álvaro Fidalgo Wins FIFA Approval for Mexico Switch in February 2026
Álvaro Fidalgo is now officially eligible to represent Mexico after FIFA approved his change of federation in February 2026. The Spain-born midfielder’s status shift comes after years in Mexico and pushes him into Javier Aguirre’s pool for friendlies and the 2026 World Cup.
Fidalgo’s Mexico route
Fidalgo started his relationship with Mexico in 2021 when he arrived at América, and he spent five years living in the country before the switch was approved. In that span, he played 228 matches for América, scored 22 goals and delivered 30 assists.
He had already represented Spain at youth level before the change, which makes the eligibility move more than a routine administrative note. It puts a player with a long club résumé in Mexico back into the national-team picture after years built entirely in the Liga MX environment.
Betis and the FIFA rule
Fidalgo said the five-year FIFA requirement was fulfilled the day he signed for Real Betis, and he later returned to Spanish football in 2026. He also said he had been naturalized Mexican for two years and described the decision as not easy because “a mucha gente le pueden extrañar ciertas decisiones,” while adding that he feels Mexico is his home, just like Spain.
His club move did not close the door on Mexico; it cleared the path. Fidalgo helped Real Betis qualify for the Champions League by the end of the season, then entered a national-team conversation that had already included a call-up from Aguirre for friendlies against Portugal and Belgium.
That first camp gave him a direct look at the setup. “Me sorprendió mucho cuando fui a la fecha FIFA en todos los aspectos: cómo estaban trabajando, la filosofía con la que se va a intentar jugar, a nivel físico y táctico,” he said.
Aguirre’s World Cup pool
Fidalgo’s comments also pointed to the standard he found around the squad. “Me sorprendió para bien la disciplina que están buscando Aguirre, Rafa y todo el staff. Tenemos un reto muy bueno y una responsabilidad muy grande de hacer las cosas muy bien allí,” he said.
He framed Mexico as more than a stop on a career path. “Estoy muy orgulloso de ser asturiano y español, pero México me dio un cariño muy especial que me hizo tener un afecto increíble al país y ojalá se lo pueda devolver con alguna alegría,” he said.
Mexico now has a midfielder who has already spent years inside its club game and has been named in the final roster for the 2026 World Cup. For Aguirre, that means another experienced option who knows the league, the dressing-room standards and the demands that come with a tournament squad built for 2026.
