Two USMNT-capped players made their debut for Mexico in El Tri’s first match of 2026.
The longstanding battle for dual-national players between Mexico and the United States reignited this week after former U.S. men’s national team players Richard Ledezma and Brian Gutiérrez made their international debuts in El Tri’s green shirt.
was the inclusion of the two Mexican-American talents. Both players had never played for El Tri at any point of their careers, with the pair previously representing thepowerhouse Chivas to reinforce a previously sleeping giant that’s returned to prominence under the watchful eye of manager Gabriel Milito. Famously, only players with a Mexican passport are allowed to play for Chivas, a team that proudly boasts the slogan of being "El Equipo más Mexicano” ., but they also made history on Thursday night when they took the pitch donning El Tri’s jersey for the first time in Mexico’s 1–0 win over Panama.Richard Ledezma was one of Mexico’s best players vs. Panama. | Arnulf Franco/AFP/Getty ImagesBorn in Phoenix, Ledezma made the move to Europe at a young age to play in PSV Eindhioven’s academy. He eventually returned to Major League Soccer and played one season withDuring this time, Ledezma played for the USMNT in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and even made his senior team debut in a friendly in 2020. But opportunities at the international stage have not been granted to him since, and the 25-year-old switched his allegiance after one season in Liga MX. Back in November, Ledezma admitted, “I would like to represent Mexico and if I do well at Chivas I can make it to the World Cup.” Fast forward two months and the dynamic fullback filed his one-time switch with FIFA to represent El Tri for the rest of his international career and made his debut days later. Ledezma’s innate attacking profile and quality in the final third were on full display vs. Panama, where he was one of Mexico’s best players. No other player at Aguirre’s disposal can replicate what Huescas offers better than Ledezma, making him a very real candidate to earn a place inBrian Gutiérrez’s versatility could be exploited by Aguirre. | Arnulf Franco/AFP/Getty Images’s academy and featured regularly in USMNT at the U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels. Pochettino included him in his 2025 Concacaf Nations League roster, but he failed to make his official debut with the Stars and Stripes and was later one of the last players to be cut from the 2025 Gold Cup roster. Because he never made an official appearance at any level with the USMNT, Gutiérrez didn’t need to file a one-time switch to play for Mexico and he still could potentially represent the U.S. in the future. Yet, after leaving Chicago for Chivas a month ago, Gutierrez appears to have a made up his mind on what national team he wants to represent moving forward.Through just three games with Chivas, Gutiérrez earned his El Tri debut after impressive performances in midfield. His willingness to cover ground combined with his confidence on the ball and ability to play all over the midfield—including the wings—make him a very attractive alternative for Aguirre to consider before the World Cup.Ricardo Pepi opted to play for the USMNT instead of Mexico. | John Todd/USSF/Getty Images Mexico and the USMNT have long been immersed in a race to lock down Mexican-American talents. The race for dual-nationals has existed for a long time, but it has only intensified since the start of the decade. In many cases, such as with Ledezma and Gutiérrez, dual-nationals switch allegiances once they get to the senior level and after representing the other country at the youth level. Alejandro Zendejas has blossomed into one of the best players in Liga MX over the past two years, but after representing Mexico throughout his youth, he decided to play for the USMNT at the senior level., represented the USMNT in the 2023 U-20 World Cup. Two years later, he featured in the same tournament, only this time playing for Mexico after he filed his one-time switch. Other examples of players that could’ve played for either country include USMNT regulars Ricardo Pepi and Diego Luna. For Mexico,stood out as the most recent victory in the race for dual-nationals until Vargas and the duo of Chivas players also joined El Tri. More and more Mexican-Americans are currently coming up the youth ranks of both nations, meaning the race to secure the top dual-nationals isn’t expected to stop any time soon. To the contrary, Ledezma and Gutiérrez may very well be the cases that launch a thousand ships in the battle between the two historic Concacaf powerhouses.Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.
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