Marcelo Flores: Called Up to Canada for Potential World Cup Opportunity

March 19, 2026 Lucas Fernandez – World Editor World

Marcelo Flores has received his first official call-up to the Canadian national team, as announced Tuesday, potentially marking a pivotal moment in his international career ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 22-year-old winger, currently playing for Tigres in Liga MX, was officially cleared by FIFA on Wednesday to switch his international allegiance from Mexico to Canada, according to ESPN. This decision follows an initial, unofficial call-up to Canada’s training camp last November and a subsequent invitation in January that he was unable to accept pending FIFA’s approval of the switch.

Flores, born in Canada, had previously represented Mexico at the youth level and earned three senior caps for El Tri, but hadn’t seen playing time with the senior national team since 2022. The change of association was finalized on FIFA’s Change of Association Platform.

Canada’s head coach, Jesse Marsch, has been actively pursuing Flores’ inclusion in the national team setup. “Marcelo and I have been in contact for months and I have been following and tracking him. I already knew him when I accepted the job,” Marsch said, as reported by Telemundo. “I have gone twice to Monterrey to check on his progress.”

Flores has demonstrated promising form with Tigres this season, scoring three goals and providing one assist in his first seven games of the 2026 Clausura season. He joined Tigres in 2023 after a loan spell from Arsenal to Real Oviedo in 2022.

The call-up comes as Canada prepares for upcoming friendly matches against Iceland on March 28 and Tunisia on March 31, providing Flores with an opportunity to earn his first official cap for Canada and demonstrate his value to Marsch ahead of the World Cup. According to Soyfutbol.com, Marsch has given the green light for Flores to join the call-up.

Marsch emphasized the importance of playing at home, stating, “There is a great illusion in this group right now and playing at home, in Canada, is something that players never take for granted. Our fans have been incredible and we ask them to come, fill the stadium and be part of what we are building towards the World Cup.”

While Flores’ inclusion in the final World Cup roster is not guaranteed, these upcoming matches are considered crucial for him to convince Marsch and Canadian soccer officials of his suitability for a place in the squad, as reported by AS.com.