match against Barcelona SC, winning 3–0.

Cruz Azul

In 2017 Mena joined Mexican side Cruz Azul. On 12 February Mena scored an impressive free-kick goal against Santos Laguna which earned Cruz Azul a 2–2 draw.^[4]

International career

In April 2014, being in Emelec, Mena was first called up to the Ecuador national football team, led by coach Reinaldo Rueda, for a microcycle. Mena was called for Ecuador's provisional 30-man squad for World Cup 2014 in Brazil.^[5]

Later in 2014, the interim coach of the Ecuador national team, Sixto Vizuete called up Mena to play friendly matches against Bolivia and Brazil.^[6] However, Mena suffered an injury that prevented him playing with the national team.^{[citation needed]}

Mena made his debut on 28 March 2015 in a match against Mexico, coming in as a sub for Jefferson Montero.

Mena was selected in the 23 player Ecuador squad for the Copa América Centenario.^[7]

Mena was selected in the 23-man Ecuador squad for the 2019 Copa América.^[8]

Mena was selected in the 28 player Ecuador squad for the 2021 Copa América.^[9]

Mena was named in the Ecuadorian squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.^[10]

Mena was called up to the final 26-man Ecuador squad for the 2024 Copa América.^[11] He retired from the national team on 17 November 2024.^[12]

Personal life

Mena is married to Shirley Posligua with whom he has two daughters. He and his family are devout Christians. Mena is good friends with fellow footballer Joao Rojas with whom he shared a locker while at Emelec, the fact that Rojas played for Cruz Azul was a significant factor in motivating Mena to join the club.^[13]

Career statistics

Mena playing for Emelec in 2014

Club

As of match played 22 October 2024^[14]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Emelec	2007	Serie A	4	0	—		0	0	—		4	0
	2008	Serie A	18	2	—		0	0	—		18	2
	2009	Serie A	24	2	—		1[a]	0	—		25	2
	2010	Serie A	0	0	—		2[b]	0	—		2	0
	2011	Serie A	36	6	—		6[b]	0	—		42	6
	2012	Serie A	21	2	—		7[c]	1	—		28	3
	2013	Serie A	31	3	—		4[a]	1	—		35	4
	2014	Serie A	41	14	—		14[d]	4	—		55	18
	2015	Serie A	38	13	—		14[e]	3	—		52	16
	2016	Serie A	36	16	—		9[f]	3	—		45	19
	Total		249	58	—		57	12	—		306	70
Deportivo Cuenca (loan)	2010	Serie A	30	5	—		0	0	—		30	5
Cruz Azul	2016–17	Liga MX	16	5	4	2	0	0	—		20	7
	2017–18	Liga MX	27	3	6	0	0	0	—		33	3
	2018–19	Liga MX	9	0	2	0	0	0	—		11	0
	Total		52	8	12	2	0	0	—		64	10
León	2018–19	Liga MX	23	14	3	1	0	0	—		26	15
	2019–20	Liga MX	30	16	0	0	1[g]	1	—		31	17
	2020–21	Liga MX	37	17	0	0	2[g]	0	—		39	17
	2021–22	Liga MX	35	14	0	0	2[g]	0	4[h]	3	41	17
	2022–23	Liga MX	30	3	0	0	5[g]	3	0	0	35	6
	2023–24	Liga MX	32	6	0	0	5[g]	3	4[i]	1	41	10
	Total		187	70	3	1	18	6	8	4	213	82
Pachuca	2024–25	Liga MX	5	0	0	0	0	0	2[j]	0	7	0
Career total			523	141	15	3	72	16	10	4	622	171

1. Appearance(s) in the Copa Sudamericana
2. Appearance(s) in the Copa Libertadores
3. Four appearances and one goal in the Copa Libertadores, three appearances in the Copa Sudamericana
4. Eight appearances and three goals in the Copa Sudamericana, six appearances and one goal in the Copa Libertadores
5. Nine appearances and three goals in the Copa Libertadores, five appearances in the Copa Sudamericana
6. Five appearances and two goals in the Copa Libertadores, four appearances and one goal in Copa Sudamericana
7. Appearance(s) in the CONCACAF Champions League
8. Three appearances and three goals in Leagues Cup, one appearance in Campeón de Campeones
9. Three appearances and one goal in Leagues Cup, one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
10. Appearances in Leagues Cup

International

As of match played 14 November 2024^[15]

Ecuador
Year	Apps	Goals
2015	4	0
2016	4	1
2017	4	0
2019	8	3
2020	4	2
2021	15	1
2022	7	0
2023	9	1
2024	6	0
Total	61	8

List of international goals scored by Ángel Mena

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	24 March 2016	Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador	Paraguay	2–2	2–2	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	9 June 2019	AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States	Mexico	1–1	2–3	Friendly
3	24 June 2019	Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Japan	1–1	1–1	2019 Copa América
4	13 October 2019	Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche, Spain	Argentina	1–3	1–6	Friendly
5	12 November 2020	Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia	Bolivia	2–1	3–2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	17 November 2020	Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador	Colombia	2–0	6–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	27 June 2021	Estádio Olímpico Pedro Ludovico, Goiânia, Brazil	Brazil	1–1	1–1	2021 Copa América
8	21 November 2023	Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador	Chile	1–0	1–0	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Emelec

• Serie A (3): 2013, 2014, 2015

Cruz Azul

• Copa MX (1): Apertura 2018

León

• Liga MX (1): Guardianes 2020
• CONCACAF Champions League (1): 2023
• Leagues Cup (1): 2021

Individual

• Serie A Assist Leader: 2014
• Liga MX Golden Boot: Clausura 2019
• Liga MX Offensive Midfielder of the Year: 2018–19
• Liga MX Best XI: Clausura 2019, Guardianes 2020,^[16] Apertura 2021
• Liga MX All-Star: 2021^[17]