The leakedUSMNTWorld Cup roster is already creating debate and reactions, but one of the biggest debates surrounds Alejandro Zendejas and his unexpected inclusion.
Former U.S. goalkeeper and ESPN analyst Kasey Keller openly questioned the decision, admitting he was caught off guard seeing Zendejas’ name on the leaked squad list. “Alejandro Zendejas hasn’t been called into a squad since September, right? How does he sneak in?”
For Keller, the confusion comes down to a few simple points. First, Zendejas had completely disappeared from the national team picture in recent months under Mauricio Pochettino. He had not been called up since September and has only made 2 USMNT appearances across the last 18 months.
Keller didn't understand how the winger suddenly jumped back into the World Cup conversation ahead of players who had consistently been involved with the squad.
“Anytime you have a 26-man squad, you’re going to have players that are there because they complement the squad knowing that they’re probably not going to be playing,” Keller said.
“Some players like Sebastian Berhalter has shown that he can come in certain games and contribute. Cristian Roldán as well on a defensive side. Some of the question marks, though, Alejandro Zendejas hasn’t been called into a squad since September, right? How does he sneak in?”
He continued by comparing to other players: “Look, I think Gio [Reyna] came in at different times and showed that, ‘I can give you something that you don’t have in that squad,’ and so that doesn’t surprise me.”
Keller especially pointed to Tanner Tessmann as a player who seemed more deserving of a spot. Tessmann had been heavily involved in recent camps while playing regular football for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1.
“I think Tanner Tesman is the one that I think when I look at the past camps, the amount that he’s played, the amount that he’s playing for Lyon in the French league, so he’s playing at a high level, and that he gets omitted over somebody that hasn’t been called in since September?” he said.
Zendejas’ Club Form May Have Changed Everything
Leaving out an in-form midfielder who had stayed connected to the squad only to bring back someone absent for months didn’t add up to him.
Still, there’s a strong counterargument working in Zendejas’ favor: his form with Club América has been impossible to ignore.
The winger has been one of the best-performing players in Liga MX in recent weeks. At the time of the reported squad leak, he had scored 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 matches.
That late-season explosion may have convinced Pochettino to take another look despite Zendejas’ limited international involvement. Sometimes tournament squads come down to momentum, confidence, and current form more than long-term planning.
Now the pressure will be on Zendejas himself. If he performs on the World Cup stage, the criticism surrounding his inclusion could disappear quickly.
