 On 5 June 2009, he was called to represent the country at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa as a replacement for injured Andrés Iniesta, by new boss Vicente del Bosque; he earned his first cap on the 20th, coming on as a substitute for club teammate David Villa in the 60th minute of the last group stage match, a 2–0 defeat of the hosts.Hernández scored his first international goal on 18 November 2009, playing the entire second half of the 5–1 friendly win in Austria and closing the scoresheet.The "Yorkshire Evening Post" described Hernández as the "most creative player in the Championship," due largely to his runs behind the defence, skill at picking out dangerous passes in open play and aptitude at taking corners and other free kicks.