Luis Hernandez: The legendary Mexican striker from the 90s who underwent a radical makeover

The legendary Luis Hernandez was arguably one of the best Mexican players of the 90s, scoring unforgettable goals! The striker remains one of the all-time top scorers in the World Cup and the fourth most prolific in the 'El Tri' (Mexican national team). What happened to Veracruz's iconic blonde hair striker after he hung up his boots?

Hernandez developed as a young footballer in Mexico, but then left abroad for Argentina, where he spent a year at Boca Juniors alongside Diego Armando Maradona (1997). He also played for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the USA (2000-2001).

The Mexican striker made his official debut at 21 years old for Cruz Azul in the Liga MX (First Division). He would also play in some great national clubs like Queretaro (1991-1992), Monterrey (1992 -1994), Necaxa (1994-1998), Tigres (1998-2000), América (2000-2002), Veracruz (2003), Jaguares de Chiapas (2004) and Lobos (2004-2005).

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As for the Mexican national team, Hernandez was the top scorer in the 1997 Copa América, with 6 goals, and in the 1998 Gold Cup with 4, according to Transfermarkt. He stood out especially for his performance in the World Cup in France that last year, where he got the bronze boot together with the Chilean Marcelo Salas and the Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario.

With 'El Tri', Hernandez achieved great success, managing to win two Concacaf Gold Cups in 1996 and 1998 and a Confederations Cup in 1999, in which they defeated the all-powerful Brazil 4-3 in the final, according to Transfermarkt.

The Mexican striker retired in 2005 while playing for the now-extinct Lobos de la BUAP. The club from the state of Puebla was sold in 2019, thus Hernandez began a new life away from the pitch.

After Hernandez hung up his boots, he went off to join Mexicos 'Big Brother VIP' (4th edition), a survival TV show where the former striker finished in second.

That experience led him to seek a life both on television and social networks. In 2021, he joined TNT Sports as a sports commentator for Champions League matches.

The former Mexican striker has gone viral! He has become a TikTok star with 1.6 million followers, exceeding 13.6 million likes in his publications.

Hernadez has become an eccentric TikToker with his great stories and humor-filled content. He also dives back into some of his greatest moments throughout his career.

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"Being on social networks has helped me. (…) Thanks to everything I did worldwide when I was a player, but social networks also count a lot to have acceptance not only by your generation but also by the new ones. We are enjoying it," said the former Mexican striker in 'AS' México.

Hernandez has become quite a 'showman' across different disciplines. He was invited to the 2023 NFL Draft where he announced the Dallas Cowboys pick for Viliami Fehoko Jr, shouting "Go Cowboys and Viva México ca***s!"

(Photo: Luis Hernandez / Instagram)

He was also a regular on amateur soccer teams such as the Furia Naranja of the Governor's Cup of Veracruz, El Bayo of the Amateur League of Poza Rica or the Colonia Chapultepec Section 47 of the Veracruz Neighborhood League, or in the Mexican Fast Soccer Team led by Hugo Sanchez.

He would also join the latest edition of the King's League Americas, playing for Peluche Caligari as their number '13'. Hernandez would join other former Liga MX players such as Cesar Villaluz, Osvaldo Martinez, 'Tito' Villa, or 'Shaggy' Martinez in this famous and high-profile amateur championship, according to the Spanish publication Marca.

Upon his great return to a football pitch, both fans and teammates at Peluche Caligari gave him a standing ovation wearing blonde wigs!

(Photo: Luis Hernandez / Instagram)

Currently, Hernandez resides in the city of Monterrey, where he enjoys quality family time. He is very open about his family on social media, especially his son Luca who was born in 2019 and who, as shared in the 'Latin Lover' podcast, has autism. "When they gave us the diagnosis, our life changed a lot and it will change for the better because you become sensitive to seeing life in a different way," he said.

Hernandez had a massive impact on Mexican football and left a remarkable legacy behind, inspiring future generations. He will always be remembered as one of the most prolific strikers to ever play for 'El Tri'.