Alejandro Zendejas could finally get on the field for Estados Unidos in the World Cup. With the team already through to Dieciseisavos and locked into first place, Maurico Pochettino is weighing changes for the match against Turquía in Jornada 3, and Zendejas is among the options to enter the rotation.
That is why his name is back in focus now. After two games without activity in the tournament, the América midfielder could see his first minutes in the Mundial 2026, either from the start or off the bench, depending on how Pochettino chooses to manage the group after the early qualification is secured. Estados Unidos arrives as one of the teams with a perfect run through its first two matches, which gives the coach room to rest players who have picked up cards.
Zendejas has a case beyond simple rotation. He is the No. 10 for the Águilas del América, was born in Ciudad Juárez and has become one of the familiar Liga MX faces inside the United States setup. The possibility of his involvement against Turquía also fits the broader picture of a squad that no longer has to chase results in the same way, because the ticket to the next round and the top spot in the group are already in hand.
The main decision is still Pochettino’s. He is expected to make at least four changes because of the accumulation of cards, and one of those moves could send Sergino Dest out of the right wing role and open the door for Zendejas there. That leaves the real question less about whether the chance exists than whether the coach chooses to use it from the opening whistle or save it for later in the match.
For Zendejas, the next step is simple: either he starts to turn a training-ground possibility into his first World Cup appearance, or he waits a little longer for the debut that now feels close enough to touch. Estados Unidos plays Turquía in Jornada 3, and that is where the answer will come.
