Daniel Méndez wrote an important page in his career this weekend. The 20-year-old Guatemalan forward made his official debut with the CF Pachuca senior team on matchday 17 of the 2026 Clausura Tournament of the Liga MX, entering the 90+1 minute to replace Kenedy in the match against Pumas at the Hidalgo Stadium.
With the number 199 on his back, Méndez thus completed the complete process in the training categories of The Tuzoshaving gone through the under-18s, under-20s and under-23s before making the jump to the first team.
Born on August 16, 2005 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, Daniel Omar Méndez Sánchez has Guatemalan and American nationality and is characterized by his imposing height of 1.98 meters that makes him a center forward with a rare physical presence in Central American soccer. The young man arrived at CF Pachuca in 2024 from Midwest United and has quickly risen through the youth ranks of the Mexican club until reaching the first team in just two seasons.
His debut with Pachuca comes at a special moment in his career. Méndez was recently called up to the Guatemala Senior National Team under the direction of Luis Fernando Tena, where although he did not have minutes in the match against Algeria, the simple fact of being called to the Bicolor bench was a great step for the young forward. With his Liga MX debut now consolidated, Méndez could become an important option for Tena ahead of the 2030 World Cup qualifying round.
Pachuca closed matchday 17 with a 0-2 defeat but Esteban Solari’s Los Tuzos remain in the league zone with 31 points in the third place of the tournament, where they will face Toluca in the quarterfinals. For Méndez, the important thing was to take the step that many young Guatemalans dream of: debuting in one of the most competitive leagues in America..
The forward has experience with the Guatemala U-20 National Team in the Concacaf World Cup and was recently called up to the senior team under the direction of Luis Fernando Tena, where although he did not have minutes against Algeria, the call to the Bicolor bench was already a great step in his career.
With his debut in the Liga MX consolidated, Daniel Méndez is positioned as one of the most interesting bets in Guatemalan football for the coming years and an option to consider for Tena in the run-up to the 2030 World Cup.