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‘It Was Like Messi’s’—USMNT Star Steals Show With Brace for Club America in Liga MX

Alejandro Zendejas scored a brace for Club América in the Mexico City derby against Pumas.

Roberto Casillas

Alejandro Zendejas has five goals in the Liga MX Apertura 2025 season.
Alejandro Zendejas has five goals in the Liga MX Apertura 2025 season. / RODRIGO OROPEZA/AFP/Getty Images

El Clásico Capitalino between Club America and Pumas was the marquee fixture of the weekend in Liga MX Apertura action, and Alejandro Zendejas turned it into his personal playground.

The USMNT star bagged a sensational brace as América dismantled Pumas 4–1 at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes.

With the game still very much wide-open with América up 2–1, the Zendejas show began. In an action that he started splendidly, Allan Saint-Maximin left the ball for Zendejas near the edge of the box. Zendejas quickly looked up and then chipped a shot that arched beautifully into the top corner to score one of the best goals of the season.

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To make it the goal even more impressive, it was legendary Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas who Zendejas chipped. América’s No. 10 would go on to score from the penalty spot 10 minutes later to complete his brace and secure América’s derby win.

Zendejas’s moment of magic left everyone in awe, including his teammates, who even compared his finish to one of Lionel Messi’s most memorable goals.

Alejandro Zendejas Earns Lionel Messi Comparisons

Zendejas’s goal and overall performance was incessantly talked about following the match. Club América vice captain Álvaro Fidalgo, who was seen completely amazed by the goal, took to social media to say it was one of the greatest goals he has ever witnessed in person.

But perhaps the biggest piece of praise came from Uruguay international Sebastián Cáceres. The Club América center back spoke after the match and recounted what he told Zendejas after the goal.

“That second goal, he chipped it, I told him, ‘you scored almost the same goal as the one Messi scored against Betis.’ It was a great goal,” Cáceres said. “All I did was clap, there was nothing else I could do.”

Zendejas’s strike eerily resembled the goal Messi scored for Barcelona against Real Betis to complete his hat-trick at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in 2019.

The 27-year-old Zendejas was a pillar for América in their historic run to conquer three consecutive Liga MX titles. After losing to Toluca in last season’s final to end the streak, Las Águilas are once again threatening to return to the top.

Zendejas has five goals and three assists through 11 games of the Apertura 2025 season. If he keeps up this level for the remainder of 2025–26, then the Tijuana born U.S. international should have a chance of making Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Roberto Casillas
ROBERTO CASILLAS

Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.

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