Héctor Herrera facts for kids

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Herrera and the second or maternal family name is Lopez.

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Héctor Herrera

Herrera playing for Mexico at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Personal information

Full name

Héctor Miguel Herrera López

Date of birth

19 April 1990 (age 35)

Place of birth

Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Height

1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)

Position(s)

Midfielder

Team information

Current team

Toluca

Number

Youth career

2007–2011

Pachuca

2007–2008

→ Cuautla (loan)

2011

→ Tampico Madero (loan)

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2011–2013

Pachuca

(2)

2013–2014

Porto B

(0)

2013–2019

Porto

164

(26)

2019–2022

Atlético Madrid

(0)

2022–2024

Houston Dynamo

(5)

2025–

Toluca

(0)

International career^‡

2012

Mexico U20

(1)

2012

Mexico U23

(1)

2012–2023

Mexico

105

(10)

Medal record

Men's football

Representing Mexico
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Winner	2015 United States	Team
	2021 United States	Team
Olympic Games
Gold	2012 London	Team

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 March 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 September 2023

Héctor Miguel Herrera López is a professional footballer from Mexico. He was born on April 19, 1990. Héctor plays as a midfielder for the Liga MX club Toluca.

Herrera started his professional career with Pachuca in Mexico. After three years, he moved to the Portuguese club Porto. He played over 200 games for Porto, helping them win a league title and two Supertaça titles. Later, he played for Atlético Madrid in Spain and Houston Dynamo in the United States before returning to Mexico with Deportivo Toluca.

For his country, Herrera has played more than 100 games for the Mexican national team. He represented Mexico in the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He also won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Club Career
International Career
- Youth Teams
- Senior National Team
Style of Play
Personal Life
Career Statistics
- Club
- International
Honours
See also

Club Career

Playing for Pachuca

Herrera with Pachuca in 2012

Héctor Herrera began his football journey in the youth teams of C.F. Pachuca. When he was young, people called him Zorrillo (skunk) or Zorro (fox).

He made his first professional appearance for Pachuca on July 21, 2010. This was in a 2010 North American SuperLiga match against Chivas USA. Herrera's first league game for Pachuca was on July 23, 2011. He played 14 times in the 2011 Apertura season and was considered one of the best new players.

Moving to Porto

On June 28, 2013, Héctor Herrera joined the Portuguese club Porto. The transfer cost €8 million.

He was a substitute in Porto's first game of the 2013–14 season, which they won 3–0. Eight days later, Herrera made his Primeira Liga debut. He came on as a substitute in Porto's 3–1 win over Vitória de Setúbal. On October 6, he played his first full 90-minute game for Porto.

Herrera also made his UEFA Champions League debut on September 18. He played against Austria Wien in a 1–0 group stage victory. On October 22, he received two yellow cards very quickly in a Champions League match. He scored his first league goal for Porto on December 20, 2013. It was a volley in a 4–0 win against Olhanense. In his first season, Herrera played in 17 league matches and 33 games overall, scoring three goals.

Herrera with Porto during a Champions League match in 2014.

On August 20, 2014, Herrera scored his first goal in the Champions League. It was in Porto's 1–0 win over Lille. He played a big part in Porto's 3–0 Champions League win against BATE Borisov on November 25. He scored the first goal and gave two assists in that game. The Guardian newspaper included Herrera in their list of "The 100 Best Footballers in the World" that year.

On August 22, 2015, Herrera scored his first goal of the season. It was in a 1–1 draw against Marítimo. In December, he received the Dragão de Ouro Award. This award is given to Porto's best player from the previous season. Herrera was the first Mexican player to win it. On February 12, 2016, Herrera was the team captain. He scored a goal in Porto's 2–1 win against their rivals Benfica. He played in the final of the Taça de Portugal on May 22, 2016. Porto lost the match in a penalty shootout.

On April 15, 2018, Porto beat Benfica 1–0, with Herrera scoring in the 90th minute. This win put Porto at the top of the league table. His goal was later chosen as the best goal of the season. On May 5, Porto won the league title with two games left to play. Herrera was named in the season's Team of the Year.

Herrera with Porto during a Champions League match against Lokomotiv Moscow in 2018.

On August 4, 2018, Herrera started the 2018–19 season as captain. Porto won the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira by defeating Aves 3–1. On September 22, Herrera played his 200th game for Porto. In March 2019, he captained Porto to a 4–3 win over Roma in the Champions League. This helped Porto reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2015. On March 30, Herrera played his 237th game for Porto. This made him the fifth foreign player with the most appearances for the club.

Porto's president confirmed that Herrera would leave the club when his contract ended. On May 18, Herrera scored in his last league game for Porto. He scored a scissor kick goal in a 2–1 win against Sporting CP. He was again included in the season's Team of the Year.

Time at Atlético Madrid

On July 3, 2019, Atlético Madrid announced that Herrera had joined their team. 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 90th minute. This helped Atlético draw 2–2 against Juventus in the Champions League. Three days later, Herrera started his first La Liga game. He played 60 minutes in a 0–0 draw against Celta de Vigo. He played in the Supercopa de España matches against Barcelona and Real Madrid. Atlético finished as runner-up in the final. In his first season, Herrera played 30 games, but injuries limited 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 an international break. He then had to miss time due to an injury to his left thigh. When he returned on December 1, Herrera played his 47th UEFA Champions League game. This made him the Mexican player with the most appearances in the Champions League. He later had to miss more games due to another injury and testing positive for COVID-19. In December 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19 a second time.

Playing for Houston Dynamo

On March 2, 2022, the Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo announced they had signed Herrera. He joined the club as a Designated Player until the end of the 2024 season.

In November 2024, Herrera received a three-game suspension. Houston Dynamo decided not to extend his contract, and he left the club.

Return to Toluca

On January 2, 2025, Herrera returned to Liga MX and joined Toluca.

International Career

Youth Teams

In 2012, Héctor Herrera was chosen to play in the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Mexico won this tournament, beating Honduras in the final. This win meant they qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Herrera was a very important player for the Mexico team that won the 2012 Toulon Tournament. He was given the Meilleur Joueur (Best Player) award, which means he was the most outstanding player in the tournament.

He was part of the final team for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Mexico won the gold medal by defeating Brazil 2–1 in the final match.

Senior National Team

Herrera (right) playing against Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

In 2012, Herrera was called up to play for the Mexican national team. He made his senior national team debut against El Salvador in a 2–0 win.

On June 7, 2013, Herrera was chosen to play in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played in one game, a 0–2 loss to host-nation Brazil.

On May 8, 2014, Herrera was included in the final 23-player team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in all three of Mexico's group stage matches. He also played in the 1–2 loss to the Netherlands in the round of 16. On September 4, 2015, Herrera scored his first goal for Mexico in a friendly game. He scored from a corner kick pass, tying the match 3–3 against Trinidad and Tobago. Four days later, he scored his second goal in a 2–2 draw against Argentina.

Herrera was part of the team for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He played in almost all games as Mexico won the tournament 3–1 against Jamaica. 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 roster for the Copa América Centenario. On June 5, he scored the third goal in Mexico's 3–1 victory over Uruguay.

On June 8, 2017, he was on the team for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played in all five matches. Mexico lost the third-place game to Portugal 2–1. Herrera was the assist leader of the tournament with three assists.

On May 28, 2018, Herrera was the captain of the national team in a 0–0 draw against Wales. This was a warm-up game for the World Cup. On June 4, Herrera was part of the final 23-player team for the tournament. His performance in the first group stage match against Germany, which Mexico won 1–0, was highly praised. He started in all three group stage matches and the round of 16 match against Brazil, which Mexico lost 2–0.

In May 2019, Herrera announced he would not play in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He said he needed to focus on his fitness and his future club plans. He returned to play for Mexico on September 6 in a friendly match against the United States. Mexico won 3–0. The next month, Herrera captained Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League. He scored a goal in a 5–1 victory against Bermuda.

In June 2021, Herrera played in the Concacaf Nations League Finals. Mexico reached the final but lost 2–3 to the United States. He was included in the Best XI team of the tournament. He also played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup that year. He was captain for the first two group stage matches. Mexico lost the final to the United States 0–1. Herrera was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.

On June 5, 2022, Herrera played his 100th game for Mexico in a friendly match against Ecuador. In October 2022, Herrera was named in Mexico's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In November, he was included in the final 26-player roster.

Style of Play

Herrera is known as a box-to-box midfielder. This means he is good at both stopping opposing attacks and starting his team's own plays. He can tackle strongly and pass the ball well. He is also known for his speed and energy on the field.

Herrera has said that Juan Román Riquelme is a player he looks up to and who influenced his own playing style.

Personal Life

In June 2019, Héctor Herrera became a Portuguese citizen. He had lived in Portugal for six years.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Pachuca	2011–12	Mexican Primera División	27	0	—		—		1	0	—		28	0
	2012–13	Liga MX	25	2	2	0	—		—		—		27	2
	Total		52	2	2	0	—		1	0	—		55	2
Porto B	2013–14	Segunda Liga	8	0	—		—		—		—		8	0
Porto	2013–14	Primeira Liga	17	3	4	0	2	0	8	0	—		31	3
	2014–15	Primeira Liga	33	3	1	0	1	0	11	4	—		46	7
	2015–16	Primeira Liga	29	9	3	0	—		6	0	—		38	9
	2016–17	Primeira Liga	23	2	1	0	3	0	8	0	—		35	2
	2017–18	Primeira Liga	29	3	4	1	3	0	6	1	—		42	5
	2018–19	Primeira Liga	33	6	6	1	4	0	9	2	1	0	53	9
	Total		164	26	19	2	13	0	48	7	1	0	245	35
Atlético Madrid	2019–20	La Liga	21	0	1	0	—		6	1	2	0	30	1
	2020–21	La Liga	16	0	—		—		5	0	—		21	0
	2021–22	La Liga	21	0	1	0	—		4	0	1	0	27	0
	Total		58	0	2	0	—		15	1	3	0	78	1
Houston Dynamo	2022	MLS	10	0	—		—		—		—		10	0
	2023	MLS	30	4	5	1	5	1	—		4	0	44	6
	2024	MLS	22	1	1	0	2	0	—		3	1	28	2
	Total		62	5	6	1	7	1	—		7	1	82	8
Toluca	2024–25	Liga MX	0	0	—		—		—		—		0	0
Career total			344	33	29	3	20	1	64	8	11	1	468	46

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Mexico	2012	1	0
	2013	8	0
	2014	14	0
	2015	14	3
	2016	11	1
	2017	13	1
	2018	9	0
	2019	4	1
	2020	2	0
	2021	17	4
	2022	11	0
	2023	1	0
Total		105	10

Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Herrera goal.

List of international goals scored by Héctor Herrera
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	4 September 2015	Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, United States	Trinidad and Tobago	3–3	3–3	Friendly
2.	9 September 2015	AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States	Argentina	2–0	2–2	Friendly
3.	13 November 2015	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	El Salvador	2–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4.	5 June 2016	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States	Uruguay	3–1	3–1	Copa América Centenario
5.	6 October 2017	Estadio Alfonso Lastras, San Luis Potosí, Mexico	Trinidad and Tobago	3–1	3–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.	11 October 2019	Bermuda National Stadium, Devonshire Parish, Bermuda	Bermuda	5–1	5–1	2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A
7.	3 July 2021	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	Nigeria	1–0	4–0	Friendly
8.	3 July 2021	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	Nigeria	3–0	4–0	Friendly
9.	29 July 2021	NRG Stadium, Houston, United States	Canada	2–1	2–1	2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup
10.	16 November 2021	Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada	Canada	1–2	1–2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification