Roberto Carlos Alvarado Hernández (; born 7 September 1998) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga MX club Guadalajara and the Mexico national team.
Alvarado made his professional debut with second-tier side Celaya at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player in league history. After a short spell with Pachuca, he moved to Necaxa in 2017. The following year, Alvarado joined Cruz Azul, where he won a Liga MX title, putting an end to a 24-year drought for the club. He joined Guadalajara in December 2021.
Alvarado participated with the Mexico U-21 side that received second place at the 2018 Toulon Tournament. He earned his first senior international cap for Mexico on 7 September 2018 in a friendly match against Uruguay. Alvarado helped the team win three consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup titles in 2019, 2023, and 2025.
Alvarado was born on 7 September 1998, in Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico, to Guillermo Alvarado and Julia Hernández.
Alvarado was brought by his father to tryout for Celaya, immediately earning a spot on the club's reserve side in Tercera División.
Alvarado made his professional debut for Celaya on 25 September 2013 in the Apertura 2013 Copa MX group stage match against Estudiantes Tecos, coming on as a substitute for Guillermo Clemens on the 59th minute in a 1âÂÂ0 win. He made his league debut three days later, also against Estudiantes Tecos, in a 0âÂÂ0 draw, coming on as a substitute for René GarcÃÂa on the 86th minute. Alvarado was 15 years, 21 days of age, becoming the youngest player ever to play in Ascenso MX.
Alvarado scored his first professional goal in the 27th minute of a 1âÂÂ0 win in a Clausura 2014 Copa MX group stage match against Atlas on 18 February 2014.
Alvarado had unsuccessful trials with English clubs Manchester United and Sunderland in November 2014, and Leicester City in January 2015. His father later said in 2021 that FIFA regulations did not allow his transfer to England due to him still being 14 years old at the time.
It was not until the Apertura 2016 season that Alvarado truly broke out, scoring six goals in 14 games, and catching the attention of Mexican top-flight teams.
On 13 December 2016, Pachuca acquired Alvarado from Celaya with a two-year contract. He scored his first goal with the team on 3 March 2017 while trailing from behind 1âÂÂ0 in a 3âÂÂ2 victory over Tijuana. Although he only played 9 league games in his lone season with Pachuca, he did make two appearances during their CONCACAF Champions League-winning campaign in 2016âÂÂ17.
Alvarado was acquired Necaxa in a deal that involved trading away Edson Puch to Pachuca for the Apertura 2017. On 26 August 2017, he scored his first goal with Necaxa, granting the team a 2âÂÂ1 win over Atlas. On 14 April 2018, he scored the only goal in a 1âÂÂ0 victory over Lobos BUAP. He became a starter during the Clausura 2018 season. In April, he helped Nexaxa win the Clausura 2018 Copa MX against Toluca.
On 21 May 2018, Alvarado joined Cruz Azul. On 21 July, he debuted in a 3âÂÂ0 league victory against Puebla, playing 84 minutes, eventually being substituted out for Misael DomÃÂnguez. On 4 August, Alvarado scored his first goal for Cruz Azul in a 1âÂÂ0 victory against Tigres UANL. Two weeks later, on 18 August, Alvarado notched three assists in a 3âÂÂ0 victory against León, causing ESPN to run a story calling Alvarado "a leading light for Cruz Azul" despite his young age. By now he had become a sensation, with the Spanish publication Marca calling the teenager a "Heaven-sent jewel" later that week. Midway through the tournament, Alvarado was considered by the press to be one of the best midfielders in the league. In November, he helped Cruz Azul win the Apertura 2018 Copa MX against Monterrey, his second in a row.
On 7 November 2021, Alvarado scored his first hat-trick in a 4âÂÂ3 away loss against UNAM.
On 26 December 2021, Alvarado joined Guadalajara in an exchange that saw Uriel Antuna and Alejandro Mayorga join Cruz Azul. On 12 February 2022, he scored his first goal with Chivas against Tigres UANL in a 1âÂÂ3 defeat.
Alvarado was part of the roster that participated at the 2018 Toulon Tournament, where he was the second highest scorer in the tournament with 3 goals, scoring once in the group stage matches against Qatar and China and in the final against England where Mexico lost 2âÂÂ1. He was called up yet again ahead of the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games; however, Cruz Azul refused to release him for the tournament.
Alvarado participated at the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, appearing in all five matches, where Mexico won the competition. He was subsequently called up to participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Alvarado won the bronze medal with the Olympic team.
On 29 August 2018, Alvarado received his first call-up to the senior national team for a pair of friendly matches against Uruguay and the United States. He made his debut on 7 September, coming on as a second-half substitute for Alan Pulido in a 4âÂÂ1 loss to Uruguay in Houston.
In May 2019, Alvarado was included in Tata Martino's preliminary roster for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. On 5 June 2019, he scored his first international goal in a 3âÂÂ1 friendly victory against Venezuela at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The following day, Alvarado was included in the final squad for 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He netted the opening goal in Mexico's 3âÂÂ1 group stage win against Canada, scoring off of a rebound after a Raúl Jiménez shot was saved by Milan Borjan. Alvarado went on to appear in all matches of the tournament, helping Mexico win the final against rivals the United States.
In October 2022, Alvarado was named in Mexico's preliminary 31-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and in November, he was ultimately included in the final 26-man roster.
A gifted playmaker whose versatility is his strongest suit, Alvarado is predominantly a central attacking midfielder, capable of playing on either flank as well as a second striker. 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. 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. Alvarado plays for his teammates, presses effectively when not in possession and seems to be a balanced character off the field.
He has often been compared to fellow national teammate Diego Lainez, although Alvarado has insisted they both have differing playing styles. Cruz Azul manager Pedro Caixinha has compared Alvarado to João Moutinho.
Alvarado is named after the Brazilian footballer Roberto Carlos and the Brazilian singer of the same name. Alvarado is nicknamed El Piojo (The Louse) because of his idol, Argentine former footballer Claudio "El Piojo" López.
Alvarado married his wife, Dayana Gómez, on 24 May 2019, after almost three years of dating. They had a daughter named Emily in 2022 after having lost a baby the previous year.
Pachuca
Necaxa
Cruz Azul
Mexico U23
Mexico
Individual