Javier Hernández Balcázar (Spanish: [xaˈβjeɾ eɾˈnandes βalˈkasaɾ] ; born 1 June 1988), commonly known by the nickname Chicharito ([tʃitʃaˈɾito], Mexican Spanish: little pea), is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a striker for USL Championship club Atlético Dallas. He is known for his clinical finishing, pace, and technical ability. He is widely considered among the greatest Mexican players of all time, and regarded as one of the best North American players of all time. Hernández began his senior club career at age 18 in 2006, playing for Guadalajara, where he won the Primera División. In 2010, Hernández signed for Manchester United, becoming the club's first Mexican player. During his five years with United, he amassed over 150 appearances. He scored 59 goals, winning two Premier League titles, the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year in his first season, and reached the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final, as well as setting the then record for the fifth-best minutes-per-goal ratio (130.2) in league history. Hernández departed the club on loan to Real Madrid in 2014, winning the FIFA Club World Cup, and in 2015 he joined Bayer Leverkusen on a permanent deal. Hernández returned to England two years later and signed for West Ham United. In 2019, he signed for Sevilla before joining LA Galaxy the following year. In 2024, Hernández rejoined his boyhood club Guadalajara. A Mexican international, Hernández is the country's all-time leading goalscorer. He debuted for the national team in September 2009 in a friendly match against Colombia. He has represented Mexico at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 FIFA World Cups, the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2013 and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cups, and the Copa América Centenario. He was the 2011 Gold Cup's top scorer with seven goals and was named the tournament's most valuable player. Hernández is commonly known by the nickname Chicharito, translated from Spanish as "little pea", a diminutive of his father's nickname Chícharo. He is also referred to as CH14, reflecting his initials and shirt number. In December 2023, while streaming on Twitch, he adopted the nickname ChichaGod (or ChichaDios in Spanish). Hernández is active as a gamer and social commentator on YouTuber and Twitch. As a streamer, under the username "CH14", he has amassed over 623,000 followers on YouTube and 977,000 followers on Twitch as of November 2025.
