The Untold Story of Ruben Mendoza, the First Mexican-American to Play for US Soccer

*A cool thing about this article is the comment section below the story. Many people have added their personal stories about Ruben, his coaching, his dedication to his church. This is a good feel-good read. VL

By Jessica Lopez, Remezcla (3 minute read)

Carlos Bocanegra, Omar González, Ventura Alvarado, Edgar Castillo, Michael Orozco, Mikey Lopez: The list goes on. Our borderless, bicultural realities are being reproduced on fútbol’s biggest stages with more frequency than ever before. That’s what makes recognizing the achievements of the mythical man who came before the rest clave. Meet Ruben Mendoza, the first Mexican American to ever play for the U.S. men’s national team.

Ruben Mendoza was born on June 2, 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri. At eight years old, his mother moved his family back to the Mexican state of Durango, where he remained until age 16. His raíces mexicanas proved to be the foundation for his eventual soccer stardom; fútbol callejero provided him with a toolkit for success. More often than not, he could be be found playing in the streets, and his passion for the beautiful game eventually translated into a run with Atlante Juniors, where he won the league championship in 1946.

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Upon returning to the States, Mendoza transformed into an authoritative forward force in the St. Louis soccer sphere. In ten seasons in the St. Louis Major League, the St. Louis Municipal League, and the St. Louis Soccer League, he won six league titles and garnered a reputation for his skill up, top, and down the wing, heading accuracy, and sublime bicycle kick precision.  READ MORE