Roberto Alvarado
Mexican footballer (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roberto Carlos “Piojo” Alvarado Hernández (Spanish pronunciation: [ɾɾoβˈeɾto kˈaɾlos ˌalβaɾˈaðo eɾnˈandeθ]; born 7 September 1998) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga MX club Guadalajara and the Mexico national team.
|
Alvarado with Mexico in 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roberto Carlos Alvarado Hernández[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 September 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Guadalajara | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| –2013 | Xidoo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Celaya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Celaya | 50 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Pachuca | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Necaxa | 26 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Cruz Azul | 120 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Guadalajara | 142 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Mexico U21 | 5 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Mexico U23 | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Mexico | 70 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 June 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alvarado made his professional debut with second-tier side Celaya at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player in league history. After a short spell with Pachuca, he moved to Necaxa in 2017. The following year, Alvarado joined Cruz Azul, where he won a Liga MX title, putting an end to a 24-year drought for the club. He joined Guadalajara in December 2021.
Alvarado participated with the Mexico U-21 side that received second place at the 2018 Toulon Tournament. He earned his first senior international cap for Mexico on 7 September 2018 in a friendly match against Uruguay. Alvarado helped the team win three consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup titles in 2019, 2023, and 2025. He also played in two editions of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and 2026.
Early life
Alvarado was born on 7 September 1998, in Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico,[2] to Guillermo Alvarado and Julia Hernández.[3]
Club career
Celaya
Alvarado was brought by his father to tryout for Celaya, immediately earning a spot on the club's reserve side in Tercera División.[4]
2013–14: Debut season
Alvarado made his professional debut for Celaya on 25 September 2013 in the Apertura 2013 Copa MX group stage match against Estudiantes Tecos, coming on as a substitute for Guillermo Clemens on the 59th minute in a 1–0 win.[5] He made his league debut three days later, also against Estudiantes Tecos, in a 0–0 draw, coming on as a substitute for René García on the 86th minute. Alvarado was 15 years, 21 days of age, becoming the youngest player ever to play in Ascenso MX.[4][6]
Alvarado scored his first professional goal in the 27th minute of a 1–0 win in a Clausura 2014 Copa MX group stage match against Atlas on 18 February 2014.[7]
2014–15: Trials in England
Alvarado had unsuccessful trials with English clubs Manchester United and Sunderland in November 2014,[8] and Leicester City in January 2015.[6] His father later said in 2021 that FIFA regulations did not allow his transfer to England due to him still being 14 years old at the time.[9]
2016–17: Breakthrough, final season, and departure
It was not until the Apertura 2016 season that Alvarado truly broke out, scoring six goals in 14 games, and catching the attention of Mexican top-flight teams.[10]
Pachuca
On 13 December 2016, Pachuca acquired Alvarado from Celaya with a two-year contract.[11] He scored his first goal with the team on 3 March 2017 while trailing from behind 1–0 in a 3–2 victory over Tijuana.[12] Although he only played 9 league games in his lone season with Pachuca, he did make two appearances during their CONCACAF Champions League-winning campaign in 2016–17.
Necaxa
Alvarado was acquired Necaxa in a deal that involved trading away Edson Puch to Pachuca for the Apertura 2017.[13] On 26 August 2017, he scored his first goal with Necaxa, granting the team a 2–1 win over Atlas.[14] On 14 April 2018, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Lobos BUAP.[15] He became a starter during the Clausura 2018 season.[16] In April, he helped Nexaxa win the Clausura 2018 Copa MX against Toluca.[17]
Cruz Azul
2018–19: Debut season and top performances
On 21 May 2018, Alvarado joined Cruz Azul.[18] On 21 July, he debuted in a 3–0 league victory against Puebla, playing 84 minutes, eventually being substituted out for Misael Domínguez.[19]
On 4 August, Alvarado scored his first goal for Cruz Azul in a 1–0 victory against Tigres UANL.[20] Two weeks later, on 18 August, Alvarado notched three assists in a 3–0 victory against León, causing ESPN to run a story calling Alvarado "a leading light for Cruz Azul" despite his young age.[10] By now he had become a sensation, with the Spanish publication Marca calling the teenager a "Heaven-sent jewel" later that week.[21][22] Midway through the tournament, Alvarado was considered by the press to be one of the best midfielders in the league.[23]
In November, he helped Cruz Azul win the Apertura 2018 Copa MX against Monterrey, his second in a row.[24] On 7 November 2021, Alvarado scored his first hat-trick in a 4–3 away loss against Pumas.[25][26]
Guadalajara
On 26 December 2021, Alvarado joined Guadalajara in an exchange that saw Uriel Antuna and Alejandro Mayorga join Cruz Azul.[27] On 12 February 2022, he scored his first goal with Chivas against Tigres in a 1–3 defeat.[28]
International career
Youth
2018: Toulon Tournament
Alvarado was part of the roster that participated at the 2018 Toulon Tournament,[29] where he was the second highest scorer in the tournament with 3 goals, scoring once in the group stage matches against Qatar[30] and China[31] and in the final against England where Mexico lost 2–1.[32] He was called up yet again ahead of the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games; however, Cruz Azul refused to release him for the tournament.[16]
2021: Olympic Qualifying Championship and Summer Olympics
Alvarado participated at the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, appearing in all five matches, where Mexico won the competition. He was subsequently called up to participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics.[33] Alvarado won the bronze medal with the Olympic team.
Senior
2018–19: Beginnings and first CONCACAF Gold Cup
On 29 August 2018, Alvarado received his first call-up to the senior national team for a pair of friendly matches against Uruguay and the United States.[34] He made his debut on 7 September, coming on as a second-half substitute for Alan Pulido in a 4–1 loss to Uruguay in Houston.[35]
In May 2019, Alvarado was included in Tata Martino's preliminary roster for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[36] On 5 June 2019, he scored his first international goal in a 3–1 friendly victory against Venezuela at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.[37] The following day, Alvarado was included in the final squad for 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[38]
He netted the opening goal in Mexico's 3–1 group stage win against Canada, scoring off of a rebound after a Raúl Jiménez shot was saved by Milan Borjan.[39] Alvarado went on to appear in all matches of the tournament, helping Mexico win the final against rivals the United States.[40]
2022: First FIFA World Cup
In October 2022, Alvarado was named in Mexico's preliminary 31-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and in November, he was ultimately included in the final 26-man roster.[41]
Alvarado was named in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted on home soil.[42]
Style of play
Alvarado is predominantly a central attacking midfielder, though he is also capable of playing on either flank as a second striker.[43] Technically proficient with both feet, playing on the right allows him the opportunity to cut or drift inside onto his favoured left.
He has shown an ability to finish from in and around the box, but comparing his shots on target to shots off target suggests that shooting isn't his strongest attribute. Instead, his style of play focuses on creating opportunities. The change of pace is Alvarado's favoured technique, and he excels when there's space behind an opponent to race into, but he can also deceive defenders with close control.[44] He is proficient at pulling away from defenders to make himself available for a pass and has the ability to accurately place floated crosses and through balls.[45]
He has often been compared to fellow national teammate Diego Lainez, although Alvarado has insisted they both have differing playing styles.[46] Cruz Azul manager Pedro Caixinha has compared Alvarado to João Moutinho.[47]
Personal life
Alvarado is named after the Brazilian footballer and the Brazilian singer of the same name.[48][49] Alvarado is nicknamed El Piojo (The Louse) because of his idol, Argentine former footballer Claudio "El Piojo" López.[22]
Alvarado married his wife, Dayana Gómez, on 24 May 2019, after almost three years of dating.[2] They had a daughter named Emily in 2022 after having lost a baby the previous year.[50]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 20 April 2025[51]
| Club | Season | League | Copa MX | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Celaya | 2013–14 | Ascenso MX | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 50 | 8 | 13 | 2 | — | — | 63 | 10 | ||||
| Pachuca | 2016–17 | Liga MX | 9 | 1 | — | 2[a] | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| Necaxa | 2017–18 | Liga MX | 26 | 2 | 11 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 2 | ||
| Cruz Azul | 2018–19 | Liga MX | 42 | 4 | 11 | 2 | — | — | 53 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | 27 | 4 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 4[b] | 1 | 33 | 5 | |||
| 2020–21 | 36 | 4 | — | 5[a] | 0 | — | 41 | 4 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 15 | 4 | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | 16 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 120 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 143 | 19 | ||
| Guadalajara | 2021–22 | Liga MX | 19 | 3 | — | — | — | 19 | 3 | |||
| 2022–23 | 39 | 4 | — | — | — | 39 | 4 | |||||
| 2023–24 | 36 | 11 | — | 2[a] | 1 | 2[d] | 0 | 40 | 12 | |||
| 2024–25 | 31 | 9 | — | 3[a] | 0 | 2[d] | 1 | 36 | 10 | |||
| Total | 125 | 27 | — | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 134 | 29 | |||
| Career total | 330 | 54 | 35 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 388 | 61 | ||
- Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League/Cup
- One appearance in Supercopa MX, three appearances and one goal in Leagues Cup
- Appearance in Campeones Cup
- Appearances in Leagues Cup
International
- As of match played 24 June 2026[52]
- Alvarado additionally played a match against Martinique in 2019, which is not recognized by FIFA.
- Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first.[53]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 June 2019 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States |  Venezuela | 1–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 2. | 19 June 2019 | Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver, United States |  Canada | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3. | 15 October 2019 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  Panama | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 4. | 27 October 2021 | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States |  Ecuador | 1–1 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 5. | 12 July 2023 | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, United States |  Jamaica | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Honours
Pachuca
Necaxa
Cruz Azul
Mexico U23
Mexico
Individual
