Hispanic power: Four players with latin american roots lead team USA against Turkey
Four soccer players with Hispanic roots and Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino reflect the growing influence of the Latino community on a national team that will seek to shine as host of the 2026 World Cup.
Advertisements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at a shopping mall in New York
When the United States takes the field tonight to face Turkey in the final match of the 2026 World Cup group stage, four soccer players with Hispanic roots will be available to defend the Team USA jersey.
Ricardo Pepi, Alejandro Zendejas, Cristian Roldán, and Giovanni Gio Reyna represent the diversity of a national team that reflects the growth of the Hispanic community in the country. Joining them is head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is in charge of leading the U.S. team at the world’s biggest soccer tournament.
Ricardo Pepi, born in Texas to Mexican parents, has established himself as one of the U.S. national team’s key offensive players.
Alejandro Zendejas was born in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. After representing Mexico at the youth levels, he decided to play for the United States at the senior level.
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Cristian Roldán, a midfielder for the Seattle Sounders, has a Guatemalan father and a Salvadoran mother. He is one of the most experienced players on the national team.
Giovanni Gio Reyna, one of the leading figures in U.S. soccer, has Argentine roots on his mother’s side—his mother is Danielle Egan Reyna.
Pochettino, the leader of the project
The presence of players with family ties to Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina, along with an Argentine coach, reflects the significant role the Hispanic community plays in the development of U.S. soccer and in the identity of a national team that aspires to be a key player as the World Cup host.
Team USA will put its World Cup project to the test tonight when it faces Turkey in the final match of the group stage. With Mauricio Pochettino on the bench and several players of Hispanic descent on the roster, the United States will look to maintain the momentum as it advances to the next round.
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