 Alvarado withMexico in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roberto Carlos Alvarado Hernández[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1998-09-07)7 September 1998 (age 27) | ||
| 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 | 137 | (30) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Mexico U21 | 5 | (3) |
| 2021 | Mexico U23 | 9 | (1) |
| 2018– | Mexico | 61 | (5) |
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 November 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 | |||
Roberto Carlos Alvarado Hernández (Spanish pronunciation:[ɾɾoβˈeɾtokˈaɾlosˌalβaɾˈaðoeɾnˈandeθ]; born 7 September 1998) is a Mexican professionalfootballer who plays as awinger forLiga MX clubGuadalajara and theMexico national team.
Alvarado made his professional debut withsecond-tier sideCelaya at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player in league history. After a short spell withPachuca, he moved toNecaxa in 2017. The following year, Alvarado joinedCruz Azul, where he won aLiga MX title, putting an end to a 24-year drought for the club. He joinedGuadalajara in December 2021.
Alvarado participated with theMexico U-21 side that received second place at the2018 Toulon Tournament. He earned his first senior internationalcap for Mexico on 7 September 2018 in afriendly match againstUruguay. Alvarado helped the team win three consecutiveCONCACAF Gold Cup titles in2019,2023, and2025.
Alvarado was born on 7 September 1998, inSalamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico,[2] to Guillermo Alvarado and Julia Hernández.[3]
Alvarado was brought by his father to tryout forCelaya, immediately earning a spot on the club's reserve side inTercera División.[4]
Alvarado made his professional debut for Celaya on 25 September 2013 in theApertura 2013 Copa MX group stage match againstEstudiantes Tecos, coming on as a substitute forGuillermo 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 forRené García on the 86th minute. Alvarado was 15 years, 21 days of age, becoming the youngest player ever to play inAscenso MX.[4][6]
Alvarado scored his first professional goal in the 27th minute of a 1–0 win in aClausura 2014 Copa MX group stage match againstAtlas on 18 February 2014.[7]
Alvarado had unsuccessful trials with English clubsManchester United andSunderland in November 2014,[8] andLeicester City in January 2015.[6] His father later said in 2021 thatFIFA regulations did not allow his transfer to England due to him still being 14 years old at the time.[9]
It was not until theApertura 2016 season that Alvarado truly broke out, scoring six goals in 14 games, and catching the attention of Mexicantop-flight teams.[10]
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 overTijuana.[12] Although he only played 9 league games in his lone season with Pachuca, he did make two appearances during theirCONCACAF Champions League-winning campaign in2016–17.
Alvarado was acquiredNecaxa in a deal that involved trading awayEdson Puch to Pachuca for theApertura 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 overLobos BUAP.[15] He became a starter during theClausura 2018 season.[16] In April, he helped Nexaxa win theClausura 2018 Copa MX againstToluca.[17]
On 21 May 2018, Alvarado joinedCruz Azul.[18] On 21 July, he debuted in a 3–0 league victory againstPuebla, playing 84 minutes, eventually being substituted out forMisael Domínguez.[19] On 4 August, Alvarado scored his first goal for Cruz Azul in a 1–0 victory againstTigres UANL.[20] Two weeks later, on 18 August, Alvarado notched three assists in a 3–0 victory againstLeón, causingESPN 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 publicationMarca calling the teenager a "Heaven-sent jewel" later that week.[21] Midway through the tournament, Alvarado was considered by the press to be one of the best midfielders in the league.[22] In November, he helped Cruz Azul win theApertura 2018 Copa MX againstMonterrey, his second in a row.[23]
On 26 December 2021, Alvarado joinedGuadalajara in an exchange that sawUriel Antuna andAlejandro Mayorga join Cruz Azul.[24] On 12 February 2022, he scored his first goal withChivas against Tigres UANL in a 1–3 defeat.[25]
Alvarado was part of the roster that participated at the2018 Toulon Tournament,[26] where he was the second highest scorer in the tournament with 3 goals, scoring once in the group stage matches againstQatar[27] andChina[28] and in the final againstEngland where Mexico lost 2–1.[29] He was called up yet again ahead of the2018 Central American and Caribbean Games; however, Cruz Azul refused to release him for the tournament.[16]
Alvarado participated at the2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, appearing in all five matches, where Mexico won the competition. He was subsequently called up to participate in the2020 Summer Olympics.[30] Alvarado won thebronze medal with the Olympic team.
On 29 August 2018, Alvarado received his first call-up to thesenior national team for a pair offriendly matches againstUruguay and theUnited States.[31] He made his debut on 7 September, coming on as a second-half substitute forAlan Pulido in a 4–1 loss to Uruguay inHouston.[32]
In May 2019, Alvarado was included inTata Martino's preliminary roster for the2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[33] On 5 June 2019, he scored his first international goal in a 3–1 friendly victory againstVenezuela at theMercedes-Benz Stadium inAtlanta.[34] The following day, Alvarado was included in the final squad for2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[35] He netted the opening goal in Mexico's 3–1 group stage win againstCanada, scoring off of a rebound after aRaúl Jiménez shot was saved byMilan Borjan.[36] Alvarado went on to appear in all matches of the tournament, helping Mexico win thefinal against rivals theUnited States.[37]
In October 2022, Alvarado was named in Mexico's preliminary 31-mansquad for the2022 FIFA World Cup, and in November, he was ultimately included in the final 26-man roster.[38]
A giftedplaymaker whose versatility is his strongest suit, Alvarado is predominantly a centralattacking midfielder, capable of playing on either flank as well as asecond striker.[39] Technically proficient with both feet, playing on the right allowed 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, he focuses on creating opportunities. During his time with Necaxa, Alvarado was beating defenders on their left and right sides with a variety of methods. 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 and, at times, thrilling skill.[40] He is excellent at pulling away from defenders to make himself available for a pass and has a remarkable ability to accurately place floated crosses and through balls.[41]Alvarado plays for his teammates, presses effectively when not in possession and seems to be a balanced character off the field.[10]
He has often been compared to fellow national teammateDiego Lainez, although Alvarado has insisted they both have differing playing styles.[42] Cruz Azul managerPedro Caixinha has compared Alvarado toJoão Moutinho.[43]
Alvarado is named after the Brazilian footballerRoberto Carlos and the Brazilian singer of thesame name.[44][45] Alvarado is nicknamedEl Piojo (The Louse) because of his idol, Argentine former footballerClaudio "El Piojo" López.[21]
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.[46]
| 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 | 1[c] | 0 | 42 | 4 | |||
| 2021–22 | 15 | 4 | — | — | — | 15 | 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 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2018 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019 | 12[a] | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 13 | 0 | |
| Total | 61 | 5 | |
| 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 |
Pachuca
Necaxa
Cruz Azul
Mexico U23
Mexico
Individual
