The Club América ace will represent the U.S. at the 2026 World Cup. Zendejas was on the bubble, but Pochettino chose the winger for some added firepower.
Alejandro Zendejas explains why he chose the USMNT over Mexico
Alejandro Zendejas is fully committed to the United States men’s national team and he was included in the roster that will participate in the 2026 World Cup. The Club América ace was on the bubble, but should get some playing time on a squad that needs some help up front.
Zendejas had his mind set up about his international future and declined the option to play for Mexico. He was eligible to represent El Tri if he made the one-time switch and submitted the paperwork to FIFA, but in the end declined the option.
Why Zendejas chose the US
It was reported in 2023 that Zendejas would only file the document if he was promised to play in the last World Cup when Gerardo Martino was in charge, but the Club América player explained what happened throughout the process. Zendejas stated that he never demanded El Tri anything and his family helped him a lot with the decision.
Mauricio Pochettino Alex Zendejas:
— Felipe Cárdenas (@FelipeCar) May 26, 2026
💬 “Alejandro offers a number of possibilities. He can play on the wings or in the midfield pockets. He's a good communicator and has strong relationships with his teammates. He's a very interesting player tactically.”https://t.co/t04QGMkHUk
“Obviously I spoke to my family about it almost every day or every week because I was getting calls from everywhere,” Zendejas said in a press conference in 2023. “But in terms of that thing about securing a spot, I don’t think anyone can be in a position for someone to secure something for you. We have to work on that daily and prove to people that we deserve the opportunity."
“I don’t know. It was chaos, people saying stuff that wasn’t true, people saying that stuff that was true, but at the end of the day, I just try not to focus on that. I try to focus on my club team and playing well. Then at the end of the day, I spoke to my family and we decided to represent the USA.”
Meet the @USMNT forwards heading to the FIFA World Cup this summer 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/SR2TkiKUjr
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) May 26, 2026
Zendejas will have tough competition for a starting spot as he will have to compete with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pep and Haji Wright. The Mexican-American forward is coming off a strong season with Club América and will get some important minutes with Team USA for sure.
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