The winger continues to dazzle in Mexico and his breakout is coming at the perfect time
Alejandro Zendejas might just be the best player in Liga MX. That's not a hot take — it's a fact. He has four league titles and has delivered goals, assists, and trophies to Club America. Not many in Mexico's top flight can touch Zendejas at the level he's been at, particularly over the last few months. He's stepped up in big moments and, as a result, is now receiving big recognition for his efforts.
On Wednesday, Zendejas will lead Club America's charge for yet another trophy: the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It's been nearly a decade since the club last won this trophy. They've won plenty recently, including the last three Liga MX titles but, as always, the CONCACAF Champions Cup holds higher value for America. This is a chance for the club to prove that it is this region's undisputed best. This is a chance, in many ways, to make history.
The club's opening match in this year's tournament will be personal for Zendejas, too. It comes against Chivas, his former club. So much of Zendejas' career has been defined by the three years he spent at the club. His international future, in many ways, was sculpted during his time in Guadalajara and, as he looks back at it now as a superstar in Mexico City, there is still something personal there.
The Zendejas set to face Chivas on Wednesday is a far cry from the player who left Chivas five years ago. Once on the fringes with the , he’s now a key figure for Mexico’s best team, with five goals and four assists in eight league matches — and he keeps getting better. In the weeks ahead, he'll be Club América’s best hope of reclaiming the top spot in North American soccer.
GettyA key figure in a trophy-winning team
Zendejas' breakout has been gradual, but there's no denying it's happened.
You could trace it back to Necaxa, where he became a Liga MX regular before earning a move to América. Maybe it started in the 2022-23 season, when he hit double-digit goals for the first time. Or perhaps it was the 2023-24 campaign when he scored five goals in continental play. No matter where you mark the beginning, one thing is clear: Zendejas has reached new heights in recent months, helping América add to its trophy haul.
After recovering from a leg fracture last summer, he emerged as América’s attacking centerpiece. He notched two goals and two assists in the club’s final three games last season, leading them to a third straight Liga MX title with a decisive win over Monterrey.
He was one of just four players to start all three finals during this dominant run, a testament to his growing importance. But this time, he wasn’t just a key contributor — he was the driving force, the creative spark behind América’s latest triumph.
And as the new Liga MX season gets underway, Zendejas hasn’t just maintained his form — he’s taken it to another level.
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Zendejas has only gotten more dangerous since his late surge last season.
Since the start of the Liga MX's Clausura season, no player has contributed to more goals than Zendejas, who has scored five and assisted four more. Only Toluca's Alexis Vega and Necaxa's Diber Cambindo have matched that tally of goal contributions, but Zendejas has done so in just eight appearances compared to their 10. It's a ridiculous start to the season and it's one that's been built on consistency. In his eight appearances, Zendejas has scored or assisted in all but one: a Feb. 22 clash with 10-man Pumas that saw Zendejas taken off midway through the second half with the game already out of hand.
It began with two goals against Santos Laguna early in the season and Zendejas has taken off from there. Now, through 10 matches, America have gathered 23 points, leaving them three behind league-leaders Leon. The two sides faced off on Feb. 19 and, you guessed it, Zendejas scored in what ended up being a 1-1 draw.
Yet, this week the focus lies solely on America's Champions Cup tie.
Getty Images SportA matchup that's personal
After coming through FC Dallas' youth system, Zendejas made his big move to Liga MX by joining Chivas. Once there, he was given a choice: switch to Mexico to abide by the club's tradition or else. He did, at least for a while. Now, years later, he's a full-fledged USMNT regular, although that hasn't come without controversy.
Zendejas switched to Mexico, played a few games, and then was the subject of an investigation that, ultimately, revealed that the winger had played for without filing a one-time switch. Mexico were forced to forfeit games and pay a fine. Zendejas, meanwhile, returned to the USMNT setup, having gone on to earn 11 caps since committing in 2023.
Now, Chivas have another American on their team, Cade Cowell. He, like Zendejas, is Mexican-American. Unlike Zendejas, though, he's been allowed to stay with the USMNT program. That fact isn't lost on Club America's star.
“Pure Mexican? They call [Cowell] 'Vaquero' (Cowboy)," he said. "When I got to Chivas they told me that I could play for the United States national team, so I said 'Come on, I'm leaving, I'm going to a good team, I'll play for the national team'. Then the time comes when they call me up, and they tell me from the United States: 'They're not answering us, contact them'. Well, that's when they told me: 'No, it's all Mexican here, you stay with us or you go to the national team.'"
Traditionally, Zendejas has found success against Chivas. Despite winning six and drawing four of 15 career games against his former club, he has scored four and assisted another against them. He'll look to add to those numbers during the two-leg CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 clash, which begins on Wednesday in Guadalajara and concludes on March 12 in Mexico City. Sandwiched between that? A third meeting between the two teams in Liga MX. These two sides are going to be getting very familiar with one another, not that Zendejas isn't already.
Getty Images SportLooking ahead
By the time this three-game set against Chivas concludes, all eyes will then turn towards the CONCACAF Nations League. Zendejas was named to the USMNT's 60-player squad, and it would be stunning if Mauricio Pochettino opted to leave him off of the final 23 when the time comes. When you have a player in this sort of form, you get him in the team, even if starting minutes will be hard to come by for Zendejas due to the presence of Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah on the wings.
The Nations League could, ultimately, lead back to another duel with Mexico. Zendejas nearly came to blows with members of during the USMNT's loss in Guadalajara last fall with a substitute performance that likely would have endeared him to new boss Pochettino. First up for the USMNT will be Panama while Mexico and Canada duel on the other side. Win or lose, either way, the CONCACAF Nations League will bring fireworks.
That's what Zendejas has been bringing nearly every time he steps on the field: Fireworks. The goal contributions are piling up, as are the trophies. Now, as he heads into a vital stretch for both club and country, Zendejas has proven he's a difference-maker, one that could help lift Club America and the USMNT to more silverware going forward.