# Ángel Mena

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

## 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).
He debuted in the first division in 2007. He scored his first official goal on 16 March 2008 at the Técnico Universitario.
In 2010, he was loaned to Deportivo Cuenca. In 2011, he returns to Club Sport Emelec, and was champion in 2013 and 2014.
After scoring 14 goals as Emelec won the 2014 championship, Mena extended his contract with the club for two years in February 2015. 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.

## 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.
Later in 2014, the interim coach of the Ecuador national team, Sixto Vizuete called up Mena to play friendly matches against Bolivia and Brazil. However, Mena suffered an injury that prevented him playing with the national team.
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.
Mena was selected in the 23-man Ecuador squad for the 2019 Copa América.
Mena was selected in the 28 player Ecuador squad for the 2021 Copa América.
Mena was named in the Ecuadorian squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Mena was called up to the final 26-man Ecuador squad for the 2024 Copa América.

## 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.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 22 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Emelec | 2007 | Serie A | 4 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Emelec | 2008 | Serie A | 18 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 2 |
| Emelec | 2009 | Serie A | 24 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 2 |
| Emelec | 2010 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Emelec | 2011 | Serie A | 36 | 6 | — | — | 6 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 6 |
| Emelec | 2012 | Serie A | 21 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 3 |
| Emelec | 2013 | Serie A | 31 | 3 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 4 |
| Emelec | 2014 | Serie A | 41 | 14 | — | — | 14 | 4 | — | — | 55 | 18 |
| Emelec | 2015 | Serie A | 38 | 13 | — | — | 14 | 3 | — | — | 52 | 16 |
| Emelec | 2016 | Serie A | 36 | 16 | — | — | 9 | 3 | — | — | 45 | 19 |
| Emelec | Total | 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 |
| Cruz Azul | 2017–18 | Liga MX | 27 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 3 |
| Cruz Azul | 2018–19 | Liga MX | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Cruz Azul | Total | Total | 52 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 64 | 10 |
| León | 2018–19 | Liga MX | 23 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 15 |
| León | 2019–20 | Liga MX | 30 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 31 | 17 |
| León | 2020–21 | Liga MX | 37 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 17 |
| León | 2021–22 | Liga MX | 35 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 17 |
| León | 2022–23 | Liga MX | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 6 |
| León | 2023–24 | Liga MX | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 41 | 10 |
| León | Total | Total | 187 | 70 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 213 | 82 |
| Pachuca | 2024–25 | Liga MX | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 523 | 141 | 15 | 3 | 72 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 622 | 171 |
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in the Copa Sudamericana
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in the Copa Libertadores
* ↑ Four appearances and one goal in the Copa Libertadores, three appearances in the Copa Sudamericana
* ↑ Eight appearances and three goals in the Copa Sudamericana, six appearances and one goal in the Copa Libertadores
* ↑ Nine appearances and three goals in the Copa Libertadores, five appearances in the Copa Sudamericana
* ↑ Five appearances and two goals in the Copa Libertadores, four appearances and one goal in Copa Sudamericana
* 1 2 3 4 5 Appearance(s) in the CONCACAF Champions League
* ↑ Three appearances and three goals in Leagues Cup, one appearance in Campeón de Campeones
* ↑ Three appearances and one goal in Leagues Cup, one appearance in FIFA Club World Cup
* ↑ Appearances in Leagues Cup

### International

    As of match played 14 November 2024
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, Apertura 2021
* Liga MX All-Star: 2021