Chicago City Wire

Chicago Fire FC announced that Academy midfielder Oscar Pineda has been selected to join the Mexico U-17 Men’s National Team for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The tournament is taking place from November 3 to 27 at the Aspire Zone complex in Al-Rayyan, Qatar.

This marks the eighth consecutive time Mexico's U-17 team will participate in the tournament. The team previously won championships in 2005 and 2011. Mexico begins group play against Korea Republic on Tuesday, November 4, then faces Côte d'Ivoire on Friday, November 7, and Switzerland on Monday, November 10.

Pineda, who is 17 years old and from Bolingbrook, Illinois, joined Mexico’s squad after competing in the Vaclav Jezec Tournament in Czechia earlier this year. During that event from August 30 to September 9, Mexico played against Slovakia, Turkey, and host country Czechia. Pineda also attended two training camps with the national side this year—one of which included matches against Brazil’s U-17 team.

He is one of only two players from Major League Soccer academies named to the roster; Felix Contreras of Real Salt Lake was also selected. The rest of the team is primarily composed of players from Liga MX academies.

At club level, Pineda mainly plays for Chicago Fire’s Academy U-18 team but made his professional debut with Chicago Fire II as a substitute during a win over Toronto FC II on March 13 at SeatGeek Stadium. He also played in a match against Atlanta United 2 on September 28.

The full list of players called up by position includes goalkeepers Abdon Turrubiates (Club León), Matías Velázquez (Santos Laguna), Santiago López (Deportivo Toluca FC); defenders Jhonnatan Grajales (Chivas de Guadalajara), Michael Corona (Club León), José Navarro (CF Pachuca), Adrián Villa (CF Pachuca), Félix Contreras (Real Salt Lake), Bryan Salazar (Tigres UANL), Ian Olvera (Club Tijuana); midfielders Íñigo Borgio (CD Leganés), Gael García (Chivas de Guadalajara), Óscar Pineda (Chicago Fire FC), Kenneth Martínez (FC Juárez), Karin Hernández (Club León), Jorge Sánchez Ramos (C.F. Monterrey); forwards Luis Gamboa (Atlas F.C.), Alex Gutiérrez (Cruz Azul), José Mancilla (Pumas UNAM), Aldo Patricio De Nigris (C.F. Monterrey), Máximo Reyes and Lucca Vuoso both from Santos Laguna.

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