Toluca opens its championship… and says goodbye to a champion who almost didn’t play
Ah, the sweet and predictable wheel of Mexican soccer. This Saturday, the Red Devils of Toluca, those same ones who have the cup still warm from kissing it so much, will make their glorious debut in Clausura 2026. Their rival: the Rayados de Monterrey at the BBVA stadium. A scenario worthy of a two-time champion, right? But of course, as in any good reign worth its salt, first you have to do… cleaning.
And into that cleanup entered, with more pain than glory, Héctor Herrera. Yes, the same HH. The experienced midfielder who returned from his tour of Europe and the MLS for… what exactly? To become a two-time champion from the bench, apparently. The club said goodbye to him with a message on social networks that was as affectionate as it was generic:
“Thank you for your dedication HH. Always defending the two-time champion with pride.”
You delivered what, Héctor? The clean uniform? Because let’s go to the cold numbers, which don’t lie (although sometimes they hurt): in the Liguilla where Toluca was crowned, HH was practically a luxury spectator. He played only the first leg in the quarterfinals against Juárez. Throughout the season: 17 games, 4 as a starter. His scoring contribution: a solitary goal and zero assists. A statistic so impressive that one wonders if his greatest achievement was signing the attendance sheet.
The future: Pachuca, MLS or oblivion?
Now comes the good part: the mystery. Where does a champion midfielder go without playing? Rumors, that national sport parallel to soccer, place him in two fascinating places:
- Pachuca: A return to the origins. The hero’s journey… who went young and promising to Europe and returns… well, having won titles sitting down. Poetic.
- The MLS (again): Because nothing says “final adventure” like returning to the league you already left behind. Interest is rumored, but no one names a team. Maybe they wait to see if he remembers how to play from the start.
It’s ironic: Herrera left Europe for the Houston Dynamo, then came to Mexico to consecrate himself with Toluca (from the shadows), and now his career seems like a game of pinball bouncing between the same options.
Meanwhile, Toluca continues its path seeking to equal América’s three-time championship. No HH on the roster. One can almost see the logic: if they won two titles with their minimal contribution, why take the risk? Better to leave room for someone who… I don’t know… plays more often.
In the end, it is the perfect life cycle of modern football: you arrive to great fanfare (“The return of Héctor Herrera!”), you take the photo with the cup (even if you have sweated more in training), and you say goodbye with a grateful tweet while everyone speculates about your next destination comfortably away from the main spotlight.
Absurd? Maybe. But it is our absurdity. And this Saturday, when Toluca takes the BBVA field, that little saga will now be just a curious footnote in the history of the two-time champion. Life goes on. And the changes too.
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