Longtime Televisa, Univision announcer Paco Villa passes away at 54

Sad news as one of the voices of Mexican soccer has passed away

Play-by-play announcer Paco Villa, a fixture on Televisa and Univision’s soccer broadcasts, has passed away at 54 after a two-year battle with cancer.

Villa’s passing was announced on Wednesday, with memories and condolences flooding social media.

“Thank you for every transmission. Thanks for all your stories. But above all, thanks to you, for all the emotions you transmitted to us,” read a post from TUDN USA’s account on X.

“For your friendship, your affection and your passion. You are our legend, we will always love you.”

“Your voice will forever be part of the history of our football,” added the official account of the Mexican Football Federation. “Thank you for the emotions you transmitted to us with your memorable stories. Rest in peace, Paco.”

MLS added a statement calling Villa “a great person,” adding that “all of us who had the honor of working and sharing with him during the years he called MLS games for TUDN will never forget his kindness, talent and friendship.”

Villa began his work as a radio announcer with Televisa in 1995, focusing first on Mexican league matches.

Over the years, Villa added the UEFA Champions League, the Olympics, La Liga, MLS, and seven men’s World Cups to his resume. Univision reported that Villa’s cancer was discovered by doctors in Doha during the 2022 World Cup, where he was on site as part of the network’s coverage.