Hirving Lozano

2.1. Birth and Youth Development

Hirving Rodrigo Lozano Bahena was born on July 30, 1995, in Mexico City, Mexico. At the age of 11, in 2006, Lozano joined the youth academy of Pachuca. He steadily progressed through the lower leagues of the club's system, showcasing significant talent that eventually led to his promotion. After impressing in the youth ranks, he was called up to the first team by coach Gabriel Caballero in 2014, marking the beginning of his professional career.

2.2. Family and Personal Life

Lozano is married to Ana Obregón, whom he met during his time playing for Pachuca. The couple married in 2014 and have two children: a daughter born in 2014 and a son born in 2017. His popular nickname is Chucky, derived from the horror film character. This moniker originated during his youth career, as he reportedly used to hide under his teammates' beds to scare them. Lozano also has a younger brother named Bryan Mauricio, who is also a footballer and plays as a midfielder for Club Universidad Nacional.

3.1. C.F. Pachuca

Lozano made his professional debut for Pachuca on February 8, 2014, in a Liga MX match against Club América. He made an immediate impact, scoring a goal just five minutes after being substituted into the game, securing a 1-0 victory at Estadio Azteca. In his debut tournament, the Clausura 2014, Lozano helped Pachuca reach the final, where they finished as runners-up. He scored the third goal in Pachuca's 3-2 first-leg final win against sibling club Club León. On August 30 of the same year, he scored his first brace in a 2-1 victory over León.

The 2015-16 season further cemented his presence. On September 19, 2015, Lozano scored an equalizer seven minutes after Dorados de Sinaloa opened the scoring, with Pachuca ultimately winning 2-1. On February 27, 2016, he scored the only goal in the first minute of a match against Toluca, which placed Pachuca at the top of the general table. On March 19, Lozano scored his first hat-trick in Pachuca's dominant 6-0 win over Veracruz. During the Clausura 2016 championship semifinals against León, he contributed two goals, leading his team to a 3-2 aggregate victory. Pachuca went on to win the league title, defeating Monterrey 2-1 on aggregate in the Clausura tournament finals. Lozano was subsequently included in the tournament's Best XI.

In the Apertura 2016 opening league match on July 16, Lozano scored a brace and provided an assist in a 5-1 win against León. On September 13, during the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League group stage, he scored four goals in an 11-0 defeat of Police United, setting a record for Pachuca's biggest win in the competition's history. His performance earned him the CONCACAF Champions League Player of the Week award. Lozano finished the Apertura tournament as the highest-scoring Mexican player with 7 goals and was again named to the Best XI.

In the Clausura 2017 opening match on January 17, he scored another hat-trick against León in a 4-2 victory. In April, during the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals against FC Dallas, Lozano scored twice within the last 10 minutes, securing a 3-1 win (4-3 on aggregate) and a spot in the finals for Pachuca. The following month, Pachuca won the CONCACAF Champions League by defeating fellow Mexican club Tigres UANL. Lozano was awarded the Golden Boot as the competition's top scorer with 8 goals and also received the Best Young Player Award. Across his tenure at Pachuca, he played 152 games and scored 44 goals.

3.2. PSV Eindhoven (First Stint)

Following a lengthy transfer saga that saw him linked with several prominent European clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Benfica, and Ajax, Lozano ultimately signed a six-year contract with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven on June 19, 2017. He temporarily left the Mexican national side, which was competing in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, to finalize the transfer. Lozano became the fifth Mexican player to join PSV.

Lozano made his competitive debut for PSV in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers against Croatian side Osijek, playing in both legs of a 2-0 aggregate defeat that saw PSV fail to reach the group stage. On August 12, he scored on his Eredivisie debut against AZ Alkmaar, playing 84 minutes in a 3-2 victory and receiving a standing ovation. A week later, he scored and assisted in a 4-0 win over NAC Breda. The following week, he scored again in a 2-0 victory against Roda JC, becoming the first player to score in his first three games for PSV. He was named Eredivisie Player of the Month for August. However, on September 10, 2017, Lozano received his first red card for PSV in a 2-0 defeat against SC Heerenveen.

On February 17, 2018, Lozano received his second red card of the season, again against Heerenveen, for making contact with defender Lucas Woudenberg's face. He was handed a three-match suspension, which the KNVB disciplinary committee upheld after PSV's appeal failed. Lozano returned on March 18, scoring his 14th goal of the season in PSV's 3-0 victory over VVV Venlo. PSV won the Eredivisie title on April 15 after a 3-0 win over rivals Ajax. Lozano ended the season as the team's highest scorer in the league with 17 goals and 11 assists, and was named to the Eredivisie Team of the Season.

Lozano continued his impressive form into the 2018-19 season. He appeared as a second-half substitute in PSV's first match, the 2018 Johan Cruyff Shield against Feyenoord. Although he converted his penalty in the shootout, PSV lost 6-5. On August 11, he scored PSV's third goal in a 4-0 Eredivisie opening victory against FC Utrecht. He scored again the following week in a 2-1 win over Fortuna Sittard. Three days later, Lozano made his UEFA Champions League debut against BATE Borisov, scoring PSV's second goal in a 3-2 first-leg playoff qualification round victory.

On September 15, he scored two goals in a 7-0 thrashing of ADO, with former Pachuca teammate Érick Gutiérrez assisting the second goal just three minutes after coming on. Three days later, he made his Champions League group stage debut against Barcelona, playing the full 90 minutes in a 4-0 defeat. His performance led to his inclusion in the league's best XI for September. Lozano scored another brace on October 6 against VVV in a 4-0 win. On October 20, he was directly involved in half of PSV's goals in a 6-0 victory over FC Emmen, contributing two assists and one goal. Four days later, he scored his first Champions League group stage goal as PSV drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur, also contributing to Hugo Lloris receiving a red card due to an outside-of-the-box infraction. On November 24, Lozano scored twice and provided an assist in PSV's 3-0 victory over Heerenveen. He scored in PSV's 1-1 draw with Inter Milan in the final Champions League group stage match on December 11. He was subsequently named in the Champions League breakthrough team of 2018.

On April 25, 2019, during a match against Willem II, Lozano was stretchered off the field after a challenge from Freek Heerkens. While initially feared to be cruciate ligament damage, it was later ruled out, but the club confirmed Lozano would miss the remainder of the season. Overall, in his first stint with PSV, Lozano played in 79 matches, scoring 40 goals.

3.3. S.S.C. Napoli

On August 23, 2019, Lozano officially joined Italian club Napoli. He reportedly signed a five-year contract with a transfer fee of approximately 42.00 M EUR (equivalent to 46.50 M USD), making him Napoli's most expensive signing at the time, the highest transfer fee paid for a Mexican player, and the largest fee received by PSV Eindhoven for a player. Eight days later, Lozano made his Serie A debut as a second-half substitute against Juventus in Turin, scoring his side's second goal in a 4-3 defeat.

Following Carlo Ancelotti's dismissal due to mediocre results, Gennaro Gattuso was appointed as the new manager. Initially, Lozano received little to no playing time under Gattuso. On June 16, 2020, Gattuso even asked Lozano to leave training, accusing him of a lack of effort. Two days later, Lozano was an unused substitute in Napoli's Coppa Italia victory against Juventus, which they won 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after a scoreless draw. This made him the first Mexican to win a title with an Italian club. During the final fixtures of his first season with Napoli, Lozano began to receive more playing time, finishing with 26 league matches and netting 4 goals.

For the 2020-21 season, Napoli faced Parma in their opening league match, with Lozano starting in the 2-0 win. The following week, he scored his first brace with the club in a 6-0 victory against Genoa. The next month, he scored his second brace against Atalanta in a 4-1 win. On November 26, he scored his first Europa League goal in a group stage match against Croatian side Rijeka, sealing a 2-0 home victory. After a 2-1 win over Sampdoria, in which he scored and assisted, Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport praised his performance, highlighting his improved form compared to his first season. On January 24, 2021, Lozano scored Napoli's only goal in a 3-1 away defeat to Hellas Verona. This goal, clocked at 8.95 seconds from kickoff, was the third-fastest in Serie A history, Napoli's fastest ever, and Lozano's personal fastest. Four days later, in the Coppa Italia quarter-final match against Spezia, he scored his 100th career goal across all competitions. He finished his second season with 32 league matches, notching 11 goals as the club's second-highest scorer.

In the 2021-22 season, Lozano scored his first goal on September 20, the fourth in a 4-0 victory over Udinese. This was his 60th goal in Europe, surpassing Nery Castillo as the fifth-highest scoring Mexican in Europe. On December 9, during Napoli's final Europa League group stage match against Leicester City, Lozano suffered a head injury after colliding with Wilfred Ndidi's knee in the 40th minute, requiring him to be stretchered off. He returned to action four days later as a starter in a 1-0 defeat to A.C. Milan. On January 6, 2022, Napoli announced Lozano had tested positive for COVID-19. Fully recovered, on January 13, he made his return as a 63rd-minute substitute in the Coppa Italia round of 16 match against Fiorentina, only to be sent off after twenty minutes following a late challenge. Four days later, he scored his first brace of the season in Napoli's 2-0 league win over Bologna.

During the 2022-23 season, Lozano played a key role as Napoli clinched the Serie A title, making him the first Mexican player to achieve this feat. He was also a key player in the team that reached the Champions League quarter-finals. Overall, Lozano played 155 matches for Napoli, scoring 30 goals.

3.4. PSV Eindhoven (Second Stint)

On September 1, 2023, PSV announced they had reached an agreement with Napoli to re-sign Lozano to a five-year contract, with him receiving the number 27 shirt. His return proved impactful, as on October 29, he scored his first hat-trick at the club in a 5-2 victory over Ajax, becoming the first player to achieve this feat for PSV against their rivals since Mark van Bommel in 2005.

3.5. San Diego FC

On June 6, 2024, Major League Soccer club San Diego FC announced that Lozano would join the club ahead of their 2025 inaugural season. He signed a four-year contract through 2028, set to be activated on January 1, 2025, becoming the first Designated Player in the club's history.

4.1. Youth National Teams

Lozano's international career began with the Mexican youth teams. In December 2014, he was called up by Sergio Almaguer to participate with the under-20 side in the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. In the first group stage match against Cuba, he scored a brace and provided four assists in Mexico's dominant 9-1 victory. He went on to score three more goals and notched another assist in the tournament. Mexico ultimately won the championship, defeating Panama 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw, thereby securing entry to the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. Lozano finished the tournament with five goals, earning him the Golden Boot alongside United States midfielder Romain Gall, and he was also named in the tournament's Best XI.

In May 2015, Lozano was called up for the U-20 World Cup. He appeared in all three group stage matches, but Mexico finished last in their group and were eliminated.

On September 18, 2015, coach Raúl Gutiérrez selected Lozano for the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship. He scored Mexico's second goal in a 2-0 semi-final win over Canada. Mexico won the tournament after defeating Honduras 2-0 in the final. Lozano was awarded the tournament's Golden Ball and was also included in the Best XI.

On July 7, 2016, Lozano was named in the 18-man squad for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In Mexico's third group stage match against South Korea on August 10, Lozano was sent off in stoppage time for shoving a Korean player. Mexico lost the match 1-0, finished third in their group, and were eliminated from the competition.

4.2. Senior National Team

Lozano was included in the provisional roster for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup by coach Miguel Herrera but was ultimately cut from the final list. He received his first call-up to the senior national team in February 2016 under coach Juan Carlos Osorio. On February 10, Lozano earned his first cap as a starter in a friendly against Senegal, assisting fellow Pachuca teammate Rodolfo Pizarro in Mexico's 2-0 victory. The following month, Lozano scored his first international goal in the 39th minute of a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying third round match against Canada, which Mexico won 3-0. He was included in Mexico's 23-man squad for the Copa América Centenario and appeared in all matches, with Mexico exiting in the quarter-finals.

On June 8, 2017, Lozano was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. In their final group stage match against the hosts, Russia, Lozano scored the second goal in a 2-1 win, heading the ball into an open net after chasing a long clearance from Héctor Herrera and beating goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev to the ball. His performance earned him the man of the match award.

On September 1, 2017, Lozano scored the only goal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Panama, securing Mexico's qualification for the tournament. On November 10, he scored his first brace with the national team in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Belgium, with goals scored off a lobbed ball from Héctor Herrera and a volley after a rebound.

On June 4, 2018, Lozano was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On June 17, he scored the lone goal, assisted by Javier Hernández, in the opening group match victory over defending champions Germany. He was subsequently named FIFA's Man of the Match. In Mexico's second match against South Korea, Lozano provided the assist for Javier Hernández's second goal in a 2-1 win. Lozano also started in the final group fixture against Sweden and in the round of 16 loss against Brazil.

Lozano was included in coach Gerardo Martino's preliminary squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, but he was subsequently ruled out of the tournament as he had not fully recovered from a knee injury suffered while playing with PSV. On July 10, 2021, Lozano suffered a severe head injury in a match against Trinidad and Tobago when he collided with goalkeeper Marvin Phillip's knee, resulting in an eye gash and neck injury that required a cervical collar on the way to the hospital. It was confirmed that Lozano would miss the remainder of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and required 4-6 weeks for recovery.

On November 14, 2022, Lozano was named in Mexico's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He appeared as a starter in all matches, as Mexico experienced a group-stage exit, their first since the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

8.1. Club Statistics

8.2. International Statistics