A pair of dual nationals are going to El Tri
Dual nationals have increasingly become an important element of the USMNT player pool. Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun, and Yunus Musah could represent one, or more, nations in addition to the United States. They joined the team after being recruited by coaches and players and have become key parts of the USA lineup. While those players were big acquisitions, not every player will choose the USA and any number of factors go into how they decide who to represent internationally.
It seems like the factors for joining the USMNT were not compelling enough for a pair of players who had been a part of the picture for the Americans. ESPN is reporting that Richie Ledezma and Brian Gutierrez have finalized their one-time switch from the USA to Mexico with FIFA.
Ledezma has not been a part of the USA set up for some time after featuring on youth teams going back to 2018 with the U-20s. Gutierrez is a different story, the midfielder notched nine goals and three assists with the Chicago Fire in 2025 and was a leading playmaker in MLS last season. He moved to Chivas in January and has room to develop further at just 22 years old. He had two caps last year in January camp but hasn’t been called in for the USMNT since as Mauricio Pochettino focused on players who could contribute to the team by the time the World Cup starts this summer.
While it’s discouraging to lose players to another international side, much less the biggest rival for the USMNT, the moves show where the USA is going into the final friendly window in March this year. The roster is deeper than it has ever been and the team is in a position where losing talents at the level Ledezma and Gutierrez are will not have the sting it would in past years.
Category: General Sports
