After playing one game for the United States, defender Julián Araujo has been cleared to change his national eligibility to Mexico, FIFA said Monday.
The 20-year-old LA Galaxy defender made his debut for the U.S. last December, starting at right back in a 6-0 win over El Salvador.
Araujo, who is from Lompoc, California, previously represented the U.S. at age-group levels through the Under-23 team.
In March, he played for the U.S. U-23 team against Mexico in a Tokyo Olympics qualification game. Mexico won 1-0 and eventually advanced to Tokyo, getting a bronze medal.
As a dual national with Mexican family ties, Araujo was eligible within FIFA’s rules to switch national teams and was yet to play a competitive game for the U.S. senior team.
Mexico faces the U.S. in their 2022 World Cup quaIification group on Nov. 12 in Cincinnati.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
