Israel López Hernández (born 29 September 1974) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career
Initially a right fullback who converted to the midfield during the prime years of his career, López made his debut at age 19 with UNAM in 1993. By the following year he was a starter in defense alongside players such as Claudio Suárez and went on to make 238 He served as team captain in 2004 and won another championship in the Apertura 2005 campaign. In the following season López, a frequent scorer from free kicks, scored a career-high 6 goals. He returned to the team in 2003 on the strength of his performances with Toluca, appearing in four of Mexico's qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. López was on the preliminary list of players nominated for the World Cup squad, but he was one of three final cuts announced by coach Ricardo Antonio Lavolpe before the tournament. His final international match came against Ecuador in a 4–2 victory in Oakland, California on March 28, 2007.
He was part of the Mexico 2004 Olympic football team as an overage player that was eliminated in the first round, having finished third in group A behind group winners Mali and South Korea.
Honours
Toluca
- Mexican Primera División: Apertura 2002, Apertura 2005, Apertura 2008
- Campeón de Campeones: 2003
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2003