The scandalous private life of Mexican footballer Héctor Herrera

Héctor Herrera can boast of being one of the Mexican players with the longest career in European football, winning major league titles in Spain and Portugal. He also enjoyed great success on the pitch with 'El Tri' (the Mexican National team), but has been tangled in serious controversies over the years, let's take a look at some of them.

The first - and most remembered - was shortly before the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Mexican media displayed Herrera, alongside some of his teammates (Guillermo Ochoa, Raúl Jiménez, Jonathan and Giovani dos Santos, Carlos Salcedo, and Marco Fabián) in a controversial party.

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The events took place in a residential area of Mexico City during a team leave. Herrera was the designated 'ladies' man, chosen to welcome the 'hired ladies' with whom they lived a wild party until sunrise.

Paparazzi ambushed the party and photographs were made public. Mexican media exploded with news about the party, and Hector Herrara was at the center of the criticism, which caused significant damage to his family and friends.

The Mexican midfielder told Azteca Deportes he was seriously considering leaving the Mexican national ahead of the 2018 Russian World Cup.

Before the World Cup kickoff, the Mexican national team gathered in Denmark to prepare for their first couple of games. Herrera asked his coach Carlos Osoria for permission to leave Denmark to amend his mistakes with his family in Portugal.

"I thought about it, but before the World Cup, I wanted to resolve or clarify my situation, obviously it was difficult for me to make such a decision, and that's why I decided to leave the camp and with the support of Mr. Osorio, to try and amend the situation," he told reporters, David Medrano and Carlos Guerrero.

"I assumed full responsibility for what I did. My conscience is super clear and that is why I also discussed the problem with my partner," said Herrera.

The situation was especially tough for his son: "It was a normal party, and just because there were women did not mean that they were 'prostitutes'. The truth is that it generated a very bad image for me because tomorrow I'm going to have to explain something very difficult to my son," he said.

After his successful stint with Porto, the Mexican went to play in the MLS for Houston Dynamo, where he would star in yet another great controversy. He was severely criticized for his lack of professionalism.

In 2022, shortly before the Qatar World Cup, Herrera suffered a series of muscle injuries that saw him off the pitch for a prolonged period. He struggled to put on positive performances time after time, which saw him suffer from a lack of fitness.

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As seen on some social media images broadcasted by the TUDN channel, the soccer player did not hesitate to hit the bottle (which contained a popular Mexican drink), which was offered by Eduin Caz, from a popular Mexican rock band.

Houston fans were not happy with Herrera. They expected to see the same level of commitment he had shown years prior while he played for Atlético de Madrid.

Another recent controversy was his negative comments towards Mexican football fans concerning the stadium's atmosphere.

"The Azteca Stadium is super big and yes, it is very big and very beautiful, but I don't think the atmosphere is so strong for the rival to say 'Oh, I'm scared,'" the player said on 'W Deportes'.

The President of the Mexican Football Federation came out in his defense: "It seems to me that Héctor's comment may be valid in the sense and in the context of how he said it about the pressure exerted by the fans. But communion with the fans has not been lost at all, we have great fans, and we are convinced that your support is fundamental," said Yon de Luisa.

The other controversial moment occurred in August 2023 in response to the criticism received from fans and, local Mexican journalists who kept fuelling the fire of controversy with regard to his return to 'El Tri'. Herrera was called up to join the national team once again under the orders of Jaime Lozano.

"There are people in our country who feel like the Messi's' of football and believe that they have the power to say who does things well, who does things bad when they have never even touched a ball in their life. It's what sells and people like it," Herrera told TUDN reporter Francisco Villalobos.

A harsh attack that he backed with his career, claiming to be one of the most successful Mexican players of the 21st century. "I have a very good career, I consider that I have one of the best careers as a Mexican soccer player. I am not satisfied with that," he pointed out.

"I have found happiness in my life, in football, and I am very happy with that and no one is going to take that away from me. I am back on the national team and everything feels great," concluded the midfielder.

Herrera was born on April 19, 1990, in Rosarito (Baja California) and is one of the banners of the 'golden generation' of Mexican soccer, Olympic champion at the 2012 London Games, in addition to having won a Gold Cup and a Concacaf Cup in 2015.

He began professional football in 2011 with the Tuzos de Pachuca, where, after only two years in Liga MX, he went to Portugal to begin his European adventure, which would take him to Porto and Atlético de Madrid.

In no less than 9 seasons, Herrera became the Mexican footballer with the most minutes in the Champions League, ahead of Rafa Márquez, Chicharito Hernández, and Hugo Sánchez. He is arguably one of the most successful Mexican players in European football. Let us know what you think in the comments.

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