Alejandro Zendejas is eligible to play for the national teams of Mexico and the United States of America and his future at the international level is yet to be decided. The 24-year-old was born in Ciudad Juárez in Mexico before moving to El Paso, Texas at a very young age.
Zendejas international career
The Mexican-American player made his debut with Major League Soccer side FC Dallas and in 2015 was called up to the United States national youth team and competed in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship playing alongside Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams . The following year Zendejas had to turn down future call-ups from the United States as he signed with Chivas de Guadalajara. Read also : The Return of Art festival begins with Children and Youth Day.
The Liga MX side has a tradition of only signing players born in Mexico and that is where the controversy began for Zendejas regarding his international future. As part of the deal, the 24-year-old had to accept future call-ups from the Mexican national team and eventually made his debut in 2017 with the Under-21 squad in preparation for the 2020 Olympics campaign.
Controversy began this year regarding his international career because Zendejas is still registered with the United States Soccer Federation. The Club América winger made his debut for the Mexican national team in October 2021 in a friendly against Ecuador coming on as a second-half substitute for Uriel Antuna.
FIFA immediately began an investigation because Zendejas’ allegiance was still under the legal jurisdiction of the US Soccer Federation. The Mexican soccer federation has made it clear that Zendejas must commit to El Tri in order to receive another call-up and possibly be included in the roster that travels to Qatar in November.
But the 24-year-old is yet to make a decision as the United States monitors the situation. According to ESPN, the USMNT continues to follow the Mexican-American’s progress and could get a call-up to the friendlies during September’s FIFA international break, the last before the start of the World Cup, and earn a spot in the final roster that travels to Qatar.
