International Soccer
Guatemala’s rival in World Cup qualifiers is reinforced with a former FC Barcelona player
The Dominican Republic announced that it will have a former FC Barcelona player in its ranks to face the Fifa date in March and also for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Left-back Junior Firpo has already played for Barcelona and Betis, and now plays for Leeds United in England. (Free Press Photo: AFP)
Junior Firpo, former FC Barcelona footballer, opted for his country of origin over Spain and will now be able to defend the colors of the Dominican Republic National Teamannounced this March 11 the official account in X (formerly Twitter) of the Dominican Soccer Team.
“A dream come true! Junior Firpo is Dominican and joins our Senior National Team for the FIFA Date in March. Come on, Junior!“, reads the publication where a video of the footballer is also shared where he dresses in the team’s shirt.
Junior Firpo is a 27-year-old left back and currently plays for Leeds United in the English Championship, the second most important football league in England.
Firpo is Dominican by birth, but since he was young he moved to Spain where he trained and debuted as a professional. He even represented the Spanish Under 21 National Team with which he became European champion, however, now he chose to represent the Dominican Republic.
He made his professional debut with Betis in 2018 just a year later, FC Barcelona signed him for a figure close to 18 million euros. In 2021 he moved to his current club, Leeds United where he became a starter and this year he is playing for promotion to the Premier League.
The incorporation of Firpo is important for the Dominican Republic, since it gains a player who competes in one of the best leagues in the world, but this is what Luis Fernando Tena must take into account since the Dominican is one of the rivals of the National Team. Guatemala in the World Cup qualifiers towards the World Cup to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.
The Dominican Republic will be Guatemala’s third rival in Group E that makes up the Concacaf qualifiers, their duel is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, 2026.
The bicolor’s other rivals are Dominica, Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands/US Virgin Islands.
Each team in the second round will play four games (two at home and two away). At the end, the winners of each group and the second places (12 teams) will advance to the final round that will take place during the Fifa dates of September, October and November 2025.
Firpo’s official debut with the Dominican Republic might take place next Saturday, March 23 in the friendly match he has scheduled with Peru in Lima.
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