2026 World Cup: Meet the USA-born players who will play for other countries
Nine American-born players will represent countries other than the U.S. at the 2026 World Cup, including Esmir Bajraktarević for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Jonathan David for Canada, while others like Obed Vargas and Brian Gutiérrez will play for Mexico. Some players, like Zion Suzuki for Japan and Mohammad Abdualnadi for Jordan, have long ties to their adopted nations’ national teams, while others like CJ Dos Santos switched allegiance to Cape Verde in 2024.
The 2026 World Cup will feature nine players born in the U.S. who will compete for teams other than the American national squad. Esmir Bajraktarević, raised in Wisconsin, will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina after switching allegiances in 2024, scoring the winning penalty in their World Cup qualifier against Italy. Jonathan David, born in Brooklyn but raised in Canada, declined a U.S. U-20 call-up to honor Haiti, the country that took him in as a child. CJ Dos Santos, a former Philadelphia Union and Benfica academy player, switched to Cape Verde in May 2024, joining the team’s first World Cup roster in 42 years. Haiti’s squad includes Duke Lacroix and Derrick Etienne Jr., the latter becoming the third family member to represent the nation. Zion Suzuki, born in the U.S. to a Ghanaian father and Japanese mother, has been part of Japan’s youth teams since childhood and made his senior debut in 2022. Mohammad Abdualnadi, a Sporting Kansas City academy product, will debut for Jordan at the World Cup, helping secure their first-ever qualification. Former U.S. internationals Obed Vargas and Brian Gutiérrez will play for Mexico, completing their allegiance switches in 2024. These players highlight the global mobility of footballers, with some choosing nations tied to their heritage or upbringing over the U.S. team.
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