Canada and head coach Jesse Marsch have secured another international recruit as 22-year-old attacking midfielder Marcelo Flores has decided to switch his allegiances from Mexico to Canada, multiple sources confirmed to TSN.
Flores, born in Georgetown, Ont., developed in Arsenal's academy system and now plays for Mexican club Tigres. He apparently made his decision known to Canada Soccer late this week, and the process is now underway to finalize his switch.
Confirmation of Flores' desire to switch countries comes after quotes attributed to Mexican head coach Javier Aguirre were posted to social media on Saturday morning.
"We spoke with [Flores], and his decision is fair. Remember, these are personal decisions, and must be respected. He decided to play for Canada. I wish him the best," Aguirre was quoted as saying in Spanish.
Flores made his Mexican debut in 2021 and made two mores international appearances in 2022; however, Flores, still meets all the requirements for a one-time switch.
According to FIFA regulations, players looking change their international allegiances are allowed to do so if they've played no more than three international games before their 21st birthday, those appearances did not occur in a World Cup or major continental tournament, and three years have passed since the player's last international appearance.
Canada Soccer has pursued Flores for years, but only recently has he seemed open to the idea of switching his international colours. Marsch included Flores as a training player during last November's international window, and again this January, although Flores eventually missed Canada's development camp in Los Angeles to stay with his club.
In the second half of the Mexican season, known as the "Clausura," Flores has two goals over three appearances for Tigres.
The hope now is Flores will be available to play for Canada during its next international window in March when it will face Iceland and Tunisia in Toronto.
Flores's arrival is yet another coup for Canada Soccer and Marsch. Since becoming Canada's coach in May 2024, Marsch has made a point of recruiting young talent to add depth to Canada's talent pool.
Over the last 18 months, Marsch has successfully recruited several players including forward Promise David, Goalkeeper Owen Goodman, forward Daniel Jebbison, defender Alfie Jones, and defender and midfielder Niko Sigur.
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