FIFA announced on Monday that it has given Julian Araujo the all-clear to switch his national team eligibility from the United States to Mexico. The LA Galaxy defender made his only appearance for the U.S. national team last December, playing at the position of right-back during a 6-0 thumping of El Salvador.
Born in Lompoc, California, Araujo represented the United States at several age-group levels up until the under-23 national team. This includes an appearance for the under-23 American team against Mexico during their Tokyo Olympics qualification game in March 2021.
After winning the match 1-0, Mexico went on to win the bronze medal at the Olympic competition.
Due to being a dual national with Mexican family ties, Araujo was eligible to switch national teams according to FIFA regulations. He was yet to appear in a competitive game for the United States Men’s National Team.
The Mexico national team is currently at the top of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers standings, with five wins and two draws in seven games. Mexico is next set to face Canada on October 8 before taking on Honduras and El Salvador on October 11 and 14 respectively.