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

Hell if I know the rules anymore.

I'm seeing all of this chatter in the X-verse about Konrad de la Fuente switching to the Dominican Republic.

I thought he was cap-tied because he played in a WCQer for the USMNT. He's now 22.

But I'm never quite sure about these things.

[Konrad was also eligible for Haiti if I remember correctly.]

 

They changed the rules.

If you played in 3 or less matches including friendlies before the age of 21 then you can switch to another country you were eligible at the time of your first cap. You also have a three year wait between your last cap until you can switch.

Still permanently cap tied if you play one match for a country in World Cup or Gold Cup / Euro, etc. Main Tournament not Qualifying Matches.

Konrad would be eligible to switch because he only played 3 times in qualifiers prior to the age of 21.

 

Well, it might make sense for Konrad to switch then.
The Dominican Republic is in the Olympics this summer.

 

He could still make our Olympic team. It’s a weak position for us. He’s a talented player that if he puts it together is a USMNT level player. He shouldn’t switch so early on.

 

He probably should consider switching, but he won’t be eligible to do so until September of 2024, making him ineligible for the Olympics (as fhe last qualifier he played in was September 2021). So the Olympics are not an option if he wants to play for the Dominican Republic.

 

Might be his agent's rumor as well. Not like I'd care anyway.

 

Apparently it hasn't been 3 years since his last USMNT cap, so he's not eligible for to play for DR's Olympic team anyway.

If we have an Olympic camp, and we invite de la Fuente, I don't think anyone would have an issue with seeing if he can contribute.

I don't give up on anybody. Sometimes a guy finds the right opportunity and can return to USMNT contention. Haji Wright, Brandon Vazquez, etc.

But de la Fuente has played ~70 minutes in La Liga 2 this year. This after barely playing in Greece last year. He's not getting into the USMNT at the moment with that recent resume.

So if he wants to get into senior international soccer NOW, then its hard with the USMNT. If he wants to keep working and get back into senior USMNT contention, then that's great.

I would say that the DR senior team just lost to Montserrat in the Nations League. So that means a lost couple of years. They had an opportunity to get promoted to Nations League A with the big boys and blew it. If DR was in the Gold Cup or Nations League A, then a switch might have value. But to fly to the other side of the world to play Antigua & Barbuda in Nations League B?

 

This is just a rumor, but: Cruz Medina -> Mexico?

Reportedly: Cruz Medina ('06) is close to representing Mexico.

You'll remember that he represented USA at the U-17 World Cup two months ago, and was one of our best players at that tournament. https://t.co/r9JnCgXV8w

— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) January 21, 2024

 

Taking a one-time switch before you are well-established (or painted into a corner) is a pretty big risk.

 

The rules have become relaxed, so you don't necessarily need to make that switch anymore, unless USSF was to really hold FIFA to enforcing it.

They might because Mexico is a rival, but they may also just say to Medina "go ahead, attend a Mexico camp, and then see which you prefer" or something to that effect.

This is a player who supposedly has minimal connection to his Mexican roots, has been called in by USSF for virtually every camp in his age group he's been eligible for, and USSF showed a lot of faith in him continuing to call him in when he was struggling. I don't think there's a ton to worry about here.

 

In this case at least the answer is "nothing"

Cruz Medina’s Father traveled to Mexico City to meet with FMF Executives in order to learn the project 🇲🇽 is offering for his son.
There’s a high possibility that Medina will switch from 🇺🇸 to 🇲🇽.

My question is. what is the #USMNT & @ussoccer doing wrong with 🇺🇸🇲🇽 dual nats? pic.twitter.com/2Z5Z099OSk

— Edgar Moreno (@ConcacafEdgar) January 21, 2024

 

How have the rules been relaxed? He can’t play in an official match for Mexico without switching. He can however go to a camp without issue.

 

There have been many situations the last few years where players change federations without filing a switch or they file a switch and play in a competition that they ordinarily under the rules would have been ineligible for due to their play with a previous federation.

FIFA has not been enforcing the rules in the same way, unless they are held to the rules by one of the federations.

 

I don’t think that’s clear at all that players have been switching without filing a switch. The rules are extremely clear and there is no way Medina can play for Mexico without filing a switch.

Mexico didn’t get in trouble from the Zendejas situation because USSF raised a fuss.

Do you have an example of a player who played in an official competition for one team and then for someone else without filing a switch? And switches aren’t public either so just because it wasn’t announced doesn’t mean it wasn’t filed.

 

Zendejas situation is a little different. Thats senior team, not a youth player exploring his options. We also don't know if USSF pushed FIFA into enforcing the rules (I suspect they might've considering Zendejas is part of the US pool), and that might've come about before FIFA started enforcing the rules a little differently anyway. I would think that if players started doing this at senior level it would become much different. I think FIFA is starting to realize that at youth level the rules are probably a little too strict, and a lot of these kids make choices without properly thinking through it. Holding them to it strictly would be a little harsh.

@Luksarus has documented these instances in the past where players were provisionally cap-tied, and then would switch to play for another nation in a way that would otherwise violate the rules. If you follow and read his feed on twitter, I'm sure you've seen it or can find it there if you searched for it. Whether these players filed a switch or are taking advantage of the rules being more relaxed, I can't say exactly in each situation, but I would think they are doing with the intent that they aren't 100% locked-in, and are trying to test out their options, including potentially switching back. Ultimately, FIFA has to hold them to it. We've yet to see FIFA really care about a youth player violating the rules.

Either way, I don't think Medina is filing a one-time switch to Mexico, or even if he did that he's necessarily 100% gone.

 

I’ll look at his thread of examples, but if Medina files a one time switch he’s definitely one hundred percent gone. I agree that it’s not clear at this point what he’ll do.

 

Dual-nationals is like endless spinning plates.

You think you've got a couple things under control, and then others start waffling around.

If Cruz Medina switches, then Cruz Medina switches.

I say while they're busy recruiting Medina, we go steal Fidel Barajas. Just to mess with them.

 

So let's say he files a one time switch, and never plays in an official game for Mexico during the upcoming U-20 cycle. Are you saying he 100% won't want to switch back to the USA or FIFA 100% wouldn't allow him to then play for the USA?

I'm not sure there's 100% anything here.

 

We'll see in the future with guys like Jonathan Gomez, Fidel Barajas, and apparently Medina, but as of now in terms of US-Mex dual nat recruiting battle that have actually mattered, it's like 1-1 with Ricardo Pepi and Julian Araujo.

 

Once you switch the rules are very clear that you can’t switch back. If it were allowed I would have no issues with a player switching back. But it’s pretty clear cut you can’t do that.

I also went and looked at the examples you noted and none of them appeared to be situations where a one time switch wasn’t filed, but further indication that a separate rule may have changed.

Specifically that when you play in one competition for one country, including qualifying, you can’t later play for another country in the same competition (hence why people think Tillman is ineligible for the Olympics). One of the examples noted with the Argentinian player in the U20 World Cup who had played for a different country for qualifying was noted on here, but it’s unclear as to whether that rule isn’t being enforced or if it’s just changed. But either way that’s not really applicable to the general one time switch requirement.

 

Well, the latest FIFA rules allow you to back out of a one-time switch if you never appear in any form with the "new" country. Once you play, even in a friendly, then you are stuck.

 

Historically, that rule has been part of the rules for the competition itself. I haven't gone looking, but it's possible that rule isn't a standard part of the eligibility for a competition anymore.

 

See, e.g., Danilo Acosta, who backed out of a one-time switch to Honduras in 2019, having not played for them despite being on their 2019 Gold Cup roster. He eventually switched to Honduras again and actually played for them, but not until two years later.

 

I’m not sure what reciting the rules to me does. I’m aware of what the rules are.

FIFA has relaxed their enforcement of rules in this type of space in the last year or two already, and rules only matter if they are enforced.

I don’t know that it’s clear what they’d do when presented with such a situation.