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Last newsletter I was celebrating Mexico’s win in the World Cup. Today, I’m mourning Colombia’s exit. 🇨🇴💛💙❤️

In this newsletter, I’m exploring the hyphen between:

- Fernando

Brian Gutiérrez and Obed Vargas for Mexico.

Ricardo Pepi and Alejandro Zendejas for the United States.

They’re all Latinos in the United States who had a choice when deciding which country to represent at the 2026 FIFA World Cup because of their heritage. Gutiérrez, Vargas and Pepi were all born in the United States. Zendejas was born in Mexico but grew up in El Paso, Texas.

They’re certainly not the first players with multiple kit options (just look at Morocco, Canada, France and England’s roster) but they do represent a growing wave of U.S. Latinos with that choice. And that wave is fueled by the intersection of a FIFA policy and the growth of soccer in the United States.

“I think Mexican American players have always been there,” Mexico central midfielder Obed Vargas told De Los from the Los Angeles Times. “Obviously, the growing passion for the sport in the Untied States has helped fuel the development of many of those players.”

FIFA, which is the governing body of world soccer, allows players to represent a country if they hold citizenship or if they have a connection the country, either through:

In 2020, FIFA loosened those rules further. Players who made up to three senior competitive appearances before turning 21 can switch to another team once three years have passed. Previously, the rule barred players from switching nations once they had a senior cap in a competitive match.

And we’re seeing the wave of U.S. Latino players in other countries on the women’s side, too. Reyna Reyes, Aaliyah Farmer, Scarlett Camberos and María Sanchez were among the U.S.-born players called up to the Mexican women’s national soccer team in March.

“I get to represent that side of me, which is important to me as well,” Reyna Reyes, who was born in Texas to a Mexican dad and an American mother, told me over a video call. “So it's really important to my grandparents. Like my grandpa literally cried when I told him [I’d be playing for Mexico].”

Reyes, who plays for the Portland Thorns in Oregon as a defender, also sees the opportunity to play for Mexico as a way to reconnect with her culture.

“The federation and my teammates are super welcoming,” said Reyes. “I didn’t know any Spanish when I first went. Like, it was a little bit. But I’ve learned so much … They were like, ‘C’mon, Spanglish. Let’s go.’”

Reyes says she has young fans who play soccer reach out in her DMs for advice.

“It’s like young girls dreaming big, and so I try to help them any way I can,” Reyes said. “They are super grateful for the opportunity because it is a great opportunity.”

There’s also the possible matchup with your home country you have to look forward to.

Melissa Ortiz, a host for Fox’s World Cup coverage and former Colombia national team player, summarized her experience as an American playing for her parents’ birth country.

“It doesn’t make you ‘less American,'“ Ortiz said during a recent broadcast. “When I had the opportunity to play against the U.S., that match for me was oh so much more meaningful than any other game, any other national team I played against for many reasons.”

As some of the international rescue teams return home, the recovery and rebuilding efforts are far from over, with the death toll rising to more than 3,500, thousands still unaccounted for and the UN estimating billions of dollars in damage.

The question that is starting to emerge for some is: How will the deadly earthquakes shape Venezuela’s political future?

I spoke to Venezuelans and political experts to find out.

I post a mini-doc every two weeks on my YouTube channel. Subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss the next one.

A man was killed by ICE during a vehicle stop in Houston. ICE says it was trying to stop Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s vehicle Tuesday morning as part of a targeted enforcement operation. The agency says Salgado Araujo rammed their vehicle, refused to follow verbal commands and tried to run over an officer. ICE says an officer shot Salgado Araujo in “self-defense.” The family and activists are now speaking out, calling on all body camera footage to be released and an independent investigation. [Fox 26 Houston]

Does it matter when brands speak out about immigration? For 57% of U.S. Hispanics it does. That’s according to a new survey from ThinkNow, which found 57% of survey respondents said they have already changed where they shop based on recent events. Sixty percent of respondents said they are “actively paying attention” to how brands respond to immigration-related events. [Hispanic Marketing Council]

How do you say “population” in Spanish? What about “carpet”? If your first instinct was “populación” and “carpeta,” you’re not alone. If you’ve been looking for a way to improve your Spanish while having laugh-out-loud fun with your family, there’s now a way to do that. Yo Sabo is a family-friendly card game that brings generations together in a shared learning and entertainment experience. It’s easy to play — even your abuelita can get it on it. Check it out here.**

Would you let your kids play with conchas (the pan dulce)? A Mexican American woman is launching a pan-dulce inspired play set that’s designed to bring this aspect of her culture into imaginative play. The creator, Estrella Serrato, is funding it through a Kickstarter campaign, and she has 24 days to reach her goal of raising $75,000.

A new Madonna book is coming. It’s a photo book that will have never-before-seen portraits from rock and roll photographer Ken Regan. The book will also feature accompanying test from Latino journalist, former Rolling Stone writer, Durango, Mexico, prodigy — and my friend — Tomás Mier. [Rolling Stone]

The Latinos at Streamer University. Streaming tycoon Kai Cenat is holding his Steamer University for the second consecutive year. The bootcamp-meets-reality-show will prepare the next generation of streamers and have Lizzo, among others, as a professor. This week, Cenat announced the 120 admitted students. It’s a wide spectrum: Former Disney star Skai Jackson and “Love Island USA” contestant Jeremiah Brown are among the admitted students. Among the (only?) Latino admits: Crystal Izaguirre and Benjy Chavez. [Streamer University]

Is this the perfect song to mourn Mexico’s loss and Memo Ochoa’s last World Cup? Deorro, Memo Ochoa and Centenario Tequila teamed up to launch a remix of “Cielito Lindo.” It’s called “Canta y No Llores” and features real “memos” recorded by fans for Mexican goalkeeper Memo Ochoa. Listen to it here.

Zohran Mamdani launches a “chisme” chat for Spanish-speaking New Yorkers. The New York City mayor launched “El Chisme Oficial de NYC,” a WhatsApp channel for news and public service announcements about the city. I made a video about it, and one comment I got more than once was: Why is it “chisme” instead of “bochinche,” which is what Puerto Ricans, the biggest Hispanic group in New York, call gossip? Which begs the question…

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This section is a random musing from the week that is not related to my work as a journalist, usually. 

This week’s musing:

There was one brand I noticed partner multiple times with Latino content creators around World Cup moments: Kalshi. The prediction market that lets users bet on outcomes for real-world events activated street interview segments, among other types of content. Did you see any examples of this, Kalshi doing partnerships with Latino brands or creators? If so, email me links by replying to this email! I’m working on a story.