The remarkable transformation of Mexican footballer Héctor Herrera everyone is talking about

In 2018, before the Russian World Cup, Hector Herrera was at the center of multiple controversies that shook up the Mexican national team. A polemic party that took place that same year and almost cost him his marriage... But the list of controversies continues...

After falling short in the 2018 World Cup to a superior Brazil in the round of 16, the Mexican midfielder decided to make a radical change to his face.

Herrera chose to undergo esthetic surgery, sharing up the wrinkly edges.

(In the image, Héctor Herrera in 2024)

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Herrera took advantage of his time off the pitch after falling short in the World Cup to undergo surgery in July of that same year.

The second surgery was an otoplasty, aimed to reduce the size of the ear or change their prominent or "protruding" position, placing them close to the head, according to the Quiron Salud group.

Furthermore, the Mexican midfielder also went to visit the dental clinic to improve his teeth. They fitted him with a dental appliance, aimed at correcting deviation in his teeth.

The Houston Dynamo midfielder displayed his facial upgrades to the world through his social networks, in a publication of an image.

Herrera's new look has left many fans in awe! The Mexican choose to share a public statement to his fans through StayPro, to explain the reasons behind his decision to undergo surgery.

"I want to inform you that, during these two weeks of vacation, I decided to undergo a treatment from which I am now fully recovered," said the footballer after his surgery in a statement echoed by HuffPost.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

"In order to avoid speculation and with the transparency that has always characterized me, I share with you that, in order to breathe more easily to improve my sports performance, I had a functional rhinoplasty; in addition to an otoplasty," he explained.

"Lastly, thank you to everyone who takes the time to send me best wishes. Thank you also to my family and work team, StayPro, for helping me communicate this decision as clearly as possible. The best is yet to come!", the statement concluded.

In September of that same year, just two months after her change in appearance, Herrera gave an interview with the fashion magazine GQ México y Latam, where he appeared in a photo shoot with his 'new face', talking about it and other issues related to the world of football.

(Photo: X / @GQMexico

In the interview, the Mexican midfield acknowledged that he had undergone these operations because a footballer's "image is very important today".

However, he clarified that "many times it is given too much importance because, in the end, the essential thing is what we carry inside and what you are as a person, beyond the image you show."

"I still feel like the same person. I was very satisfied with the result. I don't feel much better or worse with what I did, I think I made the right decision. And if I hadn't done it, I would also think it was the right choice "I'm calm and happy," he added in that interview.

As he became a viral sensation, a wide range of memes began to appear online, mocking the midfielder's physical changes.

Some memes would even predict a future in which Hector Herrera would dive into an endless spiral of surgeries, turning him into someone completely different.

Were Herrera's physical changes really that noticeable? To spot the differences, one must go down memory lane to 2013, when he was still playing for Pachuca.

We could also see young Herrera's debut with the Mexican national team in 2012, where he looked much different than today!

In June 2013, Herrera signed for the Portuguese team Porto, where he would spend six years and where he would show off his face prior to his cosmetic operations during his first five campaigns.

During those years, he did not stop playing with 'El Tri' (the Mexican national team), in the 2012 London Olympic Games, the 2014 Brazil World Cup, and the 2018 Russia World Cup; the 2013 Confederations Cup, and the 2015 Gold Cup and Concacaf Cup.

After his surgery in the summer of 2019, he continued to be a Porto player for another year, but already sporting his completely renewed image.

Now in the American MLS defending the colors of the Houston Dynamo, the Mexican midfielder is in the later stages of his career but with a renewed 'image'.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!