Chicharito Hernandez, the Mexican soccer player who played for Real Madrid and Sevilla, cried when commenting on the story of Punch Monkey', the baby monkey that is a worldwide trend.

"Punch Monkey moved us because he is strong and real. He tries to defend himself without really knowing how, and we've all done that at some point. There is no malice in him, just emotion, innocence and a desire to exist

Chicharito Hernández

"Punch Monkey moved us because he is strong and real. He tries to defend himself without really knowing how, and we've all done that at some point. There is no malice in him, just emotion, innocence and a desire to exist," said the former Guadalajara, Manchester United, Real Madrid (2014-2015), Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, Sevilla (2019-2020) and Los Angeles Galaxy player.

The 37-year-old Mexican soccer player shared with his more than 6.3 million followers on Instagram that "you can feel deeply without living in complaint. You can acknowledge rejection without becoming a victim. You can protect your heart without closing it. Less 'what did they do to me' and more 'what do I do with this?'".

Chicharito Hernandez remains without a team after leaving Club Deportivo Guadalajara.

Who is Punch: the story of the abandoned monkey who goes viral for a stuffed animal

Punch is a small Japanese macaque from Ichikawa Zoo in Japan, who has become a viral phenomenon on social networks during February 2026.

'Punch Monkey' was rejected by his mother shortly after he was born in July 2025. After being rejected by his mother, the media-savvy monkey took refuge in the cuddly toy orangutan given to him by his keepers in search of affection.

After adopting the IKEA cuddly toy as a mother, little Punch is going through a difficult integration process to integrate socially with the rest of the monkeys in the zoo.

This heartwarming story has become a worldwide trend.