The US seemed to have a leg up over Mexico when it came to recruiting this generation of Mexican-American talents. However, when Gregg Berhalter announced his 26-man roster for the World Cup we found out that virtually none of the highly sought after prospects of Mexican descent had made the list for either country. This essentially means that players like Ricardo Pepi, Alejandro Zendejas, David Ochoa, Brandon Vazquez and others are “in play” for the next World Cup cycle.
Will any of these players make a switch? Meaning that they’ll choose a nation that they hadn’t previously represented. We’ll be looking at these 4 cases on an individual basis to see who they are likely to end up playing for in the next World Cup which oddly enough will take place in the US and Mexico!
Will Ricardo Pepi Make The Switch?
This is an interesting one, and it plays to something that we think is super important moving forward. With USMNT there’s likely to be continuity in the manager’s seat. Unless Gregg Berhalter totally lays an egg at the World Cup, which for those of us watching isn’t totally out of the question, he’ll remain the coach at the USMNT. For Pepi to come back he’d have to let this most recent World Cup snub slip by.
On the other hand Tata Martino is going to be out as Mexico’s coach regardless of what happens with the team in the World Cup. This means that a “new administration” in a sense for Mexico could look to bring Pepi into the fold. Especially since it doesn’t seem like any of the 3 Mexico strikers headed to Qatar will make it to the next World Cup just based on age alone.
Zendejas is Leaning USA
The continuity at the USMNT seems to be a favorable situation for Alejandro Zendejas. Gregg Berhalter has already said that Zendejas is on his radar, and that he’ll likely get a call up after the World Cup. Again though, Zendejas may want to wait it out and see what happens with the new administration in Mexico. As a Club America player he’s got a chance to earn a ton of money in endorsements if he’s on the Mexico national team. Something that essentially flies out the window if he chooses the USMNT. That commercial side is one that can’t be overlooked in any of these cases.
David Ochoa Could End Up Playing No International Soccer
David Ochoa seems to be leaning towards Mexico as his preferred option. That’s actually a good idea for him based on his position. The current USMNT goalkeepers are basically all playing abroad, if he stays in MLS it’s not overly likely that he’ll get a shot at starting for the US. With Mexico, he’ll have to compete with Acevedo and Ochoa into his 40s. Looking at it that way it does seem like he’s got a better chance if he chooses Mexico. It may come down to who ends up as Mexico’s manager though heading into the 2026 World Cup.
The Fight For Brandon Vazquez Will Be In Full Swing
Brandon Vazquez seems to be the next jewel that Mexico and the US are going to fight over. The reality is that no Mexican-American player has had a massive impact on either squad to this point in history. Vazquez and Pepi though are hoping to change that. This one seems simple enough, if Vazquez is lured by Chivas he’s going to end up playing for Mexico. If Vazquez ends up going to Europe or something like that, then the fight is on, but there’s a sense that the USMNT would be in the lead. The sad truth for Mexican-American players is that they are caught in the middle unless you’re overly talented, neither of the national teams want to get involved!
