Alex Zendejas Elevates USMNT Hopes with Standout Performance in Liga MX Championship Victory

United States winger Alex Zendejas solidified his rising status with another impressive display in Sunday’s Liga MX final second leg, aiding Club America in securing a historic third consecutive championship.

Zendejas, an appealing choice for the U.S. men’s national team and new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, assisted in his team’s only goal during a 1-1 draw that confirmed a 3-2 aggregate win over Monterrey. The 26-year-old delivered a clever header to teammate Richard Sanchez, who unleashed a stunning shot from outside the box.

Pochettino has many reasons to be excited about Zendejas. As he approaches 2025, the player’s confidence is at an all-time high after scoring a pivotal goal in the first leg of the Liga MX Apertura’s decisive match midweek and again serving as the key driving force of the Club America offense on Sunday. Since the split-season format began in Mexican soccer in 1991, no team had previously achieved three straight titles.

Though Zendejas’s national team career has been shadowed by controversy, his speed, decisiveness, and notably his recent form seem poised to keep him firmly in Pochettino’s plans as a crucial year looms.

Pochettino utilized Zendejas in both encounters against Jamaica in November (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Before permanently switching allegiance, Zendejas represented both the U.S. and Mexico at youth levels, where procedural issues stemming from his failure to complete a one-time switch resulted in the Mexican federation facing FIFA fines and the forfeiture of five matches.

Born in Mexico but raised in Texas, he progressed through the ranks at FC Dallas before joining Liga MX powerhouse Chivas in 2016. As recently as October, he expressed a willingness to play for Mexico once more — a puzzling statement considering he has been committed to representing only the U.S. at the senior level moving forward.

Pochettino brought him on as a late substitute in both of the USMNT’s recent fixtures against Jamaica in the Nations League, but he did not have sufficient time to leave a significant impression in either match.

Zendejas was also rumored to be making a move to the LA Galaxy last year; however, as one of the most dynamic players in Liga MX this past season, his prospects for a lucrative transfer or an improved contract with Club America have likely grown.

(Top photo: Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images)