By 1916 football was already a popular sport in Mexico, particularly amongst college students in Mexico City. College students from Colegio Mascarones and Colegio Marista de la Perpetua formed two football teams with the names "Récord" and "Colón". On 12 October 1916, the two squads decided to consolidate to make a more competitive squad. Many names were considered for this new squad, and team player Pedro "Cheto" Quintanilla suggested the name "América", since they had formed the team on Columbus Day ("Día del descubrimiento de América"). The players agreed and soon designed a crest which had the map of the Americas centered with a 'C' for "Club" on the left and an 'A' for "América" on the right. In deciding the team's colors, Rafael Garza Gutiérrez got a pair of his father's navy blue trousers and a yellow shirt and it was decided amongst the group that those would be the club's kit and colors.