[3] As a player, Borgetti was known as a prolific goal scorer at both club and national level, and was renowned for his heading ability.

He was popularly known by the nickname of El Zorro del Desierto ("The Desert Fox") in reference to his debut team, Atlas, and his birthplace.

On 4 August 2005, Borgetti signed a two-year deal with English club Bolton Wanderers for a fee of around £1 million.

[6] He made his official English debut in a 2–0 Premier League win over Newcastle United twenty days after signing, and scored his first goal for the club during Bolton's UEFA Cup tie against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on 15 September,[7] scoring again in the competition against Besiktas on 20 October.

Borgetti and Fonseca turned down the club's offer and later announced that he would return to Mexico as a member of Cruz Azul under a one-year contract.

In 2007, Borgetti was called upon by Hugo Sánchez to represent Mexico in a series of international friendly matches and tournaments.

On 21 December 2007, it was officially announced that Borgetti would play for Monterrey for the next six months in the Mexico Clausura 2008 tournament.

Borgetti played seven games in the Torneo Clausura 2009 as a starter and six as a sub, barely recording 220 minutes for the club.

In a pre-season game, Borgetti suffered a broken ribcage and had to sit out for the first four weeks of the Apertura Tournament.

After his departure from Morelia, Borgetti was considering retirement, but after getting an agreement with Club León, he played for the team in Mexico's Liga de Ascenso in the fall of 2010.

He would not make his mark internationally, however, until the qualification campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup began in late 2000.

[15] Due to this, he was able to get an Italian passport, though Borgetti has stated that this was solely for the purpose of playing football in England.