Cucho Hernández

Juan Camilo “Cucho” Hernández is a Colombian centre-forward whose threat extends beyond waiting for a pass in the penalty area. In Columbus, he led the central lane of a fluid front three: moving away from defenders to receive, then using quick touches either to make his own shooting angle or to release a teammate. The same movement made him difficult to pin to one position.

He began his senior career with Deportivo Pereira in Colombia’s second division and finished its 2016 campaign as top scorer. Watford signed him while he was still a teenager, but his development continued through spells in Spain. At Huesca, he contributed to the club’s 2017–18 promotion to La Liga; later stops included Mallorca and Getafe.

When Hernández eventually played for Watford in the Premier League, he scored shortly after entering his August 2021 debut against Aston Villa. A move to Columbus Crew in June 2022 gave him a different attacking setting. Under Wilfried Nancy, he described the freedom to combine and drift wide, while also explaining how much concentration the team’s shifting positions demanded.

That blend of movement and finishing mattered in Columbus’s 2023 MLS Cup run. He converted the opening penalty in the final against LAFC, which the Crew won 2–1. Hernández was also named the final’s MVP for his part in the victory.

The following August, Columbus met LAFC again in the Leagues Cup final. Hernández scored first with a header and then restored the lead with a late dipping shot; the Crew won 3–1. Those two finishes illustrate different sides of his game: arriving to meet a cross and finding room to shoot when a match has tightened.

Betis agreed his transfer from Columbus in February 2025, taking him back to Spanish football after his earlier loan spells. In April 2026 he equalised with a penalty away to Braga in the Europa League quarter-final first leg, although Betis went out after the return match. Colombia later selected him for the 2026 World Cup. He came on against Switzerland in the round of 16, where Colombia’s campaign ended after a goalless match and a penalty shootout.

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Cucho Hernández currently plays for Real Betis as a striker. He has represented Colombia internationally.