Success, Humility and Healing w/ Javier “Chicharito” Hernández EP 1435
8 May 2023 · 100 min
This is a podcast episode titled "Success, Humility and Healing w/ Javier “Chicharito” Hernández EP 1435" recorded in May 2023. It features a conversation between Lewis Howes (referred to as Lewis AI in parts) and Javier Hernández, a famous Mexican soccer player. The discussion covers Javier's personal and professional journey, including his mindset, family influence, handling pressure and criticism, career milestones, and lessons learned from his experiences in soccer and life. The episode is part of the School of Greatness series and includes motivational and reflective content about success and humility.
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I don't think you get to be a champion. I think you need to become a champion since day one and prepare, work, give, pay prices, sacrifice. Since day one, when people go through those emotions and those situations, they get stronger.
Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, a former.
Pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur.
And each week we bring you an.
Inspiring person or message to help you.
Discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today.
Now let the class begin.
You know, I was talking with Martha, my girlfriend, about you today. And I was like, what do you think people would really want to know about the man I'm about to interview? And she said, well, he is arguably one of the most famous people in our country and arguably one of the best soccer players that's ever come out of Mexico. and there must be a massive weight, a massive pressure to handle that success because people celebrate you and they cheer for you but if something doesn't go, if you guys don't win on the national team or somewhere then all the weight, the pressure, the criticism comes back on you as well. So I wanted to welcome you to the show but also start by asking that question of How have you learned to strive for a dream of being the best you can be, one of the top players arguably in the history of Mexico, and handle the emotional weight of success and criticism at the same time?
Wow.
I wanted to give it to you right away.
No, no, thank you very much. First of all, thank you very much for having me here. I've been telling you this privately, but I've been following you since a couple of years and I've been watching this amazing project that you have and then dreaming about it, you know, learning about you guys and your guests and stuff and then suddenly I'm here sharing with you parts of my life, my whole life and the process, you know, that I've been through and yeah, going with the question about the pressure, I think that's one of the key things, not only with athletes, not only with like people who have jobs that It requires a lot of like fame and that kind of situations. I think everyone comes from that pressure, you know, sometimes family pressure, you know, in my country, religion, it's a massive subject, you know, then family culture as well. So every time you're trying to feel some expectation about people. In my case, for example, it was the other way around. My family always, always let me be whatever I want to be, right? Because I come from a very, Sport family, right? The father of my mother was a soccer player professional too. And then my mother get married with my father that is a soccer professional player too. So I was the third generation about soccer players. And they were the other way around. They always tell me whatever you want to be, but then you fell in love with soccer. It was in my veins, you know? It was in my veins. So I'm bringing you this because the first time that I experienced like that type of pressure or narrative about those kind of situations It was when I was a kid and when I didn't, I couldn't spend that much time with my friends because some parents of my friends start speaking bad about my success in that time or that I was a good player. They always give the credit that, ah, it's because he's the son of that guy. Oh, really? Oh, it's because he has some help because of course their family is famous and stuff like that. Like if I didn't earn nothing, like if everything was given to me.
Wow. That's a big thing to overcome when your father, your grandfather is a famous athlete in the same sport, then you have a leg up or they give you an advantage. So how did you overcome that first from childhood, from a young boy, to overcome the narrative and kind of outbeat your father and your grandparents? How did you overcome that?
With a lot of mental fitness, man. And I didn't realize in that time, my family, my parents, The advantage that I have in that moment, it wasn't that I was playing because of my family, the advantage that I have over there, it was that I learned from so many things that other people can't learn because they don't have those figures in their life. You know, my dad had a career, my grandfather had a career, so they know about the career.
They can teach you the not exactly.
The things that you cannot see, the things that you shouldn't be doing that much. the things that you should invest more time, etc. So one of them, it was my family saying, they always teach me, let's not avoid or let's not suppress. Yeah, those things are out of our control. We cannot manage them. We're not going to play to change their minds. You need to keep going in the road that you want to be. And they always ask me, do you want to play professional soccer player? That was the main goal, right? professional soccer player. Every single time I was yes, and they told me, well, these obstacles are the ones that are going to make you stronger for those things, even when I was a kid. So being surround amazing people or people that they're in the same vibration as you, it's, it's, it's key. It's key, man. And unfortunately, there's people that, for example, there are kids over there that they don't have that problem. They they don't have even parents, they don't have brothers, they don't have people around that. So it's very important, I think, to be so humble. We were speaking about this before, so humble that you need to learn. And my family teach me that without teaching me that, right? Because I always was, I trust so much in them because my father, like, I have tangible evidence that my dad told me, Look, I did this and it worked out and look, son, I didn't do this, something that I should have have done.
And look what happened.
And look what happened to me. I couldn't have a better career if, look, if I didn't do this, if I slept better, if I take care.
Of my body, if I drink alcohol.
If I drink water. Exactly, stuff like the situations, right? So that was the first time about depression because I was the son of, the son of, and the grandson of, the grandson of. But something that it was very beautiful inside my house, inside my family. we took that in a joking and loving way. Even my grandfather, he did an amazing job of like saying, look man, like, look man, you cannot speak to me like 1v1 until you do this in a very joking way, in a very like, son, I love you. I know your worth is amazing, but of course you need to get there somewhere that you need to get, right? So yeah, that pressure and that situations, I start a little bit living with that.
That.
But man, the only way that I learned it was, I think, the bravery of my family and myself to go for it and fall and fail, right? To don't achieve things that I didn't achieve in that time. To feel the pain of growth, you know, to be in the spot. People, when you say to people be in the spot, they imagine just a soccer player playing in the stadium. That's the spot, no. The spot has been in those situations where things are not going your way, man. When they tell you, you are not good enough. A lot of managers told me you are not good enough. Really? A lot of situations, it didn't happen for me. For example, when I was 17 years old, my teammates, or the national team, won for the first time a World Cup under 17. And I was in the list of the 20, for example, 26 players, and just 23 go there. So I was just caught in the last.
No way.
And wait about that, Luis. one of the toughest but so richful moments that I live in this story.
Because that's painful.
It is, but wait. No, but wait what happens next? Because of course I'm cut out, right? So, and I'm watching... And then they go and win. Of course, but no, wait, Luis, wait. Let me take you to this because wait, but it's gonna get even very more interesting. They're doing very good. I'm in Guadalajara doing my stuff and trying to I said, like, climb the ladder to get to, to first division, not to professional, like, like division anyway. And you are watching on the TV and news that your teammates are doing great. That's great. Then suddenly the owner of the team that I was, that I was playing that time invite me and invite another teammate knowing that we were in the whole process, but we didn't go there on the national team. But we were cut out. My other, my other friend was cut out because he got injured. And myself, he was because the manager just decided another player was better, right? Anyway, they invite us to fly private with our families to watch the final.
No.
Wait, you know my response when I was 16? I said no.
Oh, man.
No, I said, wait, I'm not gonna go.
I don't watch this. Yeah.
I watch it by TV and of course I can't. And that's why my family, it's been crucial in my life. because my parents at that time they couldn't go because my father was like a manager, he was a team so he couldn't go and my mother didn't want to come by herself so what they decided is like let's your grandparents, the father and the mother of my mother go with you and they convinced me in a very loving way of like go it's gonna be a great experience, a great experience. They didn't say it's gonna be fun, they didn't say nothing, they say like it's gonna be a great experience. I'm not saying that my My parents knew what I was gonna feel. But they were like, man, they're inviting you, the owner of the team of youf Want to Play Professionally, and it's a gift, receive it, right? Anyway, we go there, it was in Peru, Lima, the final. You go there, you see your friends before the match, then you go to the match, right? You go to the stadium, right? We are in the stadium, final, Mexico against Brazil. Oh my gosh. Okay, final, first goal, the score was 3-0 and Mexico won, right? First goal, amazing celebration, excitement, nervousness still. The second goal happened, still the same, like we're in the game, we're winning, etc. Luis, the third goal came in and it was like 20 minutes to go. When that goal scored, I knew they were gonna be champions, right? I started crying without knowing about crying because that was one of the first lessons about these bittersweet feelings, right? Because of course, I feel so much love, appreciation, gratefulness. My friends, like best friends are winning. My country is winning. But the bitter situation is like I could have been them.
Oh man.
Man. And then I was crying by myself and I forgot my grandparents were there. He gets to my court still every time that I speak about this. But my grandmother came. And she was crying as well, looking at me, celebration of the third goal and everything. And I remember she held my face and she said, Luzon, like, yeah, Luzon. Right now, it's not your time. But if you trust in me, like in the way that I know you do, and in us, your time will come. Trust in me, right now, it's difficult to believe it. And I, of course, I imagine, It's very difficult to believe it, but now it's when you need to trust the most. Wow. And we just held and we cried because that was our moment of like, yeah, we're happy everything is happening, but it wasn't our time. Let's embrace it. It's not like, Cry, shut up and keep moving. No, it was like learning how to go through emotions, man.
Yeah.
'Cause it was painful.
Of course.
Of course it was painful, right?
You let it out and you process it.
Let it out. And then something else. Of course you go to the hotel, Angels cry. Yeah, you kind of celebrate with your friends, but you cannot celebrate. It's like when people invite you to a party and you cannot eat the cake and you cannot dance. Right. And you are in the party, right? So that was the first time exactly that it was a breakthrough in my life about that.
Wow.
What did you do after that moment? Because it was a letdown, it was a disappointment, it was a sadness, it was a grieving, it was an emotional loss. But there was a win and your friends are, you know, celebrating their champions. What did you do mentally and physically after that moment?
Okay, physically we traveled back to Mexico and then, yeah, I went back to my house and I see my father and my mother for the first time. Of course, it was a, I shared the loss, we shared all the loss and then I have a very crucial talk with my father specifically. My mother was there and my sister obviously, but with my father, my father asked me this. he said, son, I know what you're feeling. I know it feels like a loss. He's always been very objective. And he said, but, son, it wasn't a loss. And I was like, he said, it wasn't a loss. And I'm gonna explain you why. How many times we talk about you being world champion under 17 for Mexico? And he was like, No, we don't have that talk. We don't live in dreamland. And he said, these situations are extras and a consequence of what you are doing. This opportunity couldn't happen if you weren't doing good in your club. And your dream if I'm not mistaken, it's playing for the first division of chivas, right? And he said, like, right. And I was like, yeah, right. So this is not gonna affect you that bad. It could help you. And he said, it could help you to get quicker or better or the path could change, you know? But it's nothing has changed. And tomorrow you need to go to play for the team that pays your salary. That gives you all the tools for you to develop your talents and try to get to the first division. And I was like, wow. And I asked him, and I told him, yeah, but that what I'm feeling, what I'm gonna, yeah, I understand, but like, what I'm feeling, et cetera, and my dad said, look, this is gonna make you stronger, and I'm gonna tell you why. Unfortunately, in life, when people go through those emotions and those situations, they get stronger mentally and emotionally. And it's gonna sound difficult, but I'm not happy, but I'm glad you're living this, because right now you are stronger than some of those players. And he was very, very critique in this sense. And I'm gonna say I never said it, but my dad said, look, son, I'm believing me. I hope from the bottom of my heart that those 23 players get to first division. But I'm sure not even half are gonna get there. Because I know the path. I know how that life is and I know how everything happens.
It's almost better that you were top 26 but didn't get top 23. Because if you would have sat the bench and never played at all, it may have been an even worse feeling. Like I'm sitting the bench.
Could be. Exactly. Exactly.
Sitting the bench. I'm celebrating but I'm not, Okay, I'm good.
Yeah.
But you're not like feeling the pain of the loss, you know, of watching and being so close. You're like, you,'re there, okay, maybe you can coast a little bit. But this really drove you, it sounds like. Did you just turn on a switch mentally and physically with your training and your mindset after this? Did you start training harder or what happened?
Yeah.
Look, something that has happened every single time in my life until today In that moment, I didn't have the knowledge or experience, right? And I mean, that's why School of Greatness and these projects are made for. It's like going through all of that, release the stress, release a lot of stuff that you are carrying it. And it opens up energy. Now I can explain it like that with my experience, but at that time, I didn't know. What I knew was like, if I'm feeling something, look, if you're feeling sad, cry. If you're feeling angry, let it out, don't like with all the respect, but by yourself in a way shout and that's it and you let it out. If you're happy, laugh, enjoy it, share, like all of those emotions my parents kind of teach me in a way. So after that things start happening, Louis. A part of myself was a release. I was like convinced of like, okay, my body is here, they are right, let's keep working. I keep doing the same and the same and the same. and then two years later, I go to the World Cup of Under 20s. We're the same manager, same team, even more difficult because in the under 20s, for example, in the under 17s, normally there's the limit of the age and normally everyone goes, but then on their 20s in that time, they're one year older than you have the opportunity to go. So it's more difficult to go because there's like two ages of players can go, right? And I go there. and I go to the World Cup. I scored a goal. We didn't. We weren't out of quarterfinals, something like that. We lost against Argentina with Kun Aguero, like, amazing players. But then I go there, the resilience that I. That my family and myself show in that time of, like, going through that emotion, staying the path and. And when it feels or sometimes in these, like, path or tunnels that we call. Even when you cannot see the light that you can feel, make yourself believe. Believe that was it. That was it. That was it. That was it. And then I look, and just to merge a little bit with your first question about the pressure, people don't believe that my family was amazing of never ever make me feel that I've achieved whatever I have achieved or if I play an amazing game and score three goals to make me feel that it was like they always humbled me.
Really?
Always. It's not about pressure, but they always humbled me. And I always create this process of like, I know every time that I play a match, Regardless, we are gonna talk about the things that you can improve, no matter what.
What you could do better.
So imagine I go now to a casino with my friends, but I know as soon as I step in the car, or in my house, or my parents are there, we're gonna like review their match, talk about it, and I learn how a little bit, yeah, battle my ego. Man, when you're 17, 18, World Cups, you can score goals, of course, you don't have those experience you feel like you are in the top of the world and you feel like already made everything and stuff and my family help me that sense of like, always like, which is the goal. And they teach me something without the words but I think with actions about like, nothing is gonna be enough. If you win a match you always want to win another one. If you score one, you always want.
To score another one.
If you play one World Cup you want to play more, if you score 100 goals, now you want to score 200 goals. Sure, sure, sure. So unconsciously they teach me that always like, hey man, there's always better things to achieve or to work for, right? So that's how I handle pressure. And then we can keep going on my story because yeah, then imagine that was a pressure in my family, in my niche. But then of course, when I was 21 years old, my life changed completely. And then the entire country knew about me and then I was representing the country.
Right.
And it was like, like you explained in the beginning, right? Sometimes if I don't score goals, it's like I let down my country. Literally. How does that feel?
So this was 21, you're in the World Cup?
Exactly, in the 20. Yeah, 21-22. I just became 22. But before all that, they transferred me to Manchester United. Right, before this.
So you're playing with ManU.
I was playing with Chivas. Yes, no, no, even, no. I was playing with Chivas. and I was the first player ever that I made the jump from a Mexican team to a triple A European team. Because normally in the past, the other Mexicans successful players, they always went to a double A teams or 1A teams and then they start like going to a better teams. Exactly. I was the first one straight to make a transfer from Chivas to Manchester United.
That's crazy.
No one ever like done that, right? So that's why I became so famous in that sense and then the World Cup happened before like in the middle of the transfer they transferred me they bought me but then I couldn't play with Manchester United until after the World Cup. So you didn't play a game yet?
No, no because I was being part.
Of Chivas it's like you made the transfer but you can play three months later, right? Something like that. Gotcha. And after the World Cup.
So this was announced people knew you were gonna go to ManU it was like a big deal. Then the World Cup happens and you're 22. What happens in that World Cup?
My life changed completely. First of all, when they announced the Manchester United, when I came back to an airport in Mexico, it's been until now, I cannot like, yeah, going back to Mexico or I use a hat and now with the COVID mask, glasses, things like that, I cannot come back. My life changed when I was 21. Literally, it was like, I cannot like, I get used to, okay, let me, how I'm gonna handle it because I cannot go to airports and not because I don't want to be with the people, it's the other way around, it's about security. It's gonna take me two or three hours to be out there, then security or things like that, knowing that time. So then I played the World Cup. The World Cup was fine for me. And then I go to Manchester.
You score some goals in the World Cup.
I scored two goals in the World Cup. The narrative was very good that I should have been playing more, it was very positive, etc. and then I go to Manchester. And when I get to Manchester, I start like seeing and learning that life is like everyone doesn't see the life that you see. Right? Why I'm gonna explain to you. Because in my eyes, in my feelings and in my brains, I don't understand still people when there's one guy being in the top of the top of the top of the top, and regardless if you like him or not, that you feel proud that a Mexican is there, I don't understand. I don't, Luis, and he's not in my core. Like, if I see another guy doing great, I never feel threatened or less or whatever. It's the other way around. It's like, I want to learn. It's like, oh, what he's doing that is making him great, and it's like, he's or she's in the, the own path. Let me learn. So that was when I was realizing, like, man, I know things probably cannot go in the most successful way in the beginning, right? Because I need to, you get used to it. I need to play more. I didn't play as much in the first six months, but I was reading and seeing people speaking like, yeah, look, he doesn't deserve to be this Mexican.
Oh, wow.
And things like, yeah, people bringing you down. He will never play there. And honestly, I was speaking. with my family and he was like, how?
Why is this happening? They weren't celebrating you.
Exactly. And those supposed to be the people that I would love to feel the lifting up, the support of no matter what, we support you, you will play, be more positive in that sense, right? So I start learning of like, oh, this thing of like, nothing's gonna be enough. And everyone has their own opinion. So did they want you to deal with that?
Did they want you to be successful on the Mexican national team but not leave? Is that part of it? No, the thing is, be successful and help the country. But then if you go somewhere else, it's too much.
The thing was that the, I believe that the thing was that a lot of people, I think there's a lot of people that they don't feel so secure and so happy with their lives that they use because they are not happy with their lives and they are not peace. Of course they feel and they see lagnes, so they want to see that in, in front of me. So imagine a Mexican, 22 years old, playing Manchester United. And the only thing that they could be seen is like, he's sitting on the bench. That's the only thing that we're talking about. Oh, wow. In the beginning, right?
Sure.
He cannot play. Wow. And things like that. So they, instead of seeing the, the glass half full, they were seeing the glass half empty, but not because it was half empties, because Now we realize that people, when people speak about you, they're speaking more about themselves than themselves, right? So, but that, but it was very, it was very, yeah, it was difficult, man, because 22 years old, you don't know how to handle this. Everyone is speaking about you in that moment because, of course, you are in Manchester United. There's a lot of people that they want you to be good and be successful and make the country proud and et cetera, but then the narrative a lot of other, like the media and all kind of stuff start learning that the narrative, if I go against him, for example, we're going to create the narrative of the I hate him or I love him. And in my country, because of the soap operas, people love that. People love to see a hero or a villain. They love the extremes. So the narrative for some media, what they say, okay, let's just, for example, in a sport program there, Four people, two needs to go in favor of Cicharrita.
Oh my God.
Two goes to against.
Just a battle.
So we have an amazing battle. We create ratings and everything goes up. So that conversation starts to polarize in my country. Did I understand? I said now in my experience right now, for example, Luis, I can say like that's something that in my country I would love to change because there are people that probably you don't like what they do or how they do. good things. But that doesn't mean that they're doing the things wrong. If you don't like something, it doesn't mean that they have a bad taste or is not great. You can be like, you cannot like something that is great and it's fine. For example, if you give me. For example, I clear example. Beatles or Queen. A music. Queen 100. And the beetle people are gonna be the Beatles. And I understand. And I can admire, say, amazing music. It's not for me, but I'm not gonna be saying, nah, they're horrible. They're terrible. Nah, look, then you see the difference. So that narrative with Sportsman, I mean, Martha as well. Yeah. Knows that as well.
Right.
She's as well one of the most famous actresses in our country. It's like.
Why?
Why, like, discredit people just because probably you don't like it. It's fine to don't like. Don't like me. But that doesn't take the fact that in the, in the, in the story of my life, I mean, in Manchester, man, I'm the first. And so far, the only Mexican player that I, that have been playing in Manchester United history. Wow. And I'm the only Mexican player that have won one Premier League and I won two. And I'm, and I'm the only Mexican. This is something that I feel very proud and we can talk about it. I'm the only Mexican player that was a Sir Alex Ferguson player. Wow. The only one in history because he's retired. Wow.
No Mexican ever played for him before.
For him.
You were the first one?
First and last.
Come on.
Sir Alex Ferguson that for me is the best of the whole history of managers, you know, and coaches. So imagine that. Wow. Wow, Luis.
What was the biggest lesson that he taught you?
Oof.
That manager.
Oof. First, I'm going to tell you the most important one, that was without words. Imagine in my 22 years of life in Mexico, not any manager or coach Treat my family like Sir Alex Ferguson did.
Really? Brother, we are the Mexican family.
Like, like managers. And I'm not criticizing them. What I'm saying is the way that Sir Alex Ferguson welcomed my family. Wow. Well, myself, obviously, but my family. Learning their names of my sister, my father, and my mother. Invite us to a to a lunch, but not a lunch. And he even said when he came to the lunch in the first lunch that we because I met him before but then my family met and they and he invite us. He even said, we're not gonna speak about football. We're gonna speak about yourself and yours. Explain to me. I want to know about you. Wow. Sir Alex Ferguson, man. Coming from Mexico. Sir Alex Ferguson.
He's like a legend.
Doing that.
Yeah.
Like making yourself that you're human. Like, of course he's good at what he does, but he's still a human, like us, in some areas. Of course he's greater than another people, but we're still humans, man. We're still human, we're still people. So that lesson. And then the other one that I'm gonna take with me forever, because it's not even a lesson, but it's something that It brought me so much peace and as well a show, like his show as well, that humbleness he was. He said to me when he retires, he brought me to his office to speak with me. And I thought it was like, okay, I don't know what he's gonna say, but he's gonna retire and the next season. It was like he retired like three months before the end of the season. So he was like, I thought he was speaking with the players to say goodbye.
I don't know.
So he invited me and I went to his office and we started talking and he said like small talk and everything and appreciated it back and forth. And then in the end he said, look, I want to finish this meeting, something that I want to tell you. There's been only in my whole career four players that I regret. I didn't give them more time in my time because you deserve it. And I took the decisions that I took already. I'm not regretting them. because I thought it was the best for the team always. But those four players, he mentioned the other three. You are in that category. Four players that I would have loved to give you more time because you deserve it because of the way that you are, in the way that you work and the love that you had for this club. And I want to say that I'm sorry that you didn't get that time. Imagine Luis.
How old were you now?
I mean, that time I was 25. six.
Oh, so four years.
20. No, 25.
Three years into the year.
Wow. Those lessons, man. And then, of course, the. The way that he treats, the way that he manage humans, he knew if Lewis needs probably a little bit of, like, I'm gonna ignore you. You don't need to talk. There's others that they need to have a battle or something like that. And there are others that you need to. a little bit more hard on them, but he knew how to manage 25. But for that, he needs to know people and focus on people, not only the sport, of course, he knew about the sport, but how I'm gonna take, he knew that the most important part, a part of tactics and the sport is how I'm gonna take the best out of my players. And that's why he stayed for 26 or 28 years being the manager, changing players and changing coaching stuff to through that time and keep winning.
That's crazy.
Keep winning is insane. It's insane.
I'm curious, when you scored your first goal with ManU, after being in Mexico the whole time, transferring from Mexico right to ManU, did you believe that you were meant to be there with those players and in that league? Did you feel like I'm just as good as everyone here? I deserve to be here.
Yeah.
Or did you doubt yourself? And how did that first goal feel?
Wow. Look, Luis, right now, I can be completely sure that in that time when I was a kid, because I said I was a kid because he was 20, like, mentally and emotionally, I was 20. I was already becoming a man. But I mean, like, emotionally and mentally, and learning a lot about emotions, mindset, a lot of stuff. It was, I don't want to look bad, at least.
Yeah.
So that makes me feel like, right.
Then don't mess up at least. And right now I learned that it comes now from different, a different place, obviously. But in that time was like, don't mess it up.
Right.
So then that, don't mess it up. Help me to be aware of how I'm not gonna mess it up. If you don't know what's messing it up with what, you need to be very aware. So that gives me an advantage of being more aware of my teammates about what they do, what I have to do, what I probably shouldn't be doing, and then in the field, I'm a constant observer of what other people are doing great. and if it goes with me, I want to learn it. If it doesn't go with me that type of decisions, I don't take it since I was a kid because of my family. So that's why I was like, I don't want to look bad, first of all. And then that goal came in Wembley, that it was even a funny one because the ball was a little behind, I slipped, I shoot, but then the ball goes, I shoot it, but the ball goes to my face.
And then it goes in.
And then it goes in.
It was like a peculiar goal.
Hey, it went in though. It's like, yeah, you go. It even makes, like, they impact more.
People because it was funny.
Right.
It wasn't like a clean shot. He's the guy, one of the transfers. First goal in Wembley, Premier League competition, he scores. They want a how he scores, right? Right. Crazy. So after that goal, yeah, I was like, yeah, I meant to be here. And then something of like, I can. Of course I can. I can. And something as well that I always been thriving, it's I can and I will. That's something that yeah, my family and myself always speak about it even with the love languages and the way that you speak with yourself. It's like it's different that you can, but you can speak and say I will. It's more brave to say I will and then if you didn't make it, be humble enough to say I didn't make it. It's fine. It's fine.
So this is amazing. I love hearing the mindset and the story behind this. And you mentioned early on that your family always kept humility within you. They focused on celebrate you, but also talk about what you can do to get better. When did you feel the most humbled in your career and also personally in your life? Was there a game or a season or an experience or something in your career that truly humbled you and then your life, when did you feel the most humbled?
I'm gonna take back the story.
Way.
More because I'm gonna explain you this type of humbleness that a lot of people don't know because I think most people are used to when you speak about humbleness that there's like a success so you don't levitate, right? So you take down. For me, it was the other way around always. I never, even though I don't want to say never, of course we'll have moments that you feel a little bit hyped and different, obviously we are humans, but my humbleness always was about self-confidence. It was the other way around.
Did you have self-confidence?
I didn't have that much. That's why the humbleness, because in my opinion, humbleness is not only about feel, don't feel more, as well as don't feel less. And in my life, it's not being about feeling more ever. It's the other way around. Don't feel less. That's the humbleness. That was the lesson that I'm going to tell you right now, those moments of my life that it was incredible. The story about the World Cup and everything then, of course, I got my debut and in my debut I scored a goal, right? And it was amazing. But then, since I got my debut, we went champions in that time, everything. But since my debut, just to put like a time lapse, Two years, Louis, were one of the toughest two years in my life. Because then after that, I didn't play as much that I want. I had so very difficult and unpleasant experiences about not being, for example, telling you you're not gonna come even in the bench. You need to travel now in a bus six hours with the second team division, but from one day to another, back like stuff.
With me and you.
No, no, no, no. With Chiva still. This is before everything. This is even after the World Cup of the Under 20s in Mexico. But the humble part comes here. Again, I was with my mother at that time. My father was traveling because of the managing work. So one time, I'm supposed to travel with the first team. and in that moment when you knew, for example, it was the locker room. You know, you are 20 to 30 players in the locker room. First division locker room. Okay. But then one day before every match, if. If in your place you have a piece of paper, it means you are, like, called up for the game. You are involved. You are in the squad for that game. If you don't have the sheet, you need to go and ask, like, the second assistant. what's gonna happen with me? Do you want me to like training tomorrow or you go and play with the other team or you have days off or whatever, right? Okay. So that one is like, I saw my sheet over there. So in those moments were like tiny, tiny like victories for me. Of course, it's like step of the ladder. You know, you need to be involved in the color. Then if you come in, make an impact. And then, of course, okay. Then the next day, I come with my bag and everything, and then I was changing, and they told me, hey, the manager needs to speak with you.
And.
Okay, I go. So I go and I was even thrilled over go, oh, he'll speak with me probably, something will change. The other way around, he tell me, look, Javier, we did a mistake. My assistant, I say, whatever. You shouldn't supposed to have this shit. So the thing is, you need to go to your house. The problem is the second team already traveled, so you're not gonna play that weekend. So tomorrow I want you to come and train by yourself with our fitness coach over there. obviously. But yeah, right now we don't need you to train here, so if you wanted to go home, like go home. In that time it was like wow, okay. And the humble part comes here because then my mother picked me up, we have chats and stuff and we were in the laundry room in my house because I remember and the humbleness that I felt the most humble was again my mother told me son, I've been talking with your father. I've been talking with a lot of people about, like, because, of course, we can have doubts that if you are not good enough, we want to see it. Because as well, that's like, that could be a gift for you, too, you know, to be in time to pivot, you know? And with all the objectiveness, you are good enough. Your parent, like your father, sorry, will tell you, right?
If he doesn't think you're good enough.
I will tell you. I've seen so much games. I'll tell you if you're not. So do that. And now I want you, son, from now on, he said, I'm over. And she said, from now on, no expectations. I don't know what you need to do, what you have to do. I'm going to be here to help you. Play for the love of the game. Don't forget the love of the game. Don't keep trying to achieve love the game. love the game, go back and train. Like if you already play in first division, if you are the key player of that team, play like that, train like that, feel like that. I don't know how it's difficult. And again, you need to trust in things that, things that we cannot see, things that they are not tangible. You need to keep trusting. And she asked me again, you want to be a soccer player, a professional soccer player right now. And I was like, of course, yes, mom, of course, right? So you need to do that. So the homework is like she telling me, find the self-confidence in these moments. Because when you score goals, it's nice, it's better, it's easier. But in those moments where you are again going through pain, through those ideas that you need to break because of course your ego is telling you you are not worth enough, you deserve this, blah, blah, blah, etc. And stuff. So that moment was a breakthrough, Louise, because that moment start slowly, slowly putting in practice what my mom taught me, right? That it's like, do it for the passion and love. Go and enjoy it. Don't enjoy. They tell you you're going to the bench. Oh, like, don't, don't get the out. Don't give the power to the outcome. Give the power of the love of the game and giving everything. So you know deep inside, if you have retraining, give everything or not.
Right.
Things can come your way or not, but if you keep giving everything, you are like she said, she always said this, you are investing, you are investing. If you give everything, no matter the outcome, you can have bad trainings or good trainings, but you keep giving everything, and she said it in this way, if you keep giving your heart, putting your heart into every training, you are investing. And that was one of the most humbles moments, Luis, because I could, I felt, I swear, I felt, I don't even know how I did it, because I was, I trust so much in my family, in them. And they were like a mirror for me that I had to trust to myself. The things start just start like working out, working out. I started playing more, I started playing more, I started playing more. And then the story that we already know. So that was the moment. Wow, man. In that laundry room, it's gonna stick forever in my life. Because it was the other way around, that's why I tell you, of the humbleness. It wasn't that I scored three goals and my mother tried to, hey, come on, come on, hey, let's see. put your feet in the ground and so on.
When you were failing, she was building you up.
Yes. And I think, thankfully, I've been failing so much and I didn't avoid the failing, the failing and the feelings.
The feelings.
The feelings that come with the failing, like the consequences of that were that I was able to grow. and then to live the experiences.
Yeah, because you felt the pain, you felt the sadness, and then it made you focused and continue to have a good attitude. And the world makes room for passionate people. If you show up passionate with your heart to something every day of practice, it becomes undeniable how valuable you are to a situation or a team or a relationship. So if you just show up with passion and a good attitude, if you've got the talent, people recognize it.
For sure.
You'll have an opportunity.
For sure. For sure. And I was, yeah, I was, I'm still am, you know, you saw me the other day. I'm so passionate about this project.
I'm passionate about it.
That's good, man.
I love it. Yeah, it's fun, man.
Yeah.
I'm curious, speaking about just soccer with Mexico, what is one thing you wish the country of Mexico really knew about you. Because they know about all the goals you scored in the World Cups and the Premier League championships and your father and grandfather. They know the Chicharito, but what do you wish they knew about Javier?
Look, Luis, I'm a believer and I think you too about that everything happens for a reason and they needed to happen in that way, right? In our past. But as well, I will say like in the past, five years, let's say, more or less, five to six years, they are knowing parts of Javier that I didn't show in the past. Not because I was hiding them, it was because I was believing to some of the noise of telling me how I should behave, that I'm still, but what people don't know is I'm still behaving in that way But I am a human being. I'm starting raising Javier. So if Javier as a human make a mistake in something is a human, if Javier or Chicharito don't score a goal, his value is still the same as a human being. In the business, of course, he's probably doing good or not good. Consequences will happen. But I am still a human being. The worth of a human being doesn't count how much goals I scored, how much money I earned, or how many photographs I could say, oh, how many autographs I can sign. That's not the value of a human being, right? So that's something that I'm doing now. So to answer your question, could it be like showing, be more authentic and more vulnerable earlier? Probably. And yeah, I think that will be it. But I'm doing it now, right?
So yeah, I'm doing it now.
I'm trying to keep it up, you know?
That's good, man. What do you wish the Mexican people knew about you that they don't know? You talked about you're a human being and yes, your worth is not determined by how successful and how many goals you have and these things. And you're being more authentic and opening up in general. But what is it you wish they really knew about you?
I'm gonna say it again, Luis, because I don't think people Whatever I can say, whatever I can do, whatever mistake I did, whatever accomplishment I did, whatever interview, whatever word, whatever action, whatever it is, it never, ever, ever. And I could say never that even though I'm not perfect and I did it like I said when I was a kid, But I never felt that I have more value, more value or less value than another human being. I swear on my kids' life, ever. If I did the mistakes, it's because I did the mistakes as a human being. If I achieve stuff, I achieve stuff because it's not that I'm better, I'm doing different things and in a good way to achieve that. But that achievement doesn't make me go into bed and say, I'm better than Lewis. Oh, I'm better. Because the only, I don't know how to call it, but let's say, the only person in the world that I want to beat is my ego.
Really?
Of course. My ego is telling me, ego is the challenge. I believe ego is something that I learned. The ego is like your rival in a very cool way. So every night I'm trying, like say, I give everything, I put my heart on it, and I think we have a good battle ego in a good way. When it's very positive and some others, you know, those days that are very frustrating them, and then you're probably like, okay, you won. Just today, not tomorrow. So things like that. So that's something that I will love. them to believe in the core than that I love to share. You know me, Louis, from one month ago, I love to share and my shyness doesn't come with being, how do you say, pretentious or because I want to share it. It's so much love to tell the people that I love. I experienced this like and if you learn from it, I feel even like like, share my bath and whatever, whatever any, like, whoever wants to take even a small piece or nothing, my sharing with the most love, it's, it's something that makes me, like, makes me feel so much peace. So much peace. Because for me, it's like, oh, I learned something. I want to share it. And if that new skill, that experience, Like, the fun and the joy that I experience, I want people to experience. So the only way that I want, I want to share it. So sometimes with this passion, as you can see, right? I can understand when people can miss misunderstand that could look like a little bit present to us or a little bit like showing off. I can understand. But that's where it doesn't come from. It comes from a pure love of like, Let me share you, you know, like I came to School of Greatness, man. It's like I want to share it with my guys, not to, you know, not to make them think the other way around. It's like, sure. Because as well, something that we talk about of air is and you know this, I'm a believer that if I can, anyone can in that sense. I don't believe that I have something different or I'm special than anyone. The only thing is I learn.
To.
Be brave and I think bravery, every one of us can be brave. I don't think there's no, unless of course we know that there are people that probably they're diagnosed with some situations, you know, all sorts of stuff. But if you are completely healthy in that sense, we all can be brave. Brave is not, A quality that I have special. No, it's something that I'm doing that I hope a lot of people could do. Those reveries of feel the pain.
Yeah, man.
Feel the pain.
Now, I'm curious about the difference between the mindset of a champion and someone who never wins a championship. You've been a champion many times. You've played against champions where you weren't the champion. You didn't win, but you played against other champions. You've won championships, but you have a mindset of a champion. What is the difference that you've seen of all the other champions out there and those that never win a championship or just never get the opportunity to because their mindset's not there? What's the difference between that?
Wow, very interesting subject, Louis, because I think... Is it true? No, no, because I'm trying to put it in these words more tangible in a way, like more of a process because I agree with you. The thing is, look, I think if you, first of all, in my point of view, because that's what I live, is the passion about it. Honestly, if it doesn't make you feel scared while you are dreaming, In my point of view, you could do it good enough. But to get champion, to be a champion, because it's good, because the passion and the love, you know what love is. Love sometimes, and most of the times, sorry, it's not only love. Love is accept some stuff, let go some other, you know, feel unpleasant moments. so I think after the passion, it's if you deeply, deeply enough with your Consciousness and your inside work, don't feel that it's tough emotionally, it's tough mentally and it's tough physically. Have you maintained that? That's the thing. The road to that championship, I think. It shouldn't be pleasant. It shouldn't be fulfilled. You shouldn't find the joy, but it's not pleasant. It shouldn't be suffering either, don't get me wrong, it's not about suffering. Don't go to those extremes. But it should be hard most of the time. Hard even of like, I want to go and have a dinner and this fear of missing out, you know, that kind of stuff. probably don't have in the some relationships with people because they can drag you down or at least they're not letting you space for energy to just shine because we're not available because of course it's very demanding, man. It is.
It's only one champion.
It is. I always said it that I gave my youth and like my adolescence my puberty and a lot of things to the sport. Like I didn't leave them. I didn't go to too much parties when I was 20-21. I didn't know how to engage women because I didn't have the practice, right? I didn't have social skills because I was so focused.
Yeah, you're a man.
Yeah.
So I think, in my opinion, that could be a difference. It's the process, man. It's a process. Don't get me wrong. And I learned this from Canelo Alvarez that I talked with him the other day. And I think he was right. I never looked at it. A part of all of that, if you are not completely critique by yourself, and if you don't see talent and you're objective with yourself, you don't see talent, don't expect greatness.
Right, right.
Talent is a part of it, even if it's a small amount, but you need to have talent for something.
You need to have some talent. Yeah, yeah.
Some. as well, a part of all that structure, as well, you need to have the talent to be a champion.
Yeah.
So love that. I think that's it. And I want, I want to keep mentioning because that's a word that is like a mantra for me. And that's something that I want to say. And be brave, man. Be brave. And the Bravery people think it's just the Bravery to try to live the good experiences. Not be brave to be in the stage. Right. Be brave to do. Yes. That Bravery I'm talking about the other Bravery. It's like, oh, heal yourself. That requires bravery. Embrace uncertainty. That requires a lot of bravery. Miss people, love people in ways that probably are not their ways that you want. They're not here. My grandfather is not here. How I'm loving and I feel love to him. The relation that I have with a person that is not in this world, in this, Simulation, how? Be brave with those small battles daily.
I.
Don'T think you get to be a champion. I think you need to become a champion since day one and prepare, work, give, pay prices, sacrifice since day one. Just to put it like that, not since one, but since day one.
What's the biggest price you've paid to becoming a champion?
Oof, sorry. I did a tattoo here with my sister. That is just, of course, it's just With my sister, but it requires the biggest prize. It says no matter where with her hand script. It's don't be like Don't spend that much time with the people that I.
Love Don't spend that you didn't spend that much time.
Yeah, I cannot spend that much time with people I love because Because a part of my passion is My purpose? Yeah, since I was, for example, since I moved when I was 21-22 years old, it was my grandparents. I didn't spend that much time with my grandparents, even though they travel and stuff. I didn't spend in that time, for example, with relationships, with friendships. Friendships went away because time we don't spend time, you don't procure them, even love relationships. So they, and don't get me wrong, it wasn't because moral, because I don't want to be alone, it's not even like that solitude, and even now more than ever I embrace it. But it's a price to pay, obviously, that you feel you, of course you want to be with the people that you love. And now I broke up like this because regardless that it's not something that I decide and I didn't, like I didn't want to be like this. It just happened for different things that I'm not gonna enter in that very small details. I'm not spending that much time that I would love to with my kids right now. It's getting there, it's getting better and I will spend that time. But, and I'm not saying that I'm choosing championship because of my brother and my kids, it's not that way. But because even how everything happens right.
Now.
I'm choosing my growth be a champion, feel a little bit of pain missing them, but I know that far away and when they grow, this fulfillment, that's something that I want them to learn about their father. I want them because what I want from them, I want them to be the best version of themselves. and they want to learn to grow, to feel all that love. And the only thing that I want is I'm gonna love them forever, but I want them to be competent and efficient so they can enjoy this life because it's their own life.
Yeah.
So, and I want them to feel this energy of their father, a better version of himself. And right now, look all of this. and technology is gonna help in that sense. But this is one of the prices that I'm paying right now to become even a champion this season, you know, not being that close with them, even though they're gonna come in four weeks, they're gonna stay here and we're gonna spend time with them. Because I don't want them to be mistaken that it's not coming this of like I choose my career, my kids, it's not like that. It's not, it's the other way around. I did everything so my kids could be closer and things out of my control. Sure, sure, sure. that I want to speak about it. It's like it happened. And again, I've been more brave to accept some consequences and leave this type of stuff to grow.
Yeah.
And like I told you, to experience all of this, to be stronger with the purpose that deep enough, I believe that My kids are gonna be proud of the father that they have, know about the success and the achievement, about the fulfillment, that energy, that frequency that I want to maintain every day so I can transfer that to them.
This is a really interesting concept because I'm assuming people watching or listening might have a judgment here.
Yeah.
But for me, there's this idea of Creating fulfillment within your life's purpose and being a champion of your life. Whether that's being a champion on the soccer field or not is choosing to be having the most fulfilled version of your life. To me, that's a champion as well. Even if you don't win the championship. And you're in an interesting situation because your kids are in another country right now. And I'm assuming that there are some people that might criticize you and say, well, You're playing soccer, a game that you've already succeeded so well at. Why not just be in the same country as your kids right at this time, for the six months or this year or whatever it is. But what I love hearing you say is you're choosing to have a full, rich life and there is a sacrifice to that right now because of the situation.
It's just right now.
The logistics of the situation.
Exactly.
But it's not the rest of your life.
Exactly. It's just right now and I did, I did everything for them to stay here.
Wow. You know, I did everything.
Yeah.
So I can of course have both and I don't think it's a bad life living in LA, right? I grew up over here. But there were situations that I cannot talk about it that they were out of my control. But I did everything. Everything economically, everything in a way of like, I want to to. I want them to stay close.
Yeah.
And I think we both can be here and be have a successful and fulfillment life, not just fulfillment life and our kids as well.
Right.
But it didn't happen. So at that time, when it didn't.
Happen, how do you make the decision then to stick with your career about this joy and this love that you have for one thing and not have have both together. How do you make that decision personally? Look, I think it's a tough situation.
It's a very tough because I'm gonna explain you. I'm gonna tell you like this. It's first of all, I compromise with an organization that is a galaxy. I give my word first. secondly, I did the best as I could. I did everything that I knew at that time. I didn't know. And I act very nice and very loving, and it didn't happen. The outcome. And if you can see it, something that I take it and I interpret it like this. the stories that I've been telling you, if you see it, it's about patience, right?
Trust, bravery, man.
I think. No, it's not that I think. I know. My kids and I, we're gonna have an amazing relationship. We're gonna heal whatever we both need to heal ourselves, and I'm gonna be. one of the best influences, like we have very positive influence for them because they will notice, they will feel and they will learn about fulfillment. Wow. For me, and it's taking me this because like you said, the champion is like that. My championship is not only the lifting the trophy, lifting the trophy is the consequence of all of this.
Of the fulfillment, of living your purpose, of living your passion, of like going after what you want as well.
Heal whatever I need to heal, enjoy whatever I need to enjoy, experience whatever I need to experience. But I know look, it's like this. And it's not even a complaint. It's just an example. Because it happened. There were moments with my father, even though they're still together, my parents, I didn't see him that much because of his job.
Right.
So just about the perspective that life want to put sometimes, right? They're gonna come like. everything is going to be figured out. The message here, I hope, is not stay just in the easiness of judge things that you can judge. If you can understand, not understand, if you can see it and feel it here, that those decisions that we're talking about my, this decision about my kids, but in every aspect of anyone's life, in every different concept. That's when the universe is telling you, do you really, you're attracting everything. What if this is the price that you need to pay for attraction? And how I realized that about the God feeling and about that is not the pleasant one. The most pleasant one was, of course, being touching my kids every single morning and every single day and every single night. Decision needed to be made by both of us because we needed to split and then things happen and then we are like we are right now. And instead of staying as a victim and complain, be bitter, I love them. I decide to love. I have another tattoo here that says in Spanish, love is my Superpower.
Oh, that's beautiful.
How do you say that? Amar es mi super poder. Oh, that's cool. So it's beautiful, man. I choose to love, man. It's good. I choose to love, and I choose the. The hard way that it's love. People think that love is nice and it feels easy. Yes. It's like, that's why I. That's why I love love in that way. Because, of course, and you are a Pioneer about this, right? It's like speaking about yourself in a very good way. healing your past. Accept yourself, know yourself with your shadow, right? With your things that are not incredible and you need to master yourself, right? And that's, I think, when love comes about, when it's not pleasant, but it's richful. It's joyful, joy. It's not happy, it's joy. It's like, oh, I know that sometimes I do this. Oh, I know sometimes I can do, you know, but then it's not only about learning. It's about that you master yourself so you can control yourself. It's about power. But that self-power. So that's why sometimes we are so inclined to take the decisions about the safety. And safety is people think safety is being yes. And that's why the vulnerability is like a paradox, right? Because when you are vulnerable, you feel exposed that anyone could hurt you. Right now, thankfully, because of the times and our lives, the vulnerable is telling you, man, I'm doing this with you. I'm crying. I'm speaking about my kids. I'm doing... That's vulnerability. But then, don't take me wrong, you see me play. I could be at least inside as well. I know, but that's the thing we already It's how you master and then you are responsible of it. So anyway, used to finish like that is these two humans changed my life. Nala and Noa, my kids, I have the tattoos of them here.
That's beautiful.
And this, I hope people can see about this that yeah, be a champion of your life requires a lot of bravery, a lot of Decision making, a lot of love, a lot of acceptance, a lot of vulnerability and a lot of like embracing uncertainty, being certain.
Yeah, the lessons your mom taught you for sure and your grandmother.
Exactly.
I'm curious about this topic of relationships because I don't know, I know one other soccer player. I don't really know much about football, soccer. I played it growing up, but then I really didn't follow much, right? But I know it's massive around the world. I know it's, people are crazy. People are obsessive about the sport. I understand in Europe, it's like that's all people watch. It's a matter of life and death and families. It's like the craziest thing, right? And from my observation, again, I follow a few players online. But it seems like there are some soccer players, footballers, who have great relationships. I see Messi with his wife and his kids and Ronaldo and a few players that I watch, right? And then it seems like other soccer players have horrible relationships. Now, relationships are challenging in general.
Of course.
It's hard for regular people, let alone people at the top of a professional sport. Why do you think Do you think it's easier or harder to be in a healthy quality relationship when you are a driven man at the top of a sport? What's your thoughts on that? Is it easier or harder? Because I see Messi and Ronaldo, it.
Seems like they have a relationship.
It seems like they have good relationships, but who knows?
Behind the scenes, I have no idea.
People can post something on social media, but you saw these guys every day. for the last 15-20 years, you've seen guys in multiple leagues all around the world. Some of them have great relationships, others don't. What does it take for a great athlete to also have a great relationship?
Okay. I'm gonna, look, I think, and you.
Don'T have to say names of people.
But you know who I'm talking about. No, I don't need it. I don't need it. It's not even, no, no, no. I think, look, and like you said it, relationships are hard. For average people. Yeah. And you brought a subject about like, like Partnerships and like, like that, that type of even with the friendships and stuff, like relationships are key. Because imagine if it's difficult to know yourself, accept yourself, master yourself, and then find someone that it's in the same time lap, time lapse. in your life that you can have coincidences in time that I call it, you know, to walk together and stuff like that. It's very difficult. But look, man, I think something that people don't realize, and I'm going to speak about athletes in general. I don't know in USA because of the sports and because the system that they have that you can have college, have different environments, you know, when you are young. 95, no, 98% of soccer players around the world comes from nothing, man. From even poverty, from not even like, I'm gonna speak about my father. My father was poor one generation before me. Sometimes he needed to work when he was 10 years old. to try to get some sense.
Of.
A peso, to try to eat something, man. So I think it's just a matter of like, of course, like knowledge. Yeah. Knowledge, you know, you always try to do the best that you can. Well, what you know. How do you know? Exactly. That's why they have the word bravery, because when you are as brave as you are, Normally you put yourself in situations or experiences and they're gonna give you knowledge. Knowledge, right? So I think nowadays that's why I believe so much in you and these people that are being like pioneers because and I want to speak about it. It's like sometimes people say, Just man up. And I understand there are moments that you need to man up. But if I show you vulnerability, it's not weakness, man. Because I'm showing you vulnerability. I'm not telling you that that vulnerability is controlling me. That's different. Like what I'm feeling. I can show you that I'm sad, I can cry. That's not controlling me. I'm feeling it. That's one thing. And I'm sharing it. That I'm human. So I think it's just a, I think relationships with soccer players, it comes about the backgrounds, man. It's difficult. Really? Coming from my country, for example, even though that I wasn't in a rich Family, because I wasn't, I was completely middle class because my dad, even though he had a very good career, money-wise, he wasn't a brilliant career, neither, even though that he played constant and in the teams that he played, etc. I was from a middle class. So it's just about that. I mean, like I spoke, religion is very involved over there. The ways of the social, like groups and culture that is in my country brings you like, A lot of stereotypes, a lot of how you need to behave or not. Exactly, a lot of machismo. But then as well, the other way around, as well their woman that they just are, it's very, their woman that they're just looking to the surface as well.
Right, it's true.
As well, it's man to relationship, I always said it, to relationships to broke up even though that you can tell me that someone did something, both need to have responsibility.
It's true.
Both men to approach, A relationship project, if it doesn't work, both. You did your stuff or you didn't do your stuff. You did your stuff or you didn't do your stuff. You allow stuff to happen, you allow stuff to happen. Be responsible, be accountable, man. Accountability, because that's the other thing, the other way around speaking. Normally, like you said it, what people hear, see, there's way more context about a lot of stuff. And the situation for a relationship is as much accountability we can have, even in the breakups, could be in a more loving ways. Because we are used to, speaking of.
My country, about the drama, the fighting.
The soap opera always. And don't get me wrong, men do a lot of mistakes and women do a lot of mistakes. If we both want to learn about relationships, we both learn about relationships. And for that, you need to know yourself, because you need to be completely honest but that's the other thing that I believe that people are not brave enough, I'm gonna tell you as well. Brave enough to have communication, brave enough to say what you want, brave enough to accept that there are things that you cannot have the perfect situations that probably in a project that okay, these things couldn't happen right now because these other things are happening, you know, agreements, love, but that's why I believe that you need to work in yourself. I believe when people don't agree about this, you You work on yourself and then you share it.
Yeah, that's true.
You share it.
I'm curious, who of all the teammates that you've had or all the people you've played against and you're aware of, which footballer in your mind had the best family? Like the best relationships, the kids, they showed and it seemed like they had the best family relationships. with their partner and their kids that you're like, wow, they're really, you know, this is amazing. It's beautiful.
A lot of people, it was a lot. Even myself with my family, for example, the relationship that I still have, like, I think we all, and a lot of players did, because I believe as well in something that is, that is the gray areas.
Yeah. Right.
We're very teach of, we have some, like, guidelines about how relationships should be and.
Right.
And of course, and most of the people like to follow that guidelines and it worked for them. But there are others that they don't, or the small gray areas, they want to add something that is not common or they want to take something out that is not common. So that's why I said that relationships are, and that's a beautiful, that's a beautiful part of relationships. And they're two human beings to try to get along. Trying to figure it out. Right, try to figure it out.
Try to figure it out.
Whatever you want to figure it out. If you want to get married, kids, not company, whatever it is. So that's why it's so beautiful.
Yeah, it is.
Because realistically, I think that the narrative should be like, learn from anyone, see whatever you want to see, take whatever you want to take, and don't take whatever you want to take. There's no better or worse relationships. You know why? Because we will never gonna know. Like, I'm never gonna know what relationship it is or myself, even though that I can explain it to you. Because you need to leave it and feel it and then like always happens one person has one perspective the other person has another perspective and they're both right and truth.
It's true.
From their perspective.
Right, perspectives are... Exactly. So a lot of people have a very good relationships with families, with kids, with partners a lot.
I'm gonna ask you some football questions. Best team you ever played for?
Oh my God.
You played a lot of great teams.
Yeah, I'll say, I'll say, no, yeah, the teams, it's Manchester United and Real Madrid. I mean, there's no other team above them.
Best game you ever had? That year, in your mind, it was your best game. Maybe you didn't score the most goals. Maybe you won it. This was my best game I've ever played.
Look, from 1 to 10, I'll say I play like qualification, right? Like number nine. Because I don't believe in the 10th. Sure, but you say nine, he was like the best. But as well, the meaning of that game, the one that I play with Real Madrid and I scored the winning goal on quarterfinals to the Champions League to go through to semifinals of Champions League. Because a part of how I play and a part of that I score the winning goal and we win and we get through, the meaning, it's, there's nothing above those experiences. The only thing is you need to maintain it, right? It's just, it's like that's the best of the best of the best of the best of the best of the best, right? I had World Cups, but I haven't played in Playoffs World Cups, right? I scored a goal in the run of 16s when we didn't get through, you know, Cincinnati. So this one, the meaning was the championship. It's like the dream.
That's literally the biggest.
It's the biggest championship. And I scored goals with Manchester United that gave me as well, like a titles for the Premier League as well. But their leagues, this one with the Champions League and Spain, how the story was that I came, that I shouldn't play that much. I was alone. Did he has the capacity or not to do in Spain? They do like that, and then I started, played the whole 90 minutes, and I was subbed in the last minute. Then I scored the goal, then we win, and we won. So that was the game.
Yeah.
What's the best performance of someone else you've ever played on a team with or against? Another player?
No, I'm gonna say, yeah, it's very difficult, but yes, it comes easy, easy. I'll say a team. It was the team. For me, it's one of the greatest teams ever built. And it was the, the final that I lost in the Champions League against Barcelona. That team with Messi, but the players that they were, I think they, of the 11 they play, I'll say the 11 of them, they were like in almost in the peak of their career. Wow. Eleven of them.
Real Madrid.
No, Barcelona. I was with Manchester United. We lost the final in London 20 2011.
Wow.
In Wembley 3-1 we lost.
What's the best individual performance you've ever witnessed?
Like playing against or with?
With and against. That you were just like, this is unbelievable what this person is doing.
Wow.
They were just unbelievable.
That's good that I'm thinking, I feel very humble because there's a lot I'm thinking about a lot. I'm just trying to choose one, choose one. I'll say that, that. Look, I'm gonna mention players. I don't. I'm gonna explain. There was. There were a couple of games that Wayne Rooney, I played with him, and the way that he played the game, like, it was like a. Like a master of, like, all around in his position that you can see scoring goals, making the team play well, assisting, defending, like, a very well around Wayne Rooney. Then I play. I I. thankfully with Cristiano Ronaldo, I saw plenty. But there was one that we play against Sevilla and he did a hat trick. He was like out of nowhere just boom, goal and then boom, goal and then boom, goal. It was like, wow. Like if he has magic powers to know where the ball is gonna come every single time, he's got three amazing goals, you know, with the talent. And the other one was Messi. Messi against us in that final that I mentioned to you, those three players, that was the three players that I witnessed that it was like, wow.
What is the biggest lesson you learned from each one of those players, whether they're personally or watching them or playing against them? One lesson from each one of those players.
With Cristiano Ronaldo personally, that everything that has been said, I think it's being underestimated. Because, for example, this comparison about Messi that that of course he's a professional hard worker but he has more talent than Cristiano. No, the talent of Cristiano. So imagine that how much value it needs to be. If you have a guy who suppose because he has supposedly he doesn't have that much talent, he's doing the same things as a talented guy. He doesn't have superpower.
Right. Right.
Imagine if you are right because he has so that about him, the professionalism, the hard work.
Yeah.
And the self-confidence man. Wow. And the self-confidence I've never felt something like him.
But his presence.
They know him presence.
The way he.
They believe that he has seen himself. It's out of this planet. The way Ronnie, it's. It's like he played his whole career like he was playing the streets of Liverpool. He's from Liverpool. Like with that. easiness, like, with that freedom, even from everything, like, don't believe in no one. Just believe in himself playing. He has a. He was very. He's talented, but he was very clever here as well, way more than people think. So that. And then I think Messi, I didn't play with him. I played every single time against him, and it's just like, yeah, his left foot and the talent that he has, he's just like. Yeah, it's artistic in a way, right? It's just like, wow, I play against him and you want to stop him and there's no way sometimes. But he was in his peak, there wasn't a way to stop him. Really?
It was impossible.
But you were never defending, right? No, no, no. We crossed but not... You just watch him. Exactly, watch him like, yeah, exactly. And with Cristiano, I'm with Wayne, apart.
Of watching them because I play against them in national teams, I play with them. That's right, that's cool. Must be fun when you're up... Yeah, amazing. So you're getting passes for the press. That's amazing. What is your biggest fear moving forward? Biggest fear and doubt that you face?
The fear that I feel constantly, it's like kind of not being present and conscious. Being conscious about myself. I believe, yeah, I believe that.
Yeah.
We, I would say we because I believe in that body. I am or we are, we are not the voice that it's here, we are the observer of the voice. So that's the consciousness when you realize you're listening to the voice, it's like you are that, you are, that's you, that's you, right? So the fear that sometimes like, I don't want to, I call it like I don't want to fall asleep in my consciousness, I'm being in this automatic, automatic, but like sabotage mode. Because you can be in automatic when you have great habits, when you are loving, when you are present, you need to think. You are in auto mode when you're completely present and feeling everything, but it's in a positive way. So I call it don't fall asleep in this like sabotage mode.
Right.
Wow.
That's what you're afraid of. That's what you're afraid of, falling asleep.
Yes, in that sense, yes.
This is powerful, man.
Yeah.
I'm inspired. I got a few final questions for you.
Oh, yeah, go for it, Dave. What is... Have all the time of the world, bro.
What is the thing you're most proud of that most people aren't aware of? They're aware of all the championships, but what's the thing maybe people would think that you're not proud of, that you're really proud of?
Three words. Yeah, three words. Bravery? Generous? Yeah, well, yeah, I was gonna say and like, yeah, like humble.
Humble, yeah.
Humble, yeah. Yeah, I don't... People that have met me and it's very difficult to speak about this because I don't want to like, you know what I mean? It's difficult to say these things because I believe that when you are saying you are not being like that in a ball and speaking about humbleness but when you truly, truly, truly know me, it's like there's no evil inside me, man. I've had so many mistakes that I've done but never with evilness or I want to hurt someone or I want to make someone's life difficult. Even though I know how to compete and in my sport, like you need to take advantage of someone and I can see like weak spots in the sport to take advantage and I'm very sensitive and I can see in humans never ever have like I wake up and I want to make someone feel like no, it's just that I'm human and I did these things, right? So those three words I think describe me in a way and then people don't because of fame and because my sport and my job and The media and etc. It's just those three words. How brave I am, how humble I am, and how generous I am.
Yeah, it's beautiful, man. Well, I gotta acknowledge you, Javi, for we've hung out a few times now. It's been, what, a month or two since I've got to know you? Yeah, thankfully. We've hung out, I don't know, five times, something like that. I've seen a couple of your games. You've been to my home. We've hung out outside of the studio, and it's been beautiful getting to know you, getting to know your heart. and I would acknowledge you for showing up fully for yourself even under challenging circumstances. You know, I met you when you were injured. I know what it's like being injured playing a sport, it's not fun.
No.
But showing up, doing the work, recovering, you know, following a healthy routine, you've done that. Showing up the best way you can for your club, showing up the best way you can for yourself, for your family, for your kids even though they're not here. I acknowledge you showing up with a positive light even under challenges and breakdowns and stuff you're going through, man. It's beautiful to watch you show up with passion, with love and positivity.
I appreciate it.
So I acknowledge you, man, and I'm excited for our friendship and hanging out more and hopefully we can.
Yeah.
Likewise, man, you are a pioneer about this and not only about myself, about millions of people, you know, about this self work that we all have to, to not have to do, but literally, I use, I never use those words, but, yeah, we have to do. We want to, to just enjoy better these lives, you know, to have a better, better experiences, you know, and just feel better, man. So I appreciate what you're saying, because likewise, I admire you and I've been so grateful to be here in this project. But a part of that is just start to know in you as well and be how authentic you are over here and the same outside. You know, people sometimes think, yeah, like us as well. You can see me in a way and then you don't know how real time people are. But I honestly, I'm grateful that you are so authentic and what you preach, you are. Thank you. That's a beautiful thing.
Thanks, brother.
I appreciate it a lot, man.
Appreciate you, man. How can we best support and serve you? You know, you're playing with the Galaxy right now, come to a game, Follow you on social media. Where do you like to spend the most time on social media and how can we support you?
Look, right now, I thankfully, I like made a structure and I'm working with a community manager, like company, that they're helping me a lot. Normally, I spend more time in my Instagram, you know, sharing stuff. But then, something that I want to speak more about, it's my story. streaming live kind of because apart of the streaming of course as I stream in Twitch, I play video games, I start a project where I'm gonna inviting people in a way just to talk and my intention on your Twitch. On my Twitch. My intention of that like I told you of air my intention about that and I said it with my first guest that it was Canelo Alvarez. It's mostly of course I want to invite Mexican people, you know, But it's to probably create a narrative, like a very positive narrative that, for example, my eyes have never seen. That it's like people who have gone through a lot and they put the name of Mexico on the top and they lived amazing and extraordinary experiences, you know, chat, hang out and empower themselves. That it's like that we get happy of the success of someone else. Because I think we lack of that in my country. We lack of feeling happy that someone that you don't even know is doing great. But generally happy, I don't feel threatened, I don't feel insecure, I don't feel reflected or projected about your insecurities of them. Like, ah, you know, just trying to find the negative or find the lack of something. Right? So that's what I'm trying to do. And I'm just saying in that way because the message, not really because I'm doing it, I don't care if I do it, whoever needs to do it is like, I have a culture get used to it of having more fun and happiness with the success of someone else or the happiness of someone else.
Sure, sure.
So yeah, those are the ones. And then TikTok, I don't use TikTok personally that much because what we do is like, normally whatever it comes on my streams, I have an amazing editor that put the videos of... But a lot of the content, you can see very profound content too. You can see very funny content even laughing about myself and then video games and then this project that is called El Olimpo. I think in English is called what?
Olympus or something like this.
What's your Twitch account? My Twitch account is ch14.
Gotcha.
Same with Instagram.
And Instagram is ch14 underscore.
Got it.
Yeah, we'll link it up. Yeah, I'll link it up.
I love that man.
We'll make sure to link all that stuff up. If you guys are in LA, go to a game or if you're... Of course, obviously. Period. If you're in the country and you're.
Traveling to a game, then be sure to watch. And you like soccer? That's it, man. Oh, you are curious about soccer? Yeah, go check it out. How much is growing up in this? It's blowing up. It's blowing up in this country because.
Yeah, I mean, it's the most followed sport in the world, so why not? The USA should be following it, you know? what's the, what's the popularity of the.
US compared to football, basketball, baseball, hockey? Is it number five? I think it's getting, yeah, I think.
It'S number five or getting very close to hockey.
Very, very close. It's growing a lot. It's great.
There's more clubs like, every year.
Now, this year's a new one.
Like Austin, St. Louis is starting.
No, no, this year is, and they're doing amazingly.
Yeah.
Because Austin was a couple years ago. LAFC was another one. It's like, LAFC, the most recent were Austin. Charlotte. LaFC is one of them. You mentioned Austin too. So there's a new one.
Yeah, that's great. Yes, no, no.
And every year, like, I think every year one new, like, franchise come. That's amazing. So it's expanding.
Yeah, it's blowing up. It's amazing, man. Yeah, it's blowing up, man. Well, I'm excited for you for the rest of this season. I'm gonna have to watch another game or two. This is a question I asked everyone at the end called the three truths. So hypothetical scenario. Imagine it's your last day on Earth. many years away. You live as long as you want to live. Accomplish all the dreams you want to accomplish. The beautiful family, everything happens. But you have to take all of your wisdom and content and highlight clips of videos with you. No one has access to your content anymore. It's all gone. All your Twitch streams, all your Instagram, gone. But you get to leave behind three lessons to the world. And this is all we have to remember you by. these three truths.
Oh.
What would be those three truths for you?
Okay, the three. The three.
Come on, say three truths.
First truth will be.
Yeah.
Even in that scenario, it's like, be brave. You just have one life. Be brave, for sure. be authentic. I believe in that too. Be authentic. And people, and I want to do just a small context about that because people think that be authentic means sometimes to stand out in different ways or feel better than other ones and do different things. When you are trying to do something different, you are not being authentic because authenticity needs to get out yourself. And exactly. And if sometimes that authenticity looks similar as other ones. Yeah, that's true. Your touch. So when you're trying to do different things, you're not being authentic. You're just trying to stand out for not like, I think, pure reasons. Ah, oof. And the third one is never stop learning. For sure. In every sense, mentally. Like, emotionally, like never stop learning. Even when you feel that you're mastering something, you keep learning. Even at this consistency, you need to learn how to.
Absolutely, man.
Learning lessons, you need to learn it.
Two final questions for you. One is gonna be, what is your definition of greatness? We'll start with that one.
Oh.
Yeah. I love it. I think when you start I always say start because I think we all have a point when you start doing that but then it's infinite, right? It never gonna stop because there's no place to arrive. So when I say when you start loving yourself, accepting yourself, and make, like growing, making yourself grow, like growth. Yeah. So that's, that's my definition of greatness. Because then, then I've been listening these things from you, from different people, women, and everyone who experienced, like, extraordinary things, it's like seeing the things the other way around then. the outcomes are a consequence of that.
Yeah.
Of this.
That's it, man.
Yeah.
Love yourself, accept yourself and growth. If you could leave a final motivational message to everyone in the world who speaks Spanish in Espanol, what would you say?
Do you want me to say in Spanish?
In Espanol.
Yeah.
Just a message in Spanish that will inspire anyone listening in Spanish, anything you want to share. Any motivational message about believing in themselves.
About loving themselves, about being proud of who they are. I think that's what we need to do. We need to be proud of who we are. We need to be proud of our culture, of our history, of our language, of our traditions. We need to be proud of who we are. Poco a poco. Poco a poco. gracias.
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