Inside Alejandro Zendejas’ Unique Path To The USA's World Cup Roster

When Mauricio Pochettino officially unveiled his 26-man United States men's national team squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one name rang a bell for fans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border: Alejandro Zendejas.

The Club América winger hadn't been involved in recent camps, yet, when the dust settled on Tuesday's announcement, the 28-year-old dual-national had secured his ticket to the big dance.

But how did a player born in Mexico find his way on the USA roster? You have to look at the cross-border journey of a player built for big stages.

Bordertown Roots And Liga MX Rise

Zendejas’ story is the epitome of the modern Mexican-American soccer player. 

Born in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, his family moved to El Paso, Texas, when he was less than a year old. 

He was quickly scooped up by the FC Dallas youth academy. Zendejas tore through the youth ranks in Dallas, which earned him a Homegrown contract in October 2014. By May 2015, he made his MLS debut against rival Houston Dynamo.

He was a centerpiece of the U.S. youth national team setup, even repping the Red, White, and Blue at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he was a teammate of Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams.

In 2016, Liga MX royalty came calling. Chivas de Guadalajara signed the youngster, triggering an immediate cultural debate. 

Chivas famously only fields players of Mexican descent, meaning Zendejas had to publicly declare he would choose to play for Mexico internationally in order to play for Guadalajara. 

The club enjoyed a successful stint, lifting a Clausura 2017 league title and a Copa MX trophy, but consistent minutes were hard to come by for Zendejas, who wound up moving to Necaxa on a free transfer in 2020.

With Necaxa, Zendejas took the next step. He bagged 11 goals and three assists over two seasons, which earned a transfer to Club América— Chivas' biggest rivals— and one of the biggest, high-pressure clubs in North America, in 2022.

He became the creative heartbeat of Las Águilas dynasty, helping lead them to three Liga MX titles in a row (Apertura 2023, Clausura 2024, Apertura 2024). 

Shortly after his move to América, Zendejas suddenly found himself the subject of an international tug-of-war. 

USA-Mexico Recruitment 

Both the USA and Mexico wanted him, which led to a back-and-forth between the U.S. Soccer Federation and Mexican Football Federation, one in which Zendejas initially played for the U.S. at the youth level.

Mexico's senior team even capped him in a couple of non-FIFA friendlies in 2021 and 2022, but a massive standoff ensued over his eligibility paperwork. 

Zendejas never filed the required one-time switch with FIFA to become eligible to play for Mexico, which was necessary because he had played for the USA in official competition.

Rumors began swirling that Zendejas had requested then Mexico boss Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino to be a starter with the Mexican team and a place in the 2022 World Cup. The Argentine coach described the condition as "extortion."

"The player needed to sign a document and the player didn't want to sign it," Mexico's coach told TUDN after a friendly loss to Paraguay in 2022. "There is no problem with the federation, no problem with the manager, nothing."

Mexico was ordered to forfeit five matches (three at the youth level) and fined 10,000 Swiss francs by FIFA for using Zendejas while he was affiliated with the United States.

World Cup Bound With USA

The definitive answer from Zendejas came in March 2023, when Zendejas filed his one-time FIFA switch, committing his international future to the United States. 

"I am very proud of being Mexican-American. Values from both cultures have made me the person I am today," Zendejas said in a statement afterwards. "I believe in following your heart. Mine tells me that my future lies representing the USA."

The move paid immediate dividends, as he helped the USA secure a Concacaf Nations League trophy the same year.

Heading into the USA World Cup roster selection three years later, Zendejas appeared to be on the outside looking in. 

However, he has been in-form for club, racking up six goals and four assists this season. Earlier this month, he stepped up for América yet again, scoring twice and adding an assist in the Clausura quarterfinals against Pumas.

He has only 13 total caps to his name, but Pochettino spoke positively about Zendejas after the roster reveal.

"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."

Making the roster is only the first test for Zendejas, who will be competing for minutes this summer alongside forwards Brenden Aaronson, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah and Haji Wright.

Regardless of how many minutes Zendejas plays, he has endured one of the most unique journeys to the World Cup, all the way up to the roster reveal.