The Multi-Eligible Player Recruitment Thread (2026 WC Cycle Edition)

I don't want him to go obviously, but does anyone else find it hilarious that Mexico is importing young Mexican-Americans to play for their club teams because their own Mexican youth aren't good enough to fill these coming youth mandated slots on their gameday rosters.

Like seriously what the hell happened to the vaunted Mexican youth pipeline that they've got to import MLS youth.

 

I think you’re seeing the problems in their youth development in the results of their national team.

 

Was my first thought as well.

But also, Chivas is basically looking to buy every Mexican American. So it doesn't even need to be that.

 

Barjas

Chivas has officially signed highly-rated Mexican youth int'l Fidel Barajas from Real Salt Lake for north of $4m. RSL keeps a sell-on %.

Schmid: “It's difficult to let young prospects go, but the global market offers clubs & individuals opportunities for change and growth." pic.twitter.com/htVeAooUnd

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) July 2, 2024

 

He's a good player but they paid us the equivalent of $6M for a guy not even getting time for us, so why not?

 

I just want to see if the rumors of Barajas playing for the USYNT still come to fruition...

Also it will be interesting to see what other Mexican-American prospects these LigaMX clubs and specifically Chivas come for. We're already hearing about Emi Ochoa. Obed Vargas now that he's switching? What about Brian Gutierrez? I guess we'll find out...

 

Who RSL paid very little for to acquire in the first place.

 

Dare I say Luna too?

They'll probably try to sign all of them. Medina, Duenas, Ordaz, Carrera, Ruben Ramos are probably also on the radar.

 

It makes some sense... The big LigaMX clubs like Chivas have a lot of money and there aren't that many top level Mexican players to spend it on, and relatively unproven Mexican American kids from MLS are not all that expensive in the grand scheme of things...

 

🇺🇸 eligible https://t.co/yYI127FdR0

— Marcus Chairez (@chai_asc) July 2, 2024

🧐 18 yr old 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇯🇲 tri-nat LB Brandon Powell included in this group https://t.co/mFqpZKscHR

— 🇺🇸 ⚽ east (@eastdeflection) July 3, 2024

 

"Mexico is setting up tryout camps in 10 US cities for U-13's to U-15's with heritage to try out for their YNT's."

Of note:

-Emi Ochoa ('05) says he prefers to play for Mexico right now because he feels more Mexican. Not closing the door to who he'll play for in the future.

-Mexico is setting up tryout camps in 10 US cities for U-13's to U-15's with heritage to try out for their YNT's. https://t.co/lKRfsF34w0

— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) July 4, 2024

Balancing the cultural push and pull of 🇲🇽 and the 🇺🇲 isn't easy, and especially so when needing to commit to a national team.

Alongside @lizzy_becherano, we chatted with Ricardo Pepi and other up-and-coming dual-nats about what goes behind the decision https://t.co/JWVJewjMbo

— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) July 4, 2024

 

US Soccer needs to stay on top of this, don't lose Luca Koleosho to Marsch and the Canadians

Jesse Marsch Mentioned that they are tracking at least 10 Dual Nats for #CanMNT & that 4 of them could help the team right now.
Names come to mind are.

Mo Farsi - Columbus🇺🇸
Daniel Jebbison - Bournemouth🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Stefan Mitrovic - Verona🇮🇹
Luca Koleosho- Burnley🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Niko Sigur- Hajduk🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/5O9Mg0gjwX

— Edgar Moreno (@ConcacafEdgar) July 15, 2024

 

Jesse Marsch is tracking 10 dual-nats, stating that a few could help this team now. Here are some potential options.

Luca Koleosho, Daniel Jebbison, Niko Sigur, Mo Farsi, Promise David, Lucas Pos, Simon Colyn, Justin Smith, Luka Kulenović and Santiago López. Also Ryan Gauld 🇨🇦

— Josh Deming (@tv_jjd) July 15, 2024

 

Christian Alvarez; a Colombian-American MLS Next academy player gets noticed by several professional Colombian academy’s while training with the Sub 15 at the Federación Colombiana De Fútbol facility. He scored a goal yesterday against Club Deportivo La Equidad and caught the eye… pic.twitter.com/5botXjr1IR

— Youth Soccer Central (@yscentral) July 15, 2024

 

The hunt for new talent is on, as Jesse Marsch reveals his strategy for recruiting dual nationals to play for the #CanMNT 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/ZDAaXj2DCt

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 16, 2024

 

Well hopefully the US not being competitive at Copa America doesn't have any negative consequences...

 

When it comes to dual-nationals I'd be more worried about the fact that we just fired a USMNT manager who was "all in" on recruiting and providing opportunities to them. The next coach might not be. I mean, if its Gareth Southgate................we know he won't be.

Canada was already recruiting dual-nationals. They were already trying to get a player like Luca Koleosho. This changes nothing.

 

Recruiting young dual nationals is pretty damn important for the USMNT (Jedi, Dest, Musah, Pepi, Tillman, Balogun, etc.) so if some manager isn't "all in" or interested that should pretty much rule them out (if they're not already ruled out for other reasons like having one of the worst xGs at the Euros in the case of Southgate) from the job. But being "all in" on recruiting isn't a Gregg thing, people thought the same about Klinsmann. Really every manager since the late 2000s has been "all in" on it (Bradley, Klinsmann, Sarachan, Gregg, Callaghan, Gregg) except for maybe the few months of Arena 2.0... even the interims, lots of guys made their debut under Sarachan and the Balogun drama happened under Callaghan.

 

Sure. I'm not arguing against that. Dual-national recruiting is a team effort at the USSF with all of the coaching staffs, scouts, administrators, etc. Berhalter or any USMNT coach is just at the business end of the recruitment.

The recruitment doesn't matter if Berhalter (or any USMNT coach) isn't willing to provide the final opportunity to Dest or Musah or Balogun or Antonee or whomever.

The next coach may not be as supportive or open to it as Gregg.

 

i've often wondered if it wouldn't be helpful for the USMNT to dedicate a role or maybe a team of people to do nothing but scouring for, scouting, reaching out to, maintaining relations/communications with and basically hardcore recruiting dual/tri nationals and then colaborating with all of the age group coaches in the final effort to recruit/bring in to camps and teams.

It seems like for a few hundred thousand dollars a year (for say 2 or 3 people, probably ex players with some cache and good scouting knowledge) you could really see huge upside/benefit.

 

Some of us have been saying this for years....

 

you know who would be perfect for something like this? someone like Jermaine Jones, someone who's lived the experience. Maybe an ex-usmnt player who was a dual nat who chose us along with a more professional type scout/coach like Thomas Rongen? Wasn't he superb at the whole dual nat recruitment? I mean how much would it costs to hire those two guys (or two like them I'm open to suggestions) and just say "your only job is to find, establish/maintain relations with and eventually recruit to the various US national teams in collaboration with those team's coaches the best US dual nats on the planet."

 

Sounds accurate to me, but initially I didn’t even spot Shevchenko, so I could be wrong.