Jesse Marsch issues update on Marcelo Flores's January Camp inclusion: "It wouldn't make sense at this time"
The latest twist in Marcelo Flores’s long and complicated tale with the CanMNT was revealed on Tuesday - the 22-year-old attacking midfielder won’t be joining Jesse Marsch’s side for their January Camp friendly against Guatemala on Saturday, after all.
Just days after his brace for Tigres UANL ignited speculation about his future, Marsch revealed on Tuesday that Flores wouldn’t be joining the CanMNT in California this week - Marsch had previously stated the plan was for Flores to play with Tigres this past weekend before joining the camp late.
CAMP UPDATE 🚨
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) January 13, 2026
Marcelo Flores is set to miss the January CanMNT 🇨🇦 window, with the Tigres UANL midfielder not travelling for training nor the friendly vs. Guatemala 🇬🇹 on Saturday
H/T Kristian Jack & @TSNScianitti pic.twitter.com/XRXmbJ2y4j
Yet, while that news naturally set off panic alarms for Canadian fans worried about Flores’s future, Marsch did make sure to note that the decision happened in part due to a mix-up on his part, noting that he was unaware that Flores’s inclusion in the Guatemala friendly would require a permanent, one-time switch after Flores’s three caps for Mexico.
“It was my idea to try to get him in here, thinking that we could use this like a lower-tier FIFA match, meaning that even if he didn’t make his one-time switch, we could get him in the game against Guatemala,” Marsch told reporters on Tuesday. “I made a mistake on that; it turns out that no matter how we tiered it, unless it was a closed-door match, he couldn’t play, so that's a little bit unfortunate.”
Jesse Marsch on why Marcelo Flores won't be attending CanMNT 🇨🇦 camp in January 🎙️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) January 13, 2026
"It was my idea to try and get him here... but I made a mistake on that. Turns out, unless it's a closed-door match, he can't play." pic.twitter.com/NqfYLSuuDe
Of course, it’s worth noting that while an administrative error prompted this decision, Flores’s performance on the weekend was another key factor.
With Tigres set to play against Pumas UNAM on Wednesday and Deportivo Toluca on Saturday, it was speculated that Tigres might be a little more eager to keep him around after his surprise brace vs. Atlético San Luis, as they’re currently a bit thin in attack.
Especially when considering Liga MX will then go on a two-week break after this upcoming weekend - ironically, to help the Mexican National Team hold a January Camp of their own - it didn’t make sense for Tigres to have him miss two big games with that break looming, given his form.
At the end of the day, while Flores knows that he has a decision to make, he’ll only have a shot at cracking either Canada's or Mexico’s World Cup roster if he’s in good form, so it makes sense for him to prioritize his club future in the immediate short-term.
Marsch hinted as much, while also noting that he remains supportive of Flores’s ongoing decision-making process.
“We all saw that he played great on the weekend and got two goals,” Marsch said. “I’ve gotten to know Marcelo and his family, and he's got a big decision to make - and a family decision to make - on whether he wants to represent Mexico or Canada. I want him to be successful, I like him as a young man, I think he has big potential as a player, and I think he'd be great here with us in Canada, but I want to support him in the right way to make a decision that he feels the best about, and I still strongly believe that could be Canada, as he would be a good addition to our team.”
“I want him to be successful in his career and in his life,” he added. “I think that can be done very much here with Canada - and I know he feels that way, too. When you work with people, we all have self-interest in whatever we do, but I want Marcelo to have a really strong and long career to show everybody how good he is. I think he can do that here in Canada, but at the core of all that, I just want him to be successful.”
Even if Marcelo Flores doesn't attend the #CanMNT camp, he can still submit his one-time switch to Canada, which would tie him to the team without requiring him to play a friendly or competitive match.
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) January 13, 2026
January camp is in season for Liga MX. https://t.co/AqKihFzrut
As seen by Flores’s reluctance to file a switch for this Guatemala friendly, he is yet to make a final decision, so look for him to take some time to mull over what he does in the end.
For what it’s worth, though, it appears that Canada still has a good chance to secure his commitment. It can’t be forgotten that Tigres head coach, Guido Pizarro, said just days ago that his goal was to help Flores crack the Canadian World Cup squad - a comment like that will be loaded with context.
Marcelo Flores scored a brace last night in a 2-1 win for Tigres UANL over Atlético San Luis, and his manager Guido Pizarro is hoping a CanMNT 🇨🇦 roster spot follows suit 😎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) January 12, 2026
"Hopefully we can get him included in Canada's squad. He's working for that." pic.twitter.com/h1IiZY8ETm
In particular, you have to imagine that Mexico has likely already contacted players about their January Camp roster - had Flores been included in that, one would’ve had to imagine that Pizarro’s choice of words would’ve been a bit more restrained.
At the same time, things can change quickly in this sport. While Flores has mostly been out of the Mexican picture in recent years, a hot streak could prompt some of their decision-makers to get in contact with him again.
He'd need to file a one-time switch but... could we see Marcelo Flores play for the CanMNT 🇨🇦 this month? 👀 pic.twitter.com/QJxfA4F7pp
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) January 7, 2026
Yet, as mentioned earlier, that shows why these next few months are so crucial for Flores.
No matter if he stays with Mexico or commits to Canada, his best path towards making either World Cup squad will be if he is putting in good performances week-in, week-out for Tigres (or another club, if he were to ever leave). At the end of the day, while he is a talented youngster with a decent ceiling, World Cup rosters are usually selected based on what players can provide in the here and now.
No doubt, Marsch will remain in his ear about filing his switch - and you have to imagine Mexico will at least check in - so from there, the rest will lie with Flores, who has plenty to ponder given his strong ties to both nations.
“He and I will have some conversations,” Marsch said of Flores. “When I told him we weren't going to bring him in because of all these factors, I just said to him it wouldn't make sense at this time, but as I said before his latest match, I told him to keep enjoying and pushing himself, and to establish himself this season with Tigres. We'll finish the camp here, and then we'll speak in a week or so, talk about all the possibilities, and I'll see where he's at.”
“There's a lot to be thinking about,” he continued. “He’s got a father who grew up in Mexico, and he's got a mother who grew up in Canada. He also grew up in Canada, but his whole family lives down in Mexico. He has two sisters playing down in Mexico, so they have a clear attachment to Mexican culture and what it is to be Mexican, but he also tells me a lot that he’s Canadian and that he grew up in Canada, and he knows a lot of our guys.”
“He has a real edge and a life to him that fits really well within our group. I think the guys liked him, and I think he liked the guys, so yeah, I think there are a lot of things at play, but he's gonna have to do with what's best for him in his heart.”
