 Montes withMexico in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | César Jasib Montes Castro[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-02-24)24 February 1997 (age 28)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Hermosillo,Sonora, Mexico | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lokomotiv Moscow | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2014 | Pobablo Miguel Alemán FC | ||
| 2014–2015 | Monterrey | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2022 | Monterrey | 216 | (9) |
| 2023 | Espanyol | 20 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Almería | 22 | (0) |
| 2024– | Lokomotiv Moscow | 31 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Mexico U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2016–2021 | Mexico U23 | 12 | (0) |
| 2017– | Mexico | 63 | (4) |
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 November 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 November 2025 | |||
César Jasib Montes Castro (born 24 February 1997) is a Mexican professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forRussian Premier League clubLokomotiv Moscow and theMexico national team.
During a youth league playoff match with Pobablo Miguel Alemán FC againstMonterrey, he caught the attention of the opposing team.[3] He was eventually brought onto Monterrey's youth team and on 2 August 2015, Montes played his first match with Monterrey against Portuguese teamBenfica on the inauguration of theEstadio BBVA Bancomer. Montes came in as a substitute for the second half, and at the 48th minute he scored the first ever-goal in the Estadio BBVA Bancomer. Monterrey defeatedBenfica 3–0.[4]
Montes made his official debut for Monterrey on 29 July 2015, againstCorrecaminos UAT in anApertura 2015 Copa MX group stage match, where Monterrey defeated Correcaminos 3–1.[5] At the end of the2016 Clausura, he was listed in the Best XI.[6]
At the end of December 2019, Montes would win the2019 Apertura finals againstAmérica.[7]
With Monterrey's victory of the2019–20 Copa MX, they had obtained thecontinental treble.[8]
Clásico Regiomontano
Clásico Regiomontano matches against crosstown rivalsTigres UANL have proven to be significant for Montes, scoring three goals against them to date.[9] He would make his league debut on 19 September 2015 against Tigres UANL, contributing a 40-meter long ball assist toRogelio Funes Mori to score the only goal for Monterrey where they lost Monterrey lost 3–1.[10] On 14 May 2016, he would score Monterrey's only goal of the second leg of theClausura 2016 championship quarter-final against Tigres UANL, losing 2–1, but with an aggregate score of 4–3 in favor of Monterrey to allow them move onto the semi-final againstAmérica.[11] On 29 October 2016, he would tie the game against Tigres UANL, 1–1.[12] On 21 April 2017, Montes scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Tigres UANL.[13]
On 27 December 2022, Montes moved abroad and joinedLa Liga clubRCD Espanyol, with a contract until 2028.[14] He made his debut for the club on 7 January 2023, in a 2–2 home draw againstGirona FC.
Following Espanyol's relegation, Montes submitted a transfer request and, on September 1st, completed a move toAlmería.[15] He reportedly signed a six-year deal, with the club paying a €14 million transfer fee, making Montes the most expensive signing in the club's history.[16]
On 12 September 2024, Montes signed forRussian Premier League clubLokomotiv Moscow on a five-year deal.[17]
.jpg)
Montes was part ofMarco Antonio Ruiz's roster that participated in the2018 Toulon Tournament.[18] He would go on to appear in all group stage matches including the semi-final, except for the final where Mexico would go to lose 1–2 againstEngland since he picked up an injury in the previous match againstTurkey.[19] He would go on to be included in the Best XI team of the tournament.[20]
On 7 July 2016, Montes was named byRaúl Gutiérrez to be included in Mexico's 21-man squad that would participate in the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, Brazil.[21] He would appear in all of Mexico's group stage matches but Mexico would finish third in their group and were thus eliminated from the competition.
Ruled out for the2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship as it was not a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, Montes was called up byJaime Lozano to participate in the2020 Summer Olympics.[22] He won thebronze medal with the Olympic team.[23]
Montes was called up by thesenior national team to participate in the2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[24] He would make his debut on 13 July 2017 during a group stage match againstJamaica, coming in as a substitute forRodolfo Pizarro at half-time, finishing the game at 0–0.[25]
On 6 June 2019, Montes was called up by coachGerardo Martino to participate in theCONCACAF Gold Cup.[26] He appeared as a substitute in thegroup stage match againstCuba and as a starter in the final group stage match againstMartinique as Mexico went on to win the tournament.[27]
In October 2022, Montes was named in Mexico's preliminary 31-mansquad for the2022 FIFA World Cup, and in November, he was ultimately included in the final 26-man roster.[28]
Montes was included inDiego Cocca's roster for the2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. During the semi-final match against the United States, Montes was sent off in the 69th minute after getting in a physical altercation withWeston McKennie, who was also sent off in the 71st minute after a VAR check. Montes was given a four-match suspension by CONCACAF, which included the third place match against Panama and the2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage.[29]
Montes was included in the subsequent2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[30] Mexico won the tournament after defeatingPanama.[31]
Montes was part of the roster that participated at the2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring three times, once in Mexico's 3–2 victory over theDominican Republic and both goals in the 2–0 win overSuriname. Mexico won the competition defeating rivals theUnited States 2–1 in thefinal. He was subsequently included in the competition's Best XI.[32]
Montes had been described as a ball-playing defender with great range of passing, and has shown on occasions that he is able to pick out long-range passes, and can execute a well-timed and accurate slide tackle. Due to his stature, he is also capable of contributing goals in set-pieces, is good in the air, and is able to deal with high balls into the box.[33][34][35]
His younger brother,Alan, is also a professional footballer, playing for Liga MX clubNecaxa.[citation needed]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Monterrey | 2015–16 | Liga MX | 33 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 37 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | 33 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | — | 41 | 5 | |||
| 2017–18 | 27 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | |||
| 2019–20 | 24 | 1 | 10 | 1 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 36 | 2 | |||
| 2020–21 | 30 | 0 | — | 6[b] | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 28 | 1 | — | — | 1[c] | 1 | 29 | 2 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 216 | 9 | 31 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 265 | 13 | ||
| Espanyol | 2022–23 | La Liga | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 3 | ||
| Almería | 2023–24 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Segunda División | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 0 | |||||
| Lokomotiv Moscow | 2024–25 | Russian Premier League | 16 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 20 | 2 | ||
| 2025–26 | Russian Premier League | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| Total | 31 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 289 | 13 | 38 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 345 | 19 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2017 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4[a] | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 12 | 3 | |
| Total | 63 | 4 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 30 June 2021 | Nissan Stadium,Nashville, United States |  Panama | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 14 June 2025 | SoFi Stadium,Inglewood, United States |  Dominican Republic | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3. | 18 June 2025 | AT&T Stadium,Arlington, United States |  Suriname | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| 4. | 2–0 |
Monterrey
Mexico U23
Mexico
Individual
