1. Early Life
Carlos Fierro's early life was marked by significant personal challenges and a strong family connection to football, which shaped his path into professional sports.
1.1. Birth and Family Background
Fierro was born on 24 July 1994 in Ahome, Sinaloa, Mexico, also noted as Los Mochis. His mother, Irma Guerrero, played a very involved role in his career. Fierro had an older brother, Gustavo Iván Fierro Guerrero, who passed away in 2011 due to cancer. After his brother's illness, Fierro was practically adopted by the family of Giovani Casillas, another youth player for Guadalajara, to support his aspirations of becoming a professional footballer.
1.2. Football Beginnings
Fierro began playing football at the young age of four for a club subsidiary of Guadalajara in Sinaloa, where he was coached by Bernardo Chico Vonn. His older brother, Gustavo, had moved to Jalisco in 2007 to pursue a career with C.D. Guadalajara. Fierro followed in his brother's footsteps in 2008, joining him in Jalisco. While Carlos played for Guadalajara's youth squads, Gustavo played for the club's second division team, seemingly achieving their shared goal.
2. Club career
Carlos Fierro's professional club career began with Club Deportivo Guadalajara and saw him play for several clubs in Mexico and the United States, including loan spells and significant transfers.
2.1. Guadalajara
Fierro made his senior team debut for Guadalajara as a substitute on 20 August 2011, in a match against Monterrey, coming in for Omar Arellano in the 76th minute. He was the most frequently used substitute during the Apertura 2011 tournament, appearing eight times. He scored his first official goal with the senior team in all competitions while starting a match against Deportivo Quito in the Copa Libertadores 2011. Fierro completed his first full game in week six of the Clausura 2012 tournament, a match they lost to Monterrey. His most active tournament in terms of minutes played was the Clausura 2014, where he accumulated 1,286 minutes across 16 appearances. During this period, Guadalajara faced challenges due to multiple player injuries, including Fierro, who suffered injuries at the beginning and mid-season of the Clausura 2014.
In the Apertura 2014 Liga MX and Copa MX tournaments, Fierro made 12 appearances and scored 3 goals, matching his goal tally from the entire 2013-14 season. Despite Guadalajara's struggles to avoid relegation, Fierro expressed his determination to become a consistent starter for the club. He acknowledged the valuable support and guidance he received from club legends Omar Bravo and Aldo de Nigris since his return to Guadalajara, even if it involved stern feedback. On 7 September, Fierro scored two goals against U de G in a 3-0 home victory at Estadio Omnilife, marking his first two goals of the season. Overall, during his time at Guadalajara, he scored 17 goals and provided 17 assists in 185 appearances.
2.2. Querétaro (loan)
On 2 December 2015, Querétaro F.C. announced that they had signed Fierro on a loan deal, which included an option for purchase. He made his official debut as a starter on 8 January 2016 in a home match against Atlas. Fierro scored his first goal for Querétaro on 22 January 2016 in a home game against Sinaloa. He returned to Guadalajara for the 2017 season, making his return appearance on 7 January 2017 as a substitute in a 2 1 victory against Pumas UNAM.
2.3. Cruz Azul
On 8 December 2018, Cruz Azul officially announced the signing of Carlos Fierro. The transfer fee for his move was reported to be 3.00 M USD, equivalent to approximately 55.00 M MXN.
2.4. San Jose Earthquakes
On 25 June 2019, the San Jose Earthquakes acquired Fierro from Cruz Azul for an undisclosed fee. Prior to this move, Fierro had spent the 2018-19 season on loan with Monarcas Morelia. This transfer reunited Fierro with head coach Matías Almeyda, under whom he had previously played at Chivas de Guadalajara. During their time together at Chivas, Fierro and Almeyda celebrated victories in the 2015 Copa MX and the 2017 Clausura Liga MX title. Following the 2021 season, the San Jose Earthquakes decided not to exercise their contract option on Fierro.
2.5. FC Juárez
Carlos Fierro joined FC Juárez for the 2021-22 Liga MX season. He has continued his career with the club, participating in the Liga MX during the 2022-23 Liga MX season.
3. International career
Carlos Fierro made significant contributions to Mexico's national youth teams, most notably in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He was a crucial player for the national team that secured victory in the 2011 U-17 World Cup. Fierro scored his team's opening goal of the tournament against North Korea. His impactful performances continued throughout the competition, as he scored in both the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. For his exceptional display, he was awarded the Adidas Bronze Ball at the conclusion of the tournament. Fierro dedicated every goal he scored to his older brother, Gustavo, who had been diagnosed with cancer in late 2008. Beyond the U-17 level, Fierro also represented Mexico at the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship with the U-20 squad and later played for the U-23 team starting in 2014.
4. Style of Play
Fierro is recognized for several key characteristics in his playing style. He is known for his ability to become unmarked on the field and for his quick mobility while in possession of the ball. He possesses a decent shot with his right leg. Fierro is also noted for his fighting spirit, honor, intelligence, and his effectiveness in recovering the ball when playing a defensive role. Furthermore, he is particularly known for his good technique when heading the ball and his strong control when receiving long through balls.
5. Personal Life
A significant event in Carlos Fierro's personal life was the illness and eventual death of his older brother, Gustavo Iván Fierro Guerrero. Gustavo was diagnosed with cancer in late 2008 and battled the disease for nearly four years. Tragically, exactly two months after Carlos and the Mexico U-17 national team won the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Gustavo died in Hospital Country 2011 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, at the age of 22. This loss had a profound impact on Fierro, influencing his dedication on the field, as evidenced by his practice of dedicating every goal to his late brother.
6. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | North America | South America | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Guadalajara | 2011-12 | Mexican Primera División | 21 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 1 | - | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2012-13 | Liga MX | 16 | 1 | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | 19 | 2 | ||||
| 2013-14 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 1 | - | - | - | 35 | 3 | |||||
| 2014-15 | 32 | 3 | 12 | 1 | - | - | - | 44 | 4 | |||||
| 2015 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 1 | - | - | - | 22 | 2 | |||||
| 2017 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 2 | - | - | - | 30 | 3 | |||||
| 2017 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 22 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 153 | 11 | 36 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 198 | 20 | ||
| Querétaro (loan) | 2016 | Liga MX | 14 | 2 | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | - | - | - | 16 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 22 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 4 | ||||
| Cruz Azul | 2018 | Liga MX | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 17 | 1 | |||
| Morelia (loan) | 2018 | Liga MX | 22 | 0 | 10 | 1 | - | - | - | 32 | 1 | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2019 | MLS | 7 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2020 | 16 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 | |||||
| 2021 | 28 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 28 | 3 | ||||||
| Total | 51 | 5 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 52 | 6 | |||||
| Juárez | 2021-22 | Liga MX | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2022-23 | 8 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 8 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 11 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 11 | 1 | ||||||
| Career total | 272 | 20 | 58 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 342 | 33 | ||
7. Honours
Carlos Fierro has achieved several team and individual honors throughout his football career.
Guadalajara
- Liga MX: Clausura 2017
- Copa MX: Apertura 2015, Clausura 2017
Querétaro
- Copa MX: Apertura 2016
Mexico Youth
- FIFA U-17 World Cup: 2011
- CONCACAF U-20 Championship: 2013
Individual
- FIFA U-17 World Cup Bronze Ball: 2011