Ex-Arsenal wonderkid makes official FIFA switch to represent Canada at the World Cup

Tom Weber

• 13 Feb 2026 19:00 CST
• 4 min read

News

Tigres midfielder Marcelo Flores, a former Arsenal academy prospect, has officially completed his one-time switch from Mexico to Canada ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The 22-year-old has three senior caps for Mexico to his name, having initially chosen to represent the nation of his father's birth since the U16 level. However, Flores has now made the decision to change his allegiance to his mother's country, Canada.

The Georgetown, Ontario-native has filed a one-time switch with FIFA, which now officially ties him to the Canadian Men's National Team going forward. This means that the attacker will be in contention for a place on Jesse Marsch's roster for the 2026 World Cup.

Flores' decision is motivated by the fact that he has not suited up for Mexico since 2022. He had made his senior debut for El Tri as an 18-year-old Arsenal academy starlet in 2021, but only two more caps would follow.

Canada, on the other hand, have promised him a prominent role. Head coach Marsch invited Flores to training in November and wanted to include him in his January camp, which ultimately was not possible.

New FIFA rules made Flores switch possible

It is precisely for cases such as Flores that FIFA recently amended its one-time switch rules. Previously, any player who made a senior appearance for a national team was cap-tied.

This often led to instances of players being capped at a young age but then never playing international football again because they were no longer in the frame for their national team and unable to change allegiances.

The new rule seeks to prevent this by only cap-tying players who make a senior appearance after turning 21 or more than three appearances before the age of 21. Flores only played three times for Mexico as an 18-year-old, allowing him to make the switch to Canada.

He was called up twice more by Mexico after his final outing in June 2022, but he did not get on the pitch. Certainly frustrating at the time, this has now proved to be a blessing in disguise.

Flores will be eligible to suit up for Canada for the first time during the next international break in March. Capable of playing as a No.10 and a winger, he will offer Marsch plenty of tactical flexibility, but he faces a tough battle to make the World Cup squad given the amount of attacking talent currently in the Canada pool.

Due to his age, though, there will still be more World Cup opportunities beyond 2026. After all, he will still only be 26 during the 2030 World Cup in Iberia and Morocco. There will be no going back to Mexico, however. A FIFA one-time switch, as the name suggests, is final.

At the club level, Flores has been playing for Monterrey giants Tigres since the summer of 2023 after a loan stint at Spanish side Real Oviedo. Despite being highly rated, Flores never managed to make a senior appearance during his four years in Arsenal's youth system.

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