 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sabás Ponce Labastida | ||
| Date of birth | 13 January 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico | ||
| Date of death | 4 October 2021 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Mexico | ||
| Position | Offensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 195?–1955 | Guadalajara | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1956–1973 | Guadalajara | 307 | (51) |
| International career | |||
| 1960–1969 | Mexico | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sabás Ponce Labastida (13 January 1938 – 4 October 2021) was a Mexican footballer who played as a midfielder.
A one-club man, Ponce spent his whole career with Guadalajara and, together with José Villegas, stands as co-holder of the record for the most league titles in Mexican football.[1]
Club career
Ponce was born on 13 January 1938 in Guadalajara.[2][3] He began his career within the Liga Intereparroquial of Jalisco for the youth sector of Guadalajara where his performance impressed the higher ups. At the age of 15, he was admitted into the reserve ranks of the club as he gained brief experience in the Mexican Primera División. Later on, at 17 years of age, he made his senior debut for Chivas with his inaugural 1956–57 Mexican Primera División as well as that season's Campeón de Campeones alongside other players such as Salvador Reyes, Guillermo Sepúlveda, Héctor Hernández and Crescencio Gutiérrez and José Villegas.[4][5]
Throughout his career, he won seven editions of the Liga MX, six Campeón de Campeones, the 1969–70 Copa México and the 1962 CONCACAF Champions' Cup as he significantly contributed to the club's success throughout the 1960s.[6] Ponce was often one of the top goal scorers and his offensive plays made him an essential player for Chivas. He served as a leading figure in training, his control of the midfield with a serious personality with great discipline. He retired following the 1972–73 season.[7]
International career
Ponce represented Mexico throughout the 1960s as well as appearing in preliminary rosters for the Mexican squad for the 1970 FIFA World Cup however he wouldn't make the final roster.
Personal life
Ponce later married Martha Guadalupe and is the father of six children as well as the grandfather of five grandchildren.[2]
He died 4 October 2021 following a long battle with an unspecified illness.[8]
Honours
Guadalajara
- Primera División de México: 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1969–70
- Copa México: 1962–63, 1969–70
- Campeón de Campeones: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970
- CONCACAF Champions League: 1962
References
- ↑ "Liga MX: ¿Quiénes son los jugadores y técnicos con más títulos en la historia del futbol mexicano?" (in Spanish). International Olympic Committee. 25 May 2025.
- 1 2 "El cerebro del campeonísimo, Sabás Ponce". Chivas de Corazón (in Mexican Spanish). 8 June 2005. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ↑ "Chivas: Quién fue Sabás Ponce, leyenda del campeonísimo". Fútbol Total (in Mexican Spanish). 4 October 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ Miranda, Aldo (5 October 2021). "¿Quién fue Sabás Ponce? El integrante del campeonísimo que perdió la vida con 18 títulos en Chivas". Rebaño Pasión (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ Romero, Sergio (5 October 2021). "¿Quién fue Sabás Ponce? El jugador más ganador del Guadalajara". Leyendas del Fútbol Mexicano (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ "Fallece Sabás Ponce, leyenda de Chivas e integrante del "Campeonísimo"". El Universal (in Mexican Spanish). 4 October 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ "Fallece Sabás Ponce, leyenda de Chivas y miembro del Campeonísimo". ESPN Argentina (in Spanish). 4 October 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ "Murió Sabás Ponce, ex jugador de Chivas y miembro del campeonísimo". Infobae (in Mexican Spanish). 4 October 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2025.