Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela has previously been linked to Mexican Actress Altair Jarabo in 2010 and Mexican TV personality Shanik Aspe in 2011.

Presently, he is in a relationship with Spanish girlfriend, Saioa Canibano, with whom he has a son named Romeo.

Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido was born on March 1, 1989, in Cancún, Mexico, to Enrique Vela and Nella Garrido. His father was an iron welder and his mother was a housewife. He has a brother named Alejandro who is also a footballer.

His father, who had to retire from semi-professional football due to an injury, enrolled him into local teams at the age of four. His first club was Ko Cha Wolis, where he made significant development and progress under coach Félix Acal.

While he played both football and basketball in school, he was forced to choose one at the age of 12, due to conflict between his coaches. In 2001, he was noticed by José Luis Real from C.D. Guadalajara who summoned him to a youth tournament in Buenos Aires, following which he joined the team in 2003.

After Carlos Vela helped Mexico win the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship as the top scorer with five goals, he was signed by Mexican club Guadalajara. As part of the signing condition, he asked the club to relocate his family from the then-recently-storm-stricken Cancún.

Thanks to his Golden Boot in the U-17 World Cup, he gained the attention of a number of European clubs, eventually joining Arsenal in November on a five-year deal for £125,000. As he was unable to play in England due to work permit restrictions for non-EU citizens, he was loaned to Spanish club Celta de Vigo in February 2006, but returned without playing a match.

He was again loaned to Spanish Segunda División club Salamanca for the 2006–07 season, during which he assisted in nearly fifty goals apart from his own eight. He drew attention from bigger La Liga clubs, and was loaned to Osasuna for a year, where his first goal against Real Betis earned plaudits from the Spanish press.

Upon receiving his work permit on May 22, 2008, he made his competitive debut for Arsenal in their Premier League match against Newcastle United on August 30 as a substitute. On September 23, 2008, he scored a hat-trick on his full debut against Sheffield United in the League Cup, and his second goal was voted one of 'Arsenal's Greatest 50 Goals'.

After an ankle injury kept him out during the 2009-10 pre-season campaign, he returned on September 22, 2009 to score a goal and assist in one in Arsenal's 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion. His contract with Arsenal was renewed on December 10, 2009, and he went on to score two goals in the UEFA Champions League in Arsenal's 6-0 win against Portuguese side Braga.

Carlos Vela helped Mexico win the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship and claimed the Golden Boot with five goals. His full international debut for the Mexico senior team was in a friendly against Brazil in September 2007 and his first international goal was against Guatemala in Los Angeles the following month.

He took the Mexican team to the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final scoring the fifth penalty against Costa Rica and secured 5-0 win against the US in the final with a goal and three assists. He also played a crucial part in Mexico's 4–1 win over El Salvador to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, but sustained an injury in the group match against France.

He was suspended from the national team for six months for his involvement in a party, following which he consistently kept excusing himself from national duty for the next three years. He returned to the national team for the friendly matches against the Netherlands and Belarus in November 2014 and was part of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup winning team.