Carlos Vela closes the door for a possible return to the Mexico national team

The Mexico national team has been struggling to win games in the past six months and their head coach, Gerardo Martino, has been under pressure to deliver better results. ‘El Tri’ sits in third place in the World Cup qualifying standings in CONCACAF with three games left in the round-robin tournament to secure a spot in Qatar in November.

The Mexican national team will return to action in March and it was rumored that Martino was considering calling Carlos Vela for the upcoming three games. The captain of Los Angeles FC hasn’t played with the national team since facing elimination in the round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but during an interview with ESPN he closed the door for a possible return.

Vela’s time with Mexico is over

“I had my opportunity with the Mexican national team and I couldn’t help them get past the round of 16 in the World Cup. Now it is time for the younger generation to step up and make history. Players like Hirving Lozano, Diego Lainez, Alexis Vega and Jesús Corona have the possibility to take the team to the next level,” said the 32-year-old.

The 2019 Most Valuable Player of Major League Soccer had a short history with the Mexico national team. Vela made his debut on 12 September 2007 against Brazil coming in as a substitute in an exhibition match that Mexico lost 3-1. The 32-year-old made 72 appearances and scored 19 goals across competitions with ‘El Tri.’