18-year-old Marcelo Flores has officially announced he will be representing Mexico in his international soccer career.
The Arsenal teenage winger made the decision earlier this week, after Mexicans, Canadians, and English soccer fans were waiting on his final word over the past few months.
Flores was born in Canada in 2003, though he has been eligible to represent the England national team as well because his mother is of English descent. As for his Mexican background, Marcelo's father, Ruben Flores, is a former soccer player who was born in Mexico City, which makes Marcelo eligible to represent "El Tri" in his future as a professional.
Marcelo went to Twitter to announce this big-time decision, providing a spark of excitement for Mexican soccer fans due to his dynamic rise in Arsenal's youth academy. Arsenal is one of the most popular soccer clubs in all of Europe, and one of the most successful in the history of the English Premier League.
"Despite the ability to represent several countries, I have always been a part of the Mexican national team system," Flores said in a social media public post. "It's where I feel most comfortable."
The 18-year-old says he will give his all as he represents the Mexican national team throughout his professional career.
"Today I speak from the heart and feel the need to communicate something I've know to be true for a while that I think is important you heard directly from me," he added. "I will represent Mexico wholeheartedly for the rest of my professional life."
Marcelo expressed his gratitude towards his home country if Canada, the country he describes as the land where he fell in love with the sport he now devotes his life to every day.
"I was born and raised in Canada," Marcelo wrote. "All my childhood memories are full of happy moments there with the ball at my feet. My mother is Canadian. She was the one that taught us to love Canadian culture. Canada is where I fell in love with soccer. I will always be connected with that beautiful country. Thank you, Canada." he added.
