The United States kicks off its 2030 World Cup quest amid a striking oddity. Can the team afford to lose its Mexican‑American talent for the September‑October windows?
Ricardo Pepi was initially summoned by Mauricio Pochettino for this period, but an injury forced his withdrawal and Damion Downs took his spot, leaving the roster devoid of Mexican‑American players. The Argentine coach is also losing the tug‑of‑war with Mexico over dual‑nationals.
All Mexican‑American players capped under Pochettino have either vanished or switched allegiances; only Brian Gutiérrez earned his first USMNT cap from the coach before defecting to Mexico.
Pochettino handed Gutiérrez his debut in January 2025 against Venezuela and Costa Rica, then recalled him for the CONCACAF Nations League in March – his final USMNT call‑up before filing a one‑time switch to Mexico.
According to Transfermarkt, 14 players eligible for both the United States and Mexico have debuted in MLS since 2021, and none have earned a Pochettino call‑up yet.
It’s not just Mexico
The coach has also seen Obed Vargas, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Noahkai Banks and Nathaniel Brown drift away, yet the Argentine appears unfazed by the talent drain.
“We don’t need to convince players,” Pochettino said in 2024. “A player has to want to play for the national team,” he added when discussing dual nationals.
Nevertheless, Pochettino still battles for multi‑eligible talent. Julian Hall (Poland), Diego Kochen (Peru, Venezuela and Spain), Mathis Albert (France and Germany) and Adri Mehmeti (Albania) were all summoned for the September‑October windows.
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