Arsenal teenager Marcelo Flores picks Mexico over Canada and England

The 18-year-old is considered a dark horse to make El Tri’s roster for the World Cup

Marcelo Flores has confirmed he is committing his international future to Mexico, turning down the opportunity to play for either Canada or England.

Flores, 18, is a rising star in Arsenal’s academy and made the bench for the Gunners senior team last month for the first time, though he has yet to make his debut.

The attacking midfielder was born in Canada to a Canadian mother and Mexican father, and moved to England when he was 13, making him eligible to play for all three countries.

Now, after already making two appearances for Mexico’s senior national team in friendlies, Flores has said he is committing to El Tri for the rest of his career.

In a heartfelt post on social media, Flores paid tribute to all three countries he was eligible to represent before confirming his intent to play for Mexico.

“Today I speak from the heart and feel the need to communicate something I’ve known to be true for a while that I think is important you hear directly from me: I will represent Mexico wholeheartedly for the rest of my professional life,” Flores wrote.

Could Flores play at the World Cup?

Even before his announcement on Monday, Flores has been considered a dark horse candidate to make Mexico’s roster for the World Cup later this year.

Mexico’s attack struggled during World Cup qualifying and Flores, despite his lack of first-team experience, is considered one of the best attacking prospects in El Tri’s pipeline.

Flores addressed his World Cup chances in his announcement, saying he’d love to be in Qatar.

“Do I want to go to the upcoming World Cup? Sure, every Mexican child dreams of paying in the World Cup,” he said. “But I recognize that decision is not for me to make. I will focus on getting better every day and being ready for when those opportunities come around.”

[lawrence-related id=1185,1174]