Monterrey

Club de Fútbol Monterrey. Known as Rayados (The striped ones). Mexico’s answer to Sheffield. Although probably with better looking people. A club built on steel, shaped by its city, and supported by generations of working families. Based in Monterrey, Nuevo León - a Mexican state to the East of the country with a tiny landborder with the USA to its North. The team represents the history and character of one of Mexico’s most important industrial centres. So, let’s get the badge in and see what we can learn.

The club was founded on 28 June 1945 by a group of local business and civic leaders , including Paul C. Probert, Ramón Cárdenas Coronado, Miguel Galán, and later Ángel F. Escobedo and Dr. Carlos Canseco. Their aim was to create a professional football team that could provide entertainment and a sense of pride for a growing city.

By the 1940s, Monterrey was already becoming known as Mexico’s industrial heart. The Monterrey Foundry, opened in 1900, had helped turn the city into a centre for steel, cement, glass, brewing, and later automotive and electronics production. People came from across the country for work. A strong working-class community developed with with it Rayados emerged - many of the club’s early supporters worked directly for the city's factories, workshops, and trade unions.

The club’s nickname—Rayados—means “The Striped Ones” in Spanish. It refers to the team’s long-standing blue and white striped shirts, which became a core part of their identity from an early stage. The name stuck, and today, most fans refer to the club simply as Rayados.

The badge reflects that background. The blue and white vertical stripes are long associated with the team. A more modern telling is that blue represents the surrounding mountains and skies, and white stands for peace and industrial clarity. 

Although I suspect this absolutely was not what the founders were thinking of.

The large “M” in the centre is clear and simple—just like the club’s identity. Stars were added over time to mark the club’s five Liga MX titles and five CONCACAF Champions League wins.

The club’s early years were difficult. In their first professional season, several players died in a tragic bus accident. In response, other teams loaned players so Monterrey could finish the season, but the club later withdrew from competition in honour of their teammates. It took several years to return.

The city of Monterrey is set within the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range and that landscape helped inspire the club’s motto: “El Cielo es el Límite” – The Sky is the Limit. 

In 1952, with backing from Dr. Canseco, Rayados re-entered the top division. One of the club’s most memorable moments came in 1996, when they beat local rivals Tigres UANL and played a part in their relegation. That match added fuel to what is now known as the Clásico Regiomontano—a fixture that remains one of the most intense and evenly matched rivalries in Mexican football.

In 1999, the club was bought by FEMSA, the Latin American beverage and retail giant. Since then, Rayados has modernised its operations, investing in a youth academy, sports science, and new facilities. In 2015, the club opened Estadio BBVA, a 50,000-seater stadium nicknamed “El Gigante de Acero” (The Steel Giant). Built in the shadow of the old Fundidora steelworks, the stadium sits close to what is now Fundidora Park and prides itself on green spaces. The stadium is a thing pf real beauty and from within the ground one end slopes downwards slightly giving fans and players alike a breathtaking view of the Cerro de la Silla mountain peak nearby. It is scheduled to host some of the games in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.

Under FEMSA, the club has enjoyed sustained success. Alongside their league titles and continental wins, they have become regular participants in the FIFA Club World Cup, finishing third in 2019 after beating Al Sadd and narrowly losing to Liverpool. In 2025, Sergio Ramos joined the squad, bringing experience and leadership to an already well-run team.

Despite the modern facilities and international signings, the connection to working-class communities in Monterrey remains strong. Many fans still travel from outer neighbourhoods by bus or carpool to home games, and the club continues to support youth football and local outreach projects.

The badge is simple—stripes, a bold “M”, and stars—but it stands for a club cut from steel and welded to its local community.