Whenever the United States men’s national team and Mexico meet, which is not all that frequently, we’re almost always treated to a memorable battle, with 90 minutes of passion, aggression, mind games and endless heart-beating moments. It’s one of the biggest rivalries in the world and constantly delivers with huge regional implications and dramatic scenes — Christian Pulisic hushing El Tri fans in Denver, for instance — none of us will soon forget.
The two sides usually meet on the pitch once or twice a year, but there is a growing recruiting battle among up-and-coming dual nationals off the pitch that you don’t really get to see until it has materialized. It has raged on in the past and only figures to boil in the future as the U.S. and Mexico meet on Thursday in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Mexico City, live on Paramount+ at 10 p.m. ET. A win for the U.S. would put Gregg Berhalter’s side poised to officially punch their tickets to Qatar in the penultimate qualifying game. A loss could set them back fighting for one of the last available spots on the final day of Concacaf qualifying.
Similar to major college football recruiting in battleground states (Florida, Texas, California), both the U.S. and Mexico try to land the best dual nationals around in an effort to build a more productive and consistent team that one day can make a successful run in the World Cup as expectations continue to rise.
While each has gone toe-to-toe with other nations for certain players, the most prevalent decision usually boils down for Mexican-Americans. With the melting pot that is the United States, there are always talented prospects who reach a point where they must choose which country to represent.
In most cases, it comes down to picking the birth nation of their parents — a country they love and whose culture they have embraced — or their birth nation, a place that has provided opportunity and stability to many families.
It’s a nonstop battle that grows in importance with each passing day, with huge dominoes that have tumbled over the last couple of years. We’ve seen American-born Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa and Los Angeles Galaxy defender Julian Araujo making one-time switches to represent Mexico. We’ve also seen Efrain Alvarez switch to El Tri at the senior level despite being developed through U.S. youth system. Each decision brings out contentious feedback from the fan bases, but you can always count on the families of the players to come together to show support.
“As a kid, yeah, [I’m] always rooting for Mexico,” Araujo told CBS Sports soccer reporter Jenny Chiu ahead of Thursday’s crunch qualifier. “This is what I dreamed of. These are the games that I wanted to play in as a kid.”
Araujo is in the Mexico squad for this month’s matches, having played twice for Mexico already. He represented the U.S. from the U-18 level and actually played in a friendly for the U.S. against El Salvador in 2020 before switching to Mexico a year later.
Under the new FIFA regulations, players with dual-nationality eligibility can make the one-time switch to another country provided they have made three or fewer appearances in qualifiers before the age of 21. Playing in the final of a World Cup or confederation competition makes you ineligible. This was done in an effort to prevent federations from stockpiling cap-tied talent and to help poached players that eventually fall out of favor.
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Michael Orozco was born in California to Mexican parents and was with the U.S. from the beginning of his trajectory, despite being eligible for Mexico and having played most of his club career there. “I chose the U.S. because this is where I was born,” Orozco told Chiu. “I went through that U.S. system, representing my country, my parents being with me 100 percent. I think playing for the U.S. changed a lot of things for me.”
Orozco wound up becoming one of only six U.S. national team players to have ever scored a goal at the famed Azteca. His goal in a 2012 friendly in which he came off the bench with just under 15 minutes to go made him an unsung hero for years to come as it was the first and only time the USMNT have ever won a game on Mexican soil.
For many, it is a difficult decision, testing what fans may perceive as loyalty, and where the players may feel like they best belong. As if getting results for your team didn’t provide enough pressure, pledging your future international sporting allegiances to one team is no easy decision.
“Those memories of watching USA-Mexico as a kid, growing up in my household, was all cheering on Mexico 1,000 percent,” former USMNT defender Omar Gonzalez said. “Both my mom and dad were born near Monterrey, Mexico, and so that’s how it was.
“Just thinking about my childhood and how club soccer is all white and a lot of money. I lived in a poor neighborhood on the south side (of Dallas), and everything was on the north side. Growing up as a Mexican-American, I found myself putting away my Mexican heritage, my Mexican culture, just always [wanted] what my white friends had.
“My parents are U.S. citizens as well. When I’m on that field, they are cheering just as hard for U.S. as they would for Mexico.”
The same rings true for the biggest prize of the last decade: Ricardo Pepi. Viewed as a top striker prospect,
The El Paso, Texas, native was viewed by nearly every analyst as the consensus can’t-miss top striker prospect. He had the chance to represent either but in the end chose the U.S. despite having a close connection to both. He says the U.S. ties were ultimately stronger.
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has been able to land multiple dual nationals, including key pieces such as Yunus Musah (England youth player) and Sergino Dest (Netherlands-born who represented USA as a youth player). All have went on to produce right away, including Pepi, earning a move from FC Dallas in MLS to Bundesliga club Augsburg.
“We need a game changer, and I think that’s a player that the U.S. needs,” Orozco said of Pepi. “And I think being Mexican-American will open up a lot of opportunities.”
Nobody knows what it is like representing both quite like Martin Vazquez does. Born in Mexico, he represented El Tri three times before switching to the United States toward the tail-end of his career, getting seven caps between 1996-97 after becoming a U.S. citizen. He was the first to have represented both countries at the senior level, and he was with the U.S. at the Azteca for their first ever point there, a 0-0 draw in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup.
“At first I didn’t think much of it,” Vazquez told Chiu.
“I take a deep breath and I think about when I played for Mexico, and then the U.S. I can tell you that the emotions were the same, the pride was the same, the commitment was the same. Being grateful to be able to represent both countries.”
Steve Sampson, USMNT’s head coach from 1995-98, remembers it like it was yesterday.
“We were in need of a player in the midfield for us who could come off the bench. He had all of the tools at the time. He was remarkable defensively, could play through him offensively,” Sampson told CBS Sports. “Giving him the opportunity really paid dividends. He played exceptionally well on the day. I think he made all of his Mexican family members very, very proud.”
That was a match where Jeff Agoos was shown a red in the first half, and the U.S. had to weather the storm of playing down a man at Azteca and came away with a historic point.
“He was very much a part of that first point ever in Azteca Stadium,” Sampson said. “He really came through and played exceptionally well on the day.”
Sampson added: “The most telling attribute that he had was that he was incredibly proud to be an American.”
There are many players who will take the field on Thursday and in the future that carry each country with them for different reasons. Some are following their family’s roots or it’s where their kids call home or just simply where they were born. The pressure of making that decision or even justifying said decision weighs heavily on the shoulders of these players. But choosing allows for a sense of relief, a stronger sense of pride and an added determination to validate their choice through their performance on the pitch.
The important thing, Vazquez says, is to embrace it and be thankful to have such an opportunity.
“When the opportunity was given to me, I took it, I took it with both hands, my whole heart and just felt grateful,” he said.
