Former U.S. men's national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Mexican players are “comfortable” in their domestic Liga MX and should seek opportunities in Europe to improve themselves and El Tri.
“Maybe they're too comfortable in Mexico because they make a lot of money there, they play in full stadiums and it's exciting. If you look at the stadiums around Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City, they're all great, amazing places. Maybe that's why they don't have enough motivation to challenge Europe,” Klinsmann said.
The Mexican national team has struggled in recent years, suffering early group stage exits at the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa America, and is on a seven-game winning streak against the United States.
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The former Germany international suggested that opportunities abroad could help Mexican players and the national team improve.
“You have to have players on the national team that are always going to play at the highest level because when you have players in Europe, at clubs that are in the Champions League, they're used to playing against the best players in the world, not just at the World Cup or the Copa America, but on a weekly basis,” Klinsmann said.
During his time as coach of the U.S. national team from 2011-2016, Klinsmann encouraged players to seek opportunities overseas, which helped pave the way for the current squad's composition of Europe-based talent.
“If you have a chance to go to Europe, go for it. If it doesn't work out, that's OK,” Klinsmann said. “Now, a few years later, if you look at the U.S. national team, you'll see that almost everyone is playing in Europe.”
Klinsmann also stressed the importance of Mexico and the Latin American market to European leagues, which gain traction through international players.
Santiago Jimenez has not featured prominently in Mexico's national team XI so far. Masashi Hara/Getty Images
“To grow (these markets), it really helps to have players from that particular country, whether that's Mexico or Colombia or Brazil or Argentina or wherever,” Klinsmann said.
New coach Javier Aguirre is set to call up at least six European players for Mexico's next training camp ahead of two friendlies in the United States in September.
According to ESPN Mexico, Aguirre is set to name Fulham's Raul Jimenez, Bournemouth's Julian Araujo, Almeria's Cesar Montes, Genoa's Johan Vazquez, Feyenoord's Santiago Jimenez and Dynamo Moscow's Luis Chavez, while West Ham's Edson Alvarez is a doubt due to injury problems.
A move to Europe could boost the Mexican player's career, but it wouldn't necessarily guarantee him playing time with the senior national team.
Jimenez has recently started each of El Tri's final four games but has long been overlooked in Mexico's national team despite his impressive performances with Feyenoord.
At the Copa America in the summer, Europe-based veterans such as Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, Guillermo Ochoa and Jimenez were not included in Mexico's squad.
The 39-year-old goalkeeper, now a free agent after his playing career with Italy's Salernitana, is reportedly not expected to play in the friendly against New Zealand on Sept. 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, or Canada on Sept. 10 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The friendly will be the first match of Aguirre's third stint as Mexico coach, having coached the national team in 2001-02 and 2009-10. El Tri will then face U.S.-Mexico in a friendly in Mexico on Oct. 15 at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.
Mexico sporting director Duilio Davino told ESPN on Wednesday that talks with Valencia were “progressing” to stage a country-club friendly in October ahead of the U.S. men's national team match.
