The Mexican federation once again is looking at an American-born player involved in the U.S. youth ranks with the hopes of convincing him to represent Mexico, sources told Goal on Monday.
After Raphael Wicky declined to call in Sagir Arce to the U-17 World Cup in Brazil, the directors of the Mexican national teams will work to convince him to opt for representing Mexico.
Arce, a forward in the Monarcas system who was born in Kansas to Mexican parents, is in the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol's plans to be able to continue his sporting development with the national team setup in the youth divisions. Yet, Arce has been involved with the United States youth setup since 2018, taking part in a number of camps and playing more than a half-dozen matches with the Americans.
However, sources tell Goal the FMF is looking to meet with Arce and his parents. The Monarcas attacker is seen as a prospect who could reach the senior team ahead of the 2026 World Cup if not sooner.
The 17-year-old made his professional debut this season with manager Pablo Guede bringing him on as a substitute in a Jornada 11 match up against Tijuana. He's also played in two Copa MX matches, earning 103 minutes in that tournament.
Arce has been in Morelia since the 2017 Clausura, playing with the U-15 and moving up the ranks. In the 2019 Apertura, he saw time with the Monarcas U-20 squad and scored twice over 376 minutes.
Now the ball is in Arce's court, with the player able to make the decision to press on with the United States despite the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup or taking a chance to defend the colors of the Mexico national team.
With Arce yet to play in an official match, he wouldn't even have to file a one-time switch to change from the U.S. to Mexico.
With the number of Mexican-American players only increasing, both the Mexican and United States federations have become active in trying to woo rising stars to represent their country. While Arce didn't make the U-17 roster, several Mexican-Americans did, with FC Dallas forward Ricardo Pepi and defender Nico Carrera both included after previously attending Mexico camps. Goalkeeper Aaron Cervantes and midfielder Danny Leyva are among other players on the roster eligible for both nations.
Mexico hardly always comes out on the losing end, though. Perhaps the most high-profile dual-national of the last five years is Jonathan Gonzalez, who played for U.S. youth teams but represented Mexico at the senior level. LA Galaxy attacker Efrain Alvarez is headed to the U-17 World Cup with Mexico, though he's also eligible to wear the Stars and Stripes.