Carlos Albert Llorente, the former Mexican national team defender, Club Necaxa center-back, and prominent sports broadcaster, died at the age of 83, Telemundo reported on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. La Octava Sports, the outlet where he last worked, confirmed his death in a statement reported by Telemundo, noting that the cause of death had not yet been revealed.
Mediotiempo noted that his death on the night of November 3 plunged Mexican football into mourning, ending the life of a figure who played for Necaxa from 1961 to 1971. Club Necaxa was the only club in which he militated. Albert Llorente was a central defender in Club Necaxa during the 1960s decade, to subsequently stand out in the media like Imevisión/TV Azteca, CNI Canal 40, ESPN, FOX Sports, Radio Centro and La Octava Sports, always being one of the strongest critics in Mexican football.
Legacy on the Pitch and the Olympic Stage
Before his broadcasting career, Albert established himself as a fierce competitor on the field. Yahoo reported that he represented MÉXICO at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and won a gold medal at the 1967 Pan American Games. Telemundo highlighted his tenacious temperament as a central defender who commanded attention whenever he stepped onto the pitch.
His playing career also intersected with a major labor dispute. Sources report that between 1970 and 1971, Albert attempted to organize a footballers’ union to challenge contracts he considered unfair. Verses reveal that his attempt to create a football players’ union in 1970 cost him the end of his career inside the pitches, as national football directors stopped him and left him out of the team, though this effort was a watershed in the history of Mexican sport.
Transition to Broadcasting and Investigations
Albert entered the media landscape in 1978, working alongside prominent broadcasters José Ramón Fernández and Raúl Orvañanos, as detailed by Telemundo. In 1995, when Imevisión was already Televisión Azteca, Albert stepped away from his microphones due to being in disagreement with the television network’s journalistic line. Subsequently he formed part of the television network ESPN where he maintained himself between 2007 and 2012 where he formed a team with Joserra again.
During his decades in broadcasting, Albert earned a reputation as a fierce critic of the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), frequently arguing that administrators prioritized business over the rights of players. Albert always was a critical journalist of the Mexican Football Federation for considering that its decisions left aside the sporting rights of footballers and prioritized business. Mediotiempo noted that his investigative work alongside Antonio Moreno and José Ramón Fernández helped expose the “cachirules” scandal—the use of ineligible players in an Under-20 tournament that cost MÉXICO its place in the World Cup.
Mileno added that Albert was a vocal opponent of the pejorative nickname “Ratones Verdes” (Green Mice), which was pinned on the national team following an 8-0 defeat to England at Wembley Stadium in 1961. Albert often maintained that the moniker had been popularized by journalist Manuel Seyde as retaliation against the federation, reflecting his lifelong insistence on defending the dignity of Mexican athletes. According to a version by Albert, the journalist would have given that nickname to the Tricolor as part of a reprisal against the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), which was one of the reasons why Carlos totally rejected the term.
Colleagues Share Memories Following Death of Carlos Albert
Following the confirmation of his death, fellow journalists shared memories of working alongside the veteran analyst. David Faitelson wrote on X, calling Carlos Albert a wonderful human being from whom he learned a great deal during his early television years. QEPD
, wrote via X David Faitelson.
Albert spent the final years of his career at La Octava Sports before retiring from the airwaves five years prior to his death. While the immediate cause of his passing remains unconfirmed, his legacy as both a steadfast defender of player rights and an uncompromising voice in Mexican sports journalism remains cemented across the country’s athletic history.
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