The U.S. men’s national team could be at risk of losing a potential contributor as Richy Ledezma looks to switch his allegiances to Mexico ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Ledezma, who recently moved from PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands to Chivas Guadalajara in Liga MX, made his intentions clear, saying that representing El Tri would fulfil a lifelong dream, despite previously playing with the U.S. at youth and senior men’s national team levels.
“If it’s my turn, it’s a dream of mine to go to the World Cup ... I’d love to represent Mexico. If we have a strong league campaign with Chivas, I think I can get in,” Ledezma said in an interview with Cancha.
“[My teammates at Chivas] tell me that it wouldn’t be bad to play with the national team, and the truth is I told them that I am more prepared than ever to go, and we’ll see when it’s my turn to go.”
While he has played with the USMNT, the 25-year-old would be eligible to change allegiance to Mexico under FIFA’s one-time switch regulations. He only has one USMNT appearance and has never appeared in a competitive fixture, which would have tied him to The Stars and Stripes.
In that single friendly apperance, he played 22 minutes and put up two assists as the USMNT trounced Panama 6–2 on Nov. 6, 2020 in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
Mexico Previously Approached Ledezma
Born in Arizona but raised in a Mexican household, Ledezma had previously not accepted approaches from the Mexican federation, opting to battle for a spot on the USMNT roster through his time in Europe and with MLS side New York City FC in 2023.
Since joining Chivas, he has played 17 games across Liga MX and Leagues Cup action, scoring once and providing five assists.
Chivas are currently in the Liga MX Apertura playoffs and are set to face 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup winners Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals, with the first leg on Nov. 26 and the second leg on Nov. 29.
For Ledezma, though, performing well through the end of the season and into 2026 will be critical if he hopes to earn a World Cup roster spot as a new face to El Tri. Mexico only have four matches remaining in the March and June international windows before opening the tournament on June 10 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as USMNT-Capped Midfielder Aims for Mexico Switch to Crack 2026 World Cup Roster.
