Mexican soccer star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez is joining Atletico Dallas.
Hernandez is the first player signed by the USL Championship expansion club, which will begin play next year in the second tier of U.S. professional soccer, below Major League Soccer. Hernandez signed a two-year-deal with an option for a third year, Dallas announced on Monday.
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“I believe Dallas deserves a club that reflects its passion for football, its diversity, and its future,” Hernandez said in a statement. “I want to help create a winning culture, inspire young players across North Texas, and give our supporters a team they can believe in from the very beginning. I didn’t come here simply to finish my career. I came here to help build the future of football in Dallas.”
Hernandez previously played for Manchester United in the English Premier League, where he won the 2010 FA Community Shield, and Real Madrid in La Liga (Spain), where he rarely played. Chicharito means “little pea.”
The 38-year-old forward is the all-time leading scorer for the Mexican national team with 52 goals. Hernandez last played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He was a broadcaster for the 2026 World Cup.
Hernandez has been banned from the national team since 2019 after he, alongside other players, organized an unauthorized party in New York after a game against the United States.
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Hernandez previously was captain for MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy.
The veteran striker posted on Instagram Monday that he’d landed in Dallas, “and now it’s home.”
Hernandez made headlines last year after receiving backlash for comments he made about gender roles.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who called the comments “very sexist,” and other influential leaders urged Hernandez to focus on soccer. Sheinbaum, a 63-year-old scientist, was elected as the first female president in the country’s 200-year history.
Atletico Dallas’ next game is in spring 2027. The team will share the Cotton Bowl in Dallas with Trinity FC.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.