Octavio Muciño Valdés (14 May 1950 – 3 June 1974) was a Mexican professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
centre-forward
In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than Midfielder, midfielders and Defender (association football), d ...
and
midfield
In many sports, midfield is the part of a sports field that is near the line that is equally far from the end lines. That is, in American football it is the part of the field near the 50-yard line; in association football (soccer) and field hoc ...
for
Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul S.A. de C.V., commonly referred to as Cruz Azul, is a professional association football, football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football league system, Mexican footba ...
and
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
as well as the
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in men's international association football, football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (). It has been a member of FIFA since 1929 and c ...
.
Muciño was born in Jasso,
Hidalgo
Hidalgo may refer to:
People
* Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility
* Hidalgo (surname)
Places
Mexico
:''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)''
* Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico
* Hidalgo, Coah ...
where he played in Cruz Azul's youth academy until his debut with the senior team in 1969. During his time at Cruz Azul, Muciño won 3 league titles and 2 continental cups. His only season with Guadalajara, he managed to become the team's top goal scorer with 15 goals. At the time of his death, Muciño was regarded as a key player for the
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in men's international association football, football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (). It has been a member of FIFA since 1929 and c ...
alongside
Enrique Borja
Enrique David Borja García (born 30 December 1945) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Career
Borja was recruited by Universidad Nacional at the age of 17. He made his professional debut for the club on Mar ...
. Along with Borja, Muciño is often cited to be one of the greatest Mexican forwards of his generation.
In the early hours of 31 May 1974 Muciño was shot 3 times outside of a restaurant by 32-year old Jaime Antonio Muldoon Barreto, an engineer with whom he had a physical confrontation earlier in the evening. Muciño succumbed to his injuries and died 3 days later at a hospital in Guadalajara. Muldoon Barreto left for Europe shortly after and never stood trial for the murder when he returned to Mexico years later. Muldoon Barreto's freedom is widely attributed to his family's high status and ties with the government of
Jalisco
Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
.
Early life
Octavio Muciño Valdés was born to Roberto Muciño Martínez, a mechanic, and Genoveva Valdés in Jasso,
Hidalgo
Hidalgo may refer to:
People
* Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility
* Hidalgo (surname)
Places
Mexico
:''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)''
* Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico
* Hidalgo, Coah ...
on 14 May 1950. He had 2 brothers and 1 sister. His father, Roberto Muciño Martínez, was also a footballer who played for
Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul S.A. de C.V., commonly referred to as Cruz Azul, is a professional association football, football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football league system, Mexican footba ...
during both the club's amateur and professional eras. Muciño Martínez was part of the squad which won the club's promotional title in the
1963–64 season and subsequently played in the
Primera División de México
Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divi ...
. Muciño Valdés was encouraged by his father to pursue a career in football.
Club career
Cruz Azul
Muciño had enrolled in Cruz Azul's youth team at the age of 7.
At the age of 19, he was debuted with the senior team during the
1969–70 Mexican Primera División season against
C.F. Monterrey
Club de Fútbol Monterrey Rayados, A.C., simply known as Monterrey or by its nickname Rayados, is a Mexican professional association football, football club based in the Monterrey metropolitan area, Nuevo León, that plays in Liga MX, the top d ...
on 19 November 1969. Muciño scored his first senior league goal on 29 March 1970 in the
México 1970 tournament against
Laguna. Cruz Azul went on to win the México 1970 competition, with Muciño netting a total of 14 league goals at the end of the season.
Guadalajara

In 1973, Muciño was transferred to
C.D. Guadalajara for a fee of about 1 million
pesos.
The team had been undergoing poor performances in the league for a number of seasons at this point, ending the
1973–74 season 11th on the general table. In spite of this, Muciño established himself as a fan favorite and key player, netting 15 goals in 26 games becoming the team's top goal scorer.
Muciño played his final match with Guadalajara on 21 April 1971 in a 1-0 loss against
Club Jalisco.
At the time of his death, there had been transfer negotiations between Guadalajara and
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets.
Atlases have traditio ...
where Muciño would be exchanged for
Ricardo Chavarín.
Personal life
Muciño was nicknamed ''El Centavo'' due to his small stature as a child. He had one child, Octavio Muciño Jr., who was born on 1 February 1973.
International career
At the age of 21, Muciño debuted for the
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in men's international association football, football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (). It has been a member of FIFA since 1929 and c ...
on 6 July 1971 in a friendly match against
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
.
Muciño scored his first and second international goals on 4 December 1971 against
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
in the
1971 CONCACAF Championship
The 1971 CONCACAF Championship, the fifth edition of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Trinidad and Tobago from 20 November to 5 December.
Qualifying tournament
Teams
* (Defending Champions)
*
*
*
*
* (Hosts)
Venues
Final tournament
...
. Mexico would win the competition largely in part of his goals.
Muciño was a key figure in the
1973 CONCACAF Championship
The 1973 CONCACAF Championship, the sixth edition of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Haiti from 29 November to 18 December. All matches were played at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince. This is the first edition to double as qualificat ...
, which doubled as CONCACAF's
1974 FIFA World Cup qualification
99 teams entered the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for 16 places in the final tournament. West Germany, as the hosts, and Brazil, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.
T ...
, starting in all of Mexico's 5 games. Muciño scored 4 goals in a 8 - 0 win against the
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles (, ; ), also known as the Dutch Antilles, was a constituent Caribbean country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consisting of the islands of Saba (island), Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten in the Lesser Antilles, ...
, becoming Mexico's top goal scorer in the competition. Muciño played his final match international match on 18 December 1973 in a 1-0 win against Haiti in the competition.
Death
Murder
At approximately 11 on night of 30 May 1974, Muciño met with 3 friends and their dates at ''Carlos O' Willys'', a
fine dining
Fine dining is a restaurant experience that is typically more sophisticated, special, and expensive than at a typical restaurant. The décor of such restaurants features higher-quality materials, with establishments having certain rules of din ...
restaurant frequented by wealthy patrons located in
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
. A few tables away from where Muciño's party was situated, sat 32-year-old Jaime Antonio Muldoon Barreto.
Muldoon Barreto was described to be in an
inebriated
Alcohol intoxication, commonly described in higher doses as drunkenness or inebriation, and known in overdose as alcohol poisoning, is the behavior and physical effects caused by recent consumption of alcohol. The technical term ''intoxication ...
state. Purportedly a fan of
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
's rival team
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets.
Atlases have traditio ...
, Muldoon Barreto recognized Muciño and walked towards his table and began to discuss football with him. Eventually, Muldoon Barreto began to antagonize and hurl insults towards Muciño and his date which escalated into a physical altercation between the two men. The two were broken up by fellow patrons and Muldoon Barreto was thrown out of restaurant. Approximately an hour and a half later, Muciño and his group left the restaurant. Muldoon Barreto was inside a luxury car near the entrance of the restaurant, apparently waiting for Muciño to exit. Muciño wishing to make peace with Muldoon Barreto, extended his hand for a handshake. Muldoon Barreto, however, immediately shot Muciño point-blank 3 times with a
.25 ACP, once in the head, thorax, and shoulder. Muldoon Barreto then sped away from the area evading capture. Muciño was taken to ''Hospital México Americano'' where he was in a coma for 3 days. At approximately 5:30 on the morning of 3 June 1974, Muciño died from his injuries.
Aftermath
News of Muciño's death quickly spread and shocked the city of Guadalajara and Mexico City. Angered football fans vandalized and attempted to set fire to ''Carlos O' Willys''. Thousands of fans attended Muciño's funeral held in Jasso,
Hidalgo
Hidalgo may refer to:
People
* Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility
* Hidalgo (surname)
Places
Mexico
:''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)''
* Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico
* Hidalgo, Coah ...
, where he was subsequently buried.
According to Muciño's son, a month or two after the murder occurred, Jaime Antonio Muldoon Barreto left Mexico for
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, where there did not exist an
extradition treaty
In an extradition, one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdic ...
between the two countries. When he returned to Mexico in 1980, Muldoon Barreto's lawyers cited poor mental faculties as reason he was unfit to stand trial. Muldoon Barreto was subsequently never prosecuted for Muciño's murder and remained free.
Perpetrator
Jaime Antonio Muldoon Barreto (born 1942) was a mechanical-electrical engineer who belonged to a wealthy architecture and real estate family based in Guadalajara.
Muldoon Barreto graduated from
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM; ), also known as Technological Institute of Monterrey () or just Tec, is aresearch university based in Monterrey, Mexico, which has grown to include 35 campuses located across 25 cit ...
in 1967. Muldoon Barreto's freedom is widely attributed to the influence and power possessed by the Muldoon Barreto family in the Mexican government.
Legacy
Despite his short career, Muciño established himself as an important figure in both Cruz Azul and Mexican football. Muciño is often cited to be one of Cruz Azul's integral players who had helped achieve the club's rapid rise to prominence in the 1970s. Along with
Enrique Borja
Enrique David Borja García (born 30 December 1945) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Career
Borja was recruited by Universidad Nacional at the age of 17. He made his professional debut for the club on Mar ...
, whose career statistics rivaled that of Muciño's, he is often deemed to be one of the greatest Mexican footballers of his generation.
On 3 June 2009, 35 years after his death, Octavio Muciño was inducted into Cruz Azul's hall of fame. A ceremony was held with Muciño's family in attendance as well as former teammate
Alberto Quintano.
In November 2011, Muciño was honored in a similar fashion by Guadalajara having Muciño's number 9 shirt inducted into the club's museum.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Muciño's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mexico goal''.
Honours
Cruz Azul
*
Mexican Primera División
Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divi ...
:
México 1970,
1971–1972,
1972–1973
*
CONCACAF Champions' Cup
The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, a ...
:
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
,
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
Mexico
*
CONCACAF Championship
The CONCACAF Championship, also known as CONCACAF Nations Championship, was an association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for men's senior national teams from North America, Central America and the C ...
:
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
See also
*
Fernando Bustos
*
Salvador Cabañas
Salvador Cabañas Ortega (born 5 August 1980) is a Paraguayan former professional footballer who played as a striker internationally for the senior Paraguay national team, and earlier for the national U17 and U20 teams.
Cabañas played for ...
*
Andrés Escobar
Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga (; 13 March 1967 – 2 July 1994) was a Colombian professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He played for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed ''The Gentleman'', ...
*
Tommy Ball
*
Luciano Re Cecconi
Luciano Re Cecconi (; 1 December 1948 – 18 January 1977) was an Italian footballer, who played as a midfielder. A fast, strong, athletic, and hardworking player, known for his speed, tenacity, and stamina, he functioned as a box-to-box midfie ...
References
External links
National Team statistics on 11v11*
*
Short overview and summary of careerInterview with Mucino's son.Interview with immediate family members
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muciño, Octavio
1950 births
1974 deaths
People murdered in 1974
People murdered in Mexico
Mexican murder victims
Deaths by firearm in Mexico
Men's association football forwards
Mexican men's footballers
Mexico men's international footballers
Cruz Azul footballers
C.D. Guadalajara footballers
Liga MX players
CONCACAF Gold Cup–winning players
20th-century Mexican sportsmen