Retirement Can Wait: Chicharito signs with USL Championship’s Atlético Dallas | OneFootball

Just when it looked like Javier “Chicharito” Hernández’s playing career had quietly reached its final whistle, the former Manchester United striker has decided there is still one more chapter to write.

Instead of calling time on a career that has taken him across Europe, MLS and Liga MX, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer is heading back to the United States.

Source: @FabrizioRomano on X

According to Fabrizio Romano, Hernández has agreed to become the very first signing in the history of Atlético Dallas, a brand-new franchise that will begin competing in the USL Championship in 2027.

That means the 38-year-old will trade the television studio—where he spent the 2026 FIFA World Cup working as a commentator—for another shot at life on the pitch.

Romano reports that Chicharito will immediately become part of the club’s long-term project despite the fact that Atlético Dallas will not kick a ball in league competition until March 2027, when the USL Championship season officially begins.

A new challenge in a new league

Atlético Dallas may not have played a professional match yet, but the club has been laying the foundation for several years.

Officially founded on November 19, 2024, the Texas-based organization will enter the USL Championship—the second tier of American soccer—in 2027. Home matches will be played at the historic Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, a stadium capable of hosting more than 92,000 spectators and one of the most iconic venues in the state.

Although the first team is still waiting for its debut, the organization has already been investing in infrastructure, player development and academy programs. Several youth teams are already competing in national competitions through a partnership with Renegades Soccer, as the club aims to build from the ground up rather than simply arrive with a logo and a social media account.

The club’s identity also leans heavily into Texas culture. Its black-and-silver crest features both a rattlesnake and a Mexican wolf, symbols chosen to represent resilience, strength and regional pride. The name itself, meanwhile, draws inspiration from Atlético Madrid.

Source: @atleticodallas on X

Peter Luccin arrives first… then Chicharito

Before landing its headline player, Atlético Dallas appointed its first-ever head coach.

Frenchman Peter Luccin, remembered for his playing days with Atlético Madrid and several other European clubs, will lead the expansion side. After ending his playing career with FC Dallas, Luccin transitioned into coaching, overseeing multiple academy levels before eventually serving as interim head coach of FC Dallas during the 2024 MLS season.

Now he gets the opportunity to build an expansion team from scratch—with Chicharito serving as the face of the project.

The eighth stop of an unforgettable career

Atlético Dallas becomes the eighth club of Hernández’s professional career.

His résumé already includes Chivas, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, Sevilla and LA Galaxy, making him one of the most traveled Mexican footballers of his generation.

The move also marks his second spell in American professional soccer after previously spending four seasons with LA Galaxy, where he enjoyed one of the best individual scoring stretches of his post-European career.

Chivas reunion was no fairy tale

If his return to MLS feels like a fresh start, it’s partly because his second spell with Chivas never delivered the Hollywood ending supporters imagined.

When Hernández returned to Guadalajara, expectations were enormous. The club’s ownership insisted he was coming back to make a difference on the field rather than simply sell jerseys.

Instead, injuries, inconsistent playing time and limited production prevented him from becoming the transformative figure many envisioned.

Across 40 appearances, Chicharito managed just four goals. Guadalajara missed the Clausura 2025 Play-In, and while Hernández remained one of the team’s biggest personalities, his impact often generated more discussion online than inside the penalty area.

His role inside the dressing room, however, remained significant. Teammates viewed him as a natural leader, and after Gabriel Milito arrived as head coach, Chivas improved collectively and returned directly to the Liga MX playoffs. Armando González even credited Hernández’s guidance for helping him finish as the league’s top scorer.

Leadership was never the issue. Goals simply were.

An emotional goodbye… and one final painful moment

By the end of 2025, both sides appeared to understand that the reunion had run its course.

Hernández scored in his final regular-season appearance against Monterrey, celebrated by kissing the Chivas crest and left the field in tears, seemingly aware his contract would not be renewed.

Still, there was one last opportunity to leave as a hero.

During the Liga MX quarterfinals against Cruz Azul, Chivas earned a stoppage-time penalty that could have secured qualification. Although midfielder Luis Romo was available, Chicharito embraced the responsibility expected of the team’s captain.

The script, unfortunately, refused to cooperate.

His penalty missed the target, Chivas were eliminated and what could have become a storybook ending instead turned into the defining image of his farewell. Rival supporters wasted little time turning his name into sarcastic chants, adding one final cruel twist to an already frustrating second spell in Guadalajara.

What’s next?

Rather than allowing that miss to become the final image of his career, Hernández has chosen one more adventure.

By the time Atlético Dallas finally kicks off its inaugural USL Championship campaign in 2027, Chicharito will be 38 years old and tasked with leading an expansion club into its first season.

It is certainly not the glamorous ending many envisioned for Mexico’s all-time leading scorer.

Then again, Chicharito has never been particularly interested in following the expected script. Instead of retirement, he has chosen one more locker room, one more stadium and one more chance to prove that his story still has another page left.

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