Former Chicago Fire, Mexico star Cuauhtemoc Blanco to run for political office | THE SIDELINE

Cuauhtemoc Blanco Chicago Fire

You read that right. One Cuauhtemoc Blanco is running for mayor:

The 42-year-old Mexico star, who believe it or not is still playing top-flight soccer with Herculez Gomez at Puebla, will look to bring his flair for the dramatic into the political arena. And if his audacity on the field is any indication, we should see him remain in the headlines even after he hangs 'em up.


We won't know whether his campaign is successful until June, so he'll still have a few more games to entertain the fans; he hasn't showed much sign of slowing down, either, netting a goal and an assist in a Copa MX win over Atlante on Tuesday.


Blanco, who starred in MLS for the Chicago Fire from 2007-2009, wouldn't be the first soccer player to pursue a career in politics – two notable examples are former FIFA World Player of the Year winners Romario and George Weah. The former was elected to the Brazilian Senate in October after four years in the Chamber of Deputies, while the latter is currently a senator in Liberia after a failed presidential run in 2005.