Nine US-born players will play the 2026 World Cup for other national teams, with family roots shaping their international paths.

Buda Mendes - FIFA

World Cup 2026

The ‘traitors’ of the United States at World Cup 2026: which players have chosen another team over the USMNT

Luis Guillermo Vázquez Calum Roche

Update: Jun 6th, 2026 04:31 EDT

Make us preferred on Google

A total of nine footballers born in the United States will play at the 2026 World Cup representing another national team, mainly because of their roots in countries that qualified for the tournament.

Spread across seven national teams, some of them played for US youth sides, while others committed from the outset to the country where their parents were born.

Haiti, Cape Verde, Mexico, Canada, Jordan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Japan will each have at least one US-born player at the World Cup in North America, which begins in eight days.

Duke Lacroix and Derrick Etienne Jr., Haiti’s representatives

Born in New Egypt, in Plumsted Township, New Jersey, Duke Lacroix has made 15 appearances for Haiti and played for the United States at Under-14 and Under-15 level. He has spent his entire career in the USL and currently plays for Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Both his parents were born in Port-au-Prince, giving him Haitian nationality.

Derrick Etienne Jr., meanwhile, was born in Richmond, Virginia, while his father was a Haiti international. Unlike his teammate, he was part of Haiti’s youth setup from the beginning.

CJ Dos Santos, an American with Cape Verde

San Diego FC goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos, born in Philadelphia, was called up by Cape Verde for the World Cup. The son of a Cape Verdean father and Portuguese mother, he recently made his debut for the African nation in a friendly against Serbia. He previously represented the United States at youth level and was even called up to the senior US squad in December 2020.

Brian Gutiérrez and Obed Vargas chose Mexico

Brian Gutiérrez and Obed Vargas both spent time in the United States youth setup, but ultimately chose to represent Mexico and made the squad for the World Cup. In the case of the Illinois-born Gutiérrez, despite making his senior debut for the US, he completed a one-time switch. His parents are from Jalisco.

Vargas, who was born in Alaska, recently played for Mexico at the Under-20 World Cup, although he had also previously been involved with US youth teams. His father even played for Atlético Morelia in Mexico.

An American in Japan’s goal

Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who is expected to be the starter at the World Cup, was born in Newark, New Jersey. Despite being born on US soil, he grew up in Urawa, Japan. The son of a Japanese mother, he has spent his entire international career with Japan, from Under-15 level to the senior team.

Jonathan David, a New Jersey-born goalscorer

Although Jonathan David was born in Brooklyn, New York, the forward, whose parents are Haitian, moved to Ottawa in 2006, when he was just six years old. His footballing career owes almost everything to Canada. He came through the youth ranks with the country of the Maple Leaf.

Bajraktarevic leans toward Bosnia

The Appleton, Wisconsin-born player came through the US youth teams and even made his senior debut in 2024, but ultimately decided to defend the colors of the country where his parents grew up. They had taken refuge in the United States because of the war that struck their homeland in 1992. “I grew up in a Bosnian household, I talk to my parents every day. It’s a big part of my identity,” he said recently in an interview.

From the United States to Jordan

Finally, Kansas-born Mohammad Abualnadi will make his World Cup debut with Jordan. The center back is the son of Jordanian parents, which allows him to play for the national team. He has represented Jordan since youth level.