Javier Hernández Balcázar

Javier Hernández Balcázar, commonly known as "Chicharito", is a Mexican footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United, being the first Mexican to do so. He previously played for Mexican club Guadalajara. He made his début for the Mexico national football team in September 2009 in a match against Colombia and represented them at the 2010 FIFA World Cup scoring two goals.

He is the son of Javier Hernández Gutiérrez and the grandson of Tomás Balcázar. Hernández was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, on 1 June 1988. He first played in a recreation league when he was seven years old.  His father, Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, himself a previous Mexican international striker, said he never thought his son would actually make it as a professional. Hernández joined C.D. Guadalajara at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract when he was 15.  He was set to play in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, but an injury sidelined him from the team that ultimately won the championship.

Hernández is the son of Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, who played for Tecos and was a member of the Mexico squad at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Javier Hernández Gutiérrez quit his job as manager of Guadalajara's reserve side in order to watch Hernández play in the World Cup in South Africa.  Hernández is also the grandson of Tomás Balcázar who played for C.D. Guadalajara and played in the 1954 FIFA World Cup for the Mexican national side.  It is reported that Hernández would be joined by his entire family in England, including Balcázar. During his time at Guadalajara, he took business administration classes at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac and lived with his parents. Hernández is commonly known as Chicharito, meaning little pea, in reference to being the son of former footballer Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, who was nicknamed Chicharo (pea) because of his green eyes.