Canada Soccer’s long-running on-again, off-again courtship is finally coming to a close.
Multiple sources have confirmed that highly-touted attacking midfielder and dual-national Marcelo Flores, 22, is in the process of completing his FIFA one-time switch from Mexico to Canada. The Athletic reported in October that Flores was initially being courted by Canada, while TSN was the first to report he would complete his allegiance change.
After serving as a training player in Canada’s November camp, it is likely Flores begins his tenure in an official capacity with a call into camp in March, the last one before send-off matches in the lead-up to the World Cup kicking off in June.
John Lobban, Canada’s men’s national-team communications manager, provided the following statement to The Athletic: “Decisions around international representation, including any change of association, are personal matters for players and are governed by FIFA’s eligibility regulations. Until all required steps are completed and approved, Canada Soccer will not speculate, or provide confirmation, on individual player eligibility.”
Nevertheless, Flores is poised to become the highest-profile addition to the Canadian squad ahead of the World Cup, which the country is co-hosting in June and July along with the United States and Mexico. It’s likely his is the final name outside the current player pool to be added to the mix, capping a dual-national recruiting run under manager Jesse Marsch that has yielded the likes of Niko Sigur, Promise David, Alfie Jones, Daniel Jebbison and Owen Goodman.
Flores comes with a bit more baggage than the rest, though. The dynamic attacking player was born in Canada but held Mexican eligibility through his father, Rubén, a former professional. The younger Flores came up through the Ipswich Town and Arsenal youth academies in England. In 2023, he moved from Arsenal to Tigres UANL in Liga MX, Mexican soccer’s top division. Playing time has not come regularly for Flores since, but that didn’t discourage Canada Soccer from re-opening a file once thought to be closed.
Flores was originally courted by Canada four years ago under then-manager John Herdman, who put on a full-court press to woo him and even name-dropped him after a 2-0 win over the U.S. in a January 2022 World Cup qualifier. “I’m sure you’ve got players like young Marcelo Flores (who) might be looking after this game and wondering whether he wants to play for Mexico or Canada,” Herdman said at the time.
Yet months later, Flores chose to represent Mexico in a move that left some in the Canadian soccer community burned and could still cause some consternation over his present-day choice. “Despite the ability to represent several countries, I have always been a part of the Mexican national team system,” Flores said in a May 2022 social media post. “It’s where I feel most comfortable.”
Herdman later expressed frustration at being strung along – it’s believed that Rubén was instrumental in his son’s decision to choose Mexico – but Flores’ nine minutes in a June 2022 Concacaf Nations League game against Suriname were his last in three appearances for El Tri. He no longer factors into Mexico’s plans, which undoubtedly influenced his decision four years later, all while he remains eligible for Canada due to FIFA’s regulations.
As for why Marsch and Canada Soccer brought Flores back into the fold, it reveals plenty about their World Cup ambitions and belief in the player.
On the field, the coaching staff values how different Flores is from the rest of the roster. Come the World Cup’s group stage, Canada wants to be able to break down the likes of Switzerland and potentially Italy, the latter pending the UEFA playoffs in March, in different ways. Flores’ combination of pace and technical qualities on the ball means he can move from a wide spot to a more central one with ease. That flexibility is valued.
Marcelo Flores celebrates after scoring one of his two goals for Tigres vs. San Luis in Liga MX earlier this month (Leopoldo Smith / Getty Images)
The likelihood is that a resurgent Ismaël Koné is Canada’s starting advanced midfielder when the cohosts begin World Cup group play on June 12 against one of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland and Wales in Toronto, his backup has felt like a question mark. Sigur could find himself at right back, and while Jonathan Osorio is important to Canada’s midfield, it’s more as an intelligent, deep-lying player who can kill off a game with his soccer IQ.
Enter Flores and that versatility. Yes, his preferred position is on the left and makes an already crowded spot now more akin to a clown car. Alphonso Davies, Ali Ahmed, Liam Millar, Jayden Nelson, Jacob Shaffelburg and now Flores could all be in contention for two or three spots on that side.
Through Canada’s November camp, Flores looked comfortable and upbeat as a training player, and the staff found him to be positive and coachable. Marsch never pressed him. He showed Flores where he might fit within the team, and the player liked what he saw. There was a maturity in Flores’ approach that might not have been present years earlier. Coaches saw a player who could be dropped into the national-team environment just before the World Cup and hit the ground running, who also has a top motor and an element of physicality. He could even be an option to start.
His club playing time might not suggest as such, but Flores did have a two-goal showing in a Liga MX Clausura start vs. San Luis earlier this month, and Canada’s coaching staff finds his finishing abilities intriguing. It’s no secret Canada struggled to score at times late in 2025.
Gol de Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL) ante Atlético de San Luis; narración de @J_Pietra para ESPN 2 (México) pic.twitter.com/vYjxmvWRF6
— lilboimx (@lilboimx) January 12, 2026
Les comparto la narración que hice del segundo gol de Marcelo Flores con @TigresOficial ante el San Luis 🫡@Andres_Vaca_ @MajolaB @CantaloCamacho @FJG_TD @J_Pietra pic.twitter.com/6pxbHbHyn6
— Édgar Martínez (@PoetaDelDeporte) January 12, 2026
Marsch’s successful play to land Flores suggests a few more things as well.
Most importantly, the past is just that. The drama that initially surrounded Flores was before Marsch’s time. The manager is not interested in years-old hurt feelings if it means bolstering his World Cup roster. Herdman valued and rewarded loyalty in his squad selections. Marsch values talent and development possibilities.
When Herdman brought a trusted but aging squad to the previous World Cup in 2022, his bench was limited and Canada lacked dynamic players who could break down the likes of Belgium and Croatia in the group stage. Marsch, conversely, wants a deep and varied bench. And so it should come as no surprise now that, from within Canada’s setup, Flores is being looked at as a genuine possibility to make the World Cup.
Marsch’s outlook on roster-building will inform part of that decision. Canada wants to play aggressive and pacy soccer against teams that like to have the ball. Marsch is going to put excruciating physical demands on his players to uphold his Red Bull-influenced style. That will begin with an intense training camp in the south of the U.S. in May to get his players acclimated to the heat they may encounter this summer.
Couple that with an unrelenting demand to play front-foot soccer, and you can begin to understand why Marsch isn’t afraid to roll the dice on an untested younger player — potentially at the expense of an experienced and older one who may struggle with those demands and require added time off to recover between games.
Marsch has reason to believe he can accelerate Flores’ development in a short amount of time. The coach has been adamant that players can be developed at the national-team level, not just at their clubs, and the ascent we’ve seen at different times with younger Canadians such as Ahmed and Shaffelburg suggests his belief is a strong one.
Fast-forwarding to March, the circumstances surrounding what should be Flores’ first full Canada camp could not be more optimal for his development. There will be two games in the team’s most familiar surroundings: Toronto. There will be minimal travel, compared to friendlies in Europe. There will be a multi-day camp before those friendlies against Iceland and Tunisia to get Flores up to speed on the team’s tactical approach.
That’s when Flores will likely officially wear a Canada jersey for the first time, and if he looks up to the task, then that lengthy courtship – which some may characterize as a gamble this late in the process – could wind up yielding the cohosts a genuine World Cup wild card.