Two former U.S. men’s national team players have reportedly completed their one-time switch to represent Mexico.
Richie Ledezma and Brian Gutierrez have had their one-time switches approved by FIFA, ESPN reported Tuesday. The news comes after both players were called up by El Tri for January friendlies against Panama and Bolivia this month.
Ledezma, 25, previously played for several U.S. youth national teams before earning his senior debut in 2020 under then-USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter. He registered two assists on his debut in a 6-2 win over Panama.
The midfielder-turned-fullback previously played for Dutch giants PSV 2020-25, most recently delivering his best club season yet. Ledezma made 38 appearances for PSV last season, helping the club repeat as Eredivisie title winners.
He then joined Chivas last summer on a free transfer from PSV and has registered six assists in 22 appearances since. Ledezma also featured for NYCFC in 2023 during a season-long loan spell from PSV.
The 22-year-old Guiterrez is also at Chivas with Ledezma since joining on a permanent deal from the Chicago Fire this winter. A former academy product of Chicago, Gutierrez scored 24 goals in 161 appearances for the Fire, delivering his best season in 2025 with 11 goals.
Also a former USYNT player, Gutierrez’s lone two USMNT caps came in January 2025.
Mexico will certainly be looking at both players ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup on North American soil.
Mexico taking our c team players these days. Good luck to both.
This seemed kind of a forgone conclusion when they signed with Chivas. The path to minutes for both seem higher with Mexico’s roster.
They’re not bad players and would have definitely made pre-2020 rosters. They were a good ways down on our current one.
I still wonder what might have been had Richie not torn his ACL. Happened just as he was breaking into PSV’s rotation. (For all their nationalistic pride Chivas starting four American born and trained players + Leo Sepulveda if he ever gets healthy).