National Football League

NFL's Watt and Mexico's Chicharito meet at practice

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:05 p.m. ET

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HOUSTON (AP) Houston Texans star J.J. Watt attended Mexico's Copa America practice Sunday, tossing a football with the team and presenting star Javier ''Chicharito'' Hernandez and coach Juan Carlos Osorio with signed jerseys.

Mexico was practicing at the Texans' facility on Sunday in preparation for Monday's Copa America game against Venezuela. Watt watched most of the practice and even took over the team's Facebook live account for a bit, imploring fans to help him learn a few words of Spanish.

''It was really cool,'' Watt told The Associated Press. ''To walk into the Mexican national soccer team's practice and for all of them to know who I was is something that I don't think will ever really register with me. To have that type of international love, it was really cool.''

Chicharito said it was a dream come true to meet the 6-foot-5, 289-pound Watt, and after seeing how huge he was, he said: ''Now I know why he's the best in the world.''

Watt chuckled about the size difference between himself and the 5-9 Chicharito.

''But he's much faster and quicker than I am for sure,'' Watt said. ''He was a super nice guy, unbelievable. Very nice. There's a little bit of a size difference between us, so I'm sure I would have to play goalie, and I don't know if I could stop a penalty kick from him. So I think he's all right.''

Watt plans to attend the game Monday night and likes that the Mexican team will play in Houston's stadium months before the Texans face the Raiders in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

''It's cool because we're swapping stadiums,'' Watt said. ''They get to play in ours and we get to play in theirs, so it's fun.''

Chicharito presented Watt with a soccer ball signed by the entire team before they all piled in for a picture with the star defensive end. Chicharito didn't have a jersey for Watt with him, but promised to give him the one he'll wear in Monday's game.

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