Former Mexican professional soccer player Jürgen Damm faced heavy criticism on social media after claiming during an Imagen TV broadcast that only individuals born in Mexico qualify as Mexican citizens, a statement that directly contradicts the Mexican Constitution. According to reports from Latinus, the incident occurred on August 8, 2026, during the Leagues Cup match between FC Dallas and Chivas.
Jürgen Damm Criticized Over Comments on Chivas Players
During the match transmission, Damm discussed several current Guadalajara players—such as Brian Gutiérrez, Richard Ledezma, and Efraín Álvarez—who were born in the United States but hold Mexican nationality through their familial roots. According to Latinus, Damm asserted on air that “only those born in Mexico are Mexican.” Social media users quickly condemned the remarks, with many labeling the 33-year-old former Tigres, América, and Atlético de San Luis player as xenophobic, racist, and uninformed.
Following the backlash, Damm published a statement on his X account apologizing for the comments. According to Latinus, the former player wrote that he wanted to sincerely apologize to all Mexicans born outside of Mexico for his unfortunate statement. He added that his post-playing career goal is to become a television analyst, promising to study the Mexican Constitution thoroughly to avoid repeating such a mistake.
Further Controversy Over Liga MX Team Legacy
The apology did not halt the controversy, as Damm used the same statement to double down on separate remarks regarding the sporting stature of major Liga MX clubs. According to Latinus, Damm maintained that Chivas, Cruz Azul, and Pumas lack the arguments to be considered big clubs, citing their low title counts over the past 27 years.
“Although all my other statements about the non-greatness of Chivas, Pumas, and Cruz Azul are correct given that they are institutions with only 3 Liga MX titles in the last 27 years… that is the only way greatness is demonstrated in sports, with titles, not with popularity or living in the past,” Damm wrote in his social media post, as reported by Latinus.