Héctor Herrera facts for kids
Herrera playing for Mexico at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Héctor Miguel Herrera López | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 April 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Toluca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Pachuca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | → Cuautla (loan) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | → Tampico Madero (loan) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Pachuca | 52 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Porto B | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2019 | Porto | 164 | (26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Atlético Madrid | 58 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Houston Dynamo | 62 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Toluca | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Mexico U20 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Mexico U23 | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2023 | Mexico | 105 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 September 2023 |
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Héctor Miguel Herrera López (born on April 19, 1990) is a Mexican professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for the Liga MX club Toluca.
Herrera started his career with Pachuca in 2011. He played there for three years before moving to FC Porto in Portugal. At first, he didn't play much, but he soon became a regular starter. From the 2015–16 season, Herrera was the team's captain. During his six years with Porto, he played 245 games. He helped them win a Primeira Liga title and two Supertaça trophies.
Héctor Herrera has also been a key player for the Mexican national team since 2012. He won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic football tournament. He was also part of the team that won the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He has played for Mexico in major tournaments like the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career
Early Days at Pachuca
Héctor Herrera started playing football in the youth teams of C.F. Pachuca. When he was young, people called him Zorrillo (skunk) or Zorro (fox).
He played his first professional game for Pachuca on July 21, 2010. This was in a 2010 North American SuperLiga match against Chivas USA. Herrera made his league debut on July 23, 2011. He played 14 times for Pachuca in the 2011 Apertura season. He was even considered one of the best new players that year.
Time with Porto
On June 28, 2013, Herrera moved to the Portuguese club Porto. The transfer cost €8 million.
He won his first trophy with Porto, the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, on August 10, 2013. He made his Primeira Liga debut eight days later. On October 6, he played his first full 90-minute game for Porto. Herrera also played his first UEFA Champions League game on September 18. He scored his first league goal for Porto on December 20, 2013. In his first season, he played 33 games and scored three goals.
On August 20, 2014, Herrera scored his first goal in the Champions League. He helped Porto win 1–0 against Lille. Later that year, he played a big part in Porto's 3–0 Champions League win over BATE Borisov. He scored one goal and set up two others. The Guardian newspaper even included him in their list of the "100 Best Footballers in the World."
On August 22, 2015, Herrera scored his first goal of the season. In December, he won the Dragão de Ouro Award. This award is given to the team's best player from the previous season. He was the first Mexican player to win it. On February 12, 2016, Herrera was the team's captain. He scored an important goal in Porto's 2–1 win against their rivals, Benfica.
On April 15, 2018, Porto beat Benfica 1–0. Herrera scored the winning goal in the last minute of the game. This win put Porto at the top of the league table. His goal was later voted the best goal of the season. On May 5, Porto won the league title with two games left to play. Herrera was chosen for the league's Team of the Year.
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On August 4, 2018, Herrera started the 2018–19 season as captain. Porto won the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira 3–1. On September 22, Herrera played his 200th game for Porto. In March 2019, he led Porto to the Champions League quarter-finals. This was the first time they reached this stage since 2015.
It was announced that Herrera would leave Porto when his contract ended. On May 18, he scored in his last league game for Porto. He was again included in the season's Team of the Year.
Playing for Atlético Madrid
On July 3, 2019, Herrera joined Atlético Madrid in Spain. He signed a three-year contract and was given the number 16 shirt. He made his first game for Atlético on September 18. He came on as a substitute and scored a goal in the last minute. This helped Atlético draw 2–2 against Juventus in the Champions League. Three days later, he played his first game in La Liga. He played in the Spanish Super Cup final, where Atlético finished second. In his first season, he played 30 games, but injuries affected his playing time.
At the start of the 2020–21 season, Herrera was playing well. He played eight games and started in the last four before getting injured in November. He later tested positive for COVID-19 in February.
Moving to Houston Dynamo
On March 2, 2022, the MLS club Houston Dynamo announced they had signed Herrera. He joined the club as a Designated Player until 2024.
On November 6, 2024, Houston Dynamo decided not to keep Herrera.
Return to Toluca
On January 2, 2025, Herrera returned to Liga MX and joined Toluca.
International Career
Youth Team Success
In 2012, Herrera was chosen to play for Mexico in the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Mexico won the tournament, which meant they qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Herrera was a very important player for the Mexican team that won the 2012 Toulon Tournament. He was even named the Meilleur Joueur (Best Player) of the tournament. He was part of the Mexico squad that won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. They beat Brazil 2–1 in the final.
Playing for Mexico's Senior Team
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In 2012, Herrera was called up to play for the senior national team. He made his debut on October 16, 2012, in a 2–0 win against El Salvador.
He played in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013. On May 8, 2014, Herrera was chosen for Mexico's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in all three group games and the round-of-16 match. On September 4, 2015, Herrera scored his first goal for Mexico in a friendly game.
Herrera was part of the team that won the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He played in almost all the games as Mexico won 3–1 in the final. He also played in the CONCACAF Cup against the United States, which Mexico won 3–2 in overtime.
On May 17, 2016, Herrera was on the team for the Copa América Centenario. He scored a goal in Mexico's 3–1 win against Uruguay. In 2017, he played in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He had three assists, making him the top assist provider of the tournament.
On May 28, 2018, Herrera was the captain for Mexico in a game before the World Cup. He was included in the final team for the tournament. His performance in the first group game against Germany was highly praised. He started in all three group games and the round-of-16 match.
In May 2019, Herrera said he would not play in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He wanted to focus on his fitness and his future club. He returned to the national team in September, playing in a 3–0 win against the United States. In October, he captained Mexico and scored a goal in a 5–1 win against Bermuda.
In June 2021, Herrera played in the 2021 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. Mexico reached the final but lost 2–3 to the United States. He was included in the tournament's Best XI team. He also played in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and was named the Golden Ball winner (best player) of the tournament.
On June 5, 2022, Herrera played his 100th game for Mexico. In November 2022, he was chosen for Mexico's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
How He Plays
Héctor Herrera is known as a box-to-box midfielder. This means he can play well in both defense and attack. He is good at stopping opponents and also at passing the ball or shooting. People also know him for his speed and energy. He can break up attacks with strong tackles and start his team's own plays with good passes and tireless running.
Herrera has said that Juan Román Riquelme is one of his football idols and has influenced his playing style.
Personal Life
In June 2019, Héctor Herrera became a Portuguese citizen. He had lived in Portugal for six years.
Achievements and Awards
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2017–18
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2013, 2018
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2020–21
Houston Dynamo
- U.S. Open Cup: 2023
Mexico U23
- Olympic Gold Medal: 2012
- CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship: 2012
- Toulon Tournament: 2012
Mexico
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2015
- CONCACAF Cup: 2015
Individual Awards
- Toulon Tournament Best Player: 2012
- FC Porto Player of the Year: 2014–15
- FIFA Confederations Cup Assist Leader: 2017
- Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19
- SPJF Goal of the season: 2017–18
- CONCACAF Best XI: 2017, 2018, 2021
- IFFHS CONCACAF Best XI: 2020
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2021
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Ball: 2021
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2021
- MLS All-Star: 2023, 2024
- MLS Best XI: 2023
See Also
In Spanish: Héctor Herrera (futbolista) para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
