Mexico is scouting for talent all over the world. These three players could shape its future

At recent youth women's championships, Mexico has repeatedly shown that the footballing world will have to reckon with the country in the future. The rise of El Tri is driven not only by talent coming through the domestic ranks, but also by an increasingly successful search amongst the large Mexican diaspora, thanks to which the national team is securing promising players who have been brought up abroad.

The current U17 squad is no exception. From its rows, we have selected three exceptionally interesting female footballers whose careers may have begun in the United States and France, yet who have decided to represent Mexico at international level.

Citlalli Reyes

Although Citlalli was born in Las Vegas, Mexican blood runs through her veins from both her parents. She is certainly no newcomer to the World Championships in this category, quite the opposite. Following the World Cup in the Dominican Republic in 2024 and in Morocco in 2025, this will be her third edition of the competition, making her one of only a handful of players to have ever reached such a milestone. Furthermore, if she plays in at least three matches this year, she will break the record of twelve appearances, currently shared by Deyna Castellanos, Veronica Herrera, Eva Navarro and Claudia Pina.

Last time in particular, she proved herself to be the real driving force behind the Mexican team. Back then, El Trí qualified for the round of 16 thanks to two goals from Reyes, which saw Mexico beat both the Netherlands and Morocco 1:0 in the group stage. Curiously, both goals were scored in the 87th minute. Citlalli and her teammates eventually fought their way to the bronze medal in the play-offs.

The list of her greatest strengths is a long one. She stands out above all for her high football IQ, dynamic approach to the game and exceptional ball control. She is strong with both her left and right foot, and her versatility is also demonstrated by her ability to play in several different positions, although we most often see her in the centre of the pitch. Moreover, she manages to maintain an excellent overview of the action on the field throughout the match, thanks to which she is able to create chances not only for herself but also for her teammates.

Reyes currently plays for San Diego Surf SC, who are competing in the renowned Elite Clubs National League. It is expected that she will then pursue a university pathway, which should open the door to top-flight club football.

Mia Urbano 

Similarly, Urbano is one of a number of Mexican players who grew up in the United States. Given the large community of people of Mexican descent living in the US, Mexico has implemented a highly effective system focused on scouting Mexican talent abroad. It then keeps a close eye on these players as potential recruits for its national teams.

This is also the case with Mia, who developed her footballing skills at the Los Angeles-based club Legends FC, from where she moved to Chivas relatively recently in order to be more visible to national team coaches. Although the young offensive star was also being monitored by the US national team setup, Urbano sensed that she could get significantly more playing time on the other side of the border.

In the national team jersey, she particularly shone with a hattrick in the final round of the CONCACAF Under-17 qualifiers against Jamaica. She is an incredibly gifted player in terms of movement in the opposition’s penalty area. Another positive is that she has recently made improvements in using her weaker left foot, and it is generally clear that her development in Mexico is proving beneficial.

Nicole Jiménez

The third player in our selection is also not a product of the Mexican female youth football system. Her footballing journey includes youth-level teams at Paris Saint-Germain, where she remained until this summer, before deciding to move to Olympique de Marseille, where she will have a better chance of shining. Although she favours a club career in Europe, at international level, as a holder of both French and Mexican passports, she has chosen to represent the country of her Latin American ancestors.

Jiménez can play in both attack and midfield and is particularly renowned for her discipline, which, in the eyes of coaches at both club and international level, gives her an edge over others. Wearing the Mexico colours, she made the biggest impression at the prestigious Montaigu U16 Women’s Tournament, where she was named the competition’s best player.