SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose Earthquakes forwards Josef Martínez (Venezuela) and Ousseni Bouda (Burkina Faso) and midfielders Niko Tsakiris (U.S. Under-20), Cruz Medina (U.S. U-20) and Edwyn Mendoza (U.S. U-20) have been called up by their respective national teams for the upcoming international window.
Martínez, 32, has been called up to represent the Venezuelan National Team in upcoming qualifiers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup. La Vinotinto will face Argentina on Thursday, Sept. 4, and Colombia on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
One of the most decorated players in Major League Soccer history, as well as an Audi MLS Cup champion and former league MVP, Martínez has been an immediate boost to the Quakes’ attack since joining the club via free agency in January, scoring 12 goals and notching two assists in 24 MLS games (17 starts) so far for the Black and Blue. With 128 career league goals, the three-time Best XI honoree ranks sixth among MLS goalscorers on the all-time list.
Since making his debut for Venezuela in 2011, Martínez has made 68 appearances for his country and scored 14 goals for La Vinotinto, ranking fourth all-time.
Bouda, 25, will represent Burkina Faso in upcoming qualifiers for the FIFA 2026 World Cup. He will face Djibouti on Friday, Sept. 5, and Egypt on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The eighth overall selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft out of Stanford University, Bouda has played in 64 MLS games (12 starts, 5g/1a) and six Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches (five starts, 2g/0a) across four seasons for San Jose, with a combined seven goals and one assist in all competitions. This season, Bouda has scored three goals and notched one assist in league play.
Internationally, the forward has made 11 appearances for Burkina Faso and found the back of the net twice. He scored his first international goal on Sept. 6, 2024, in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Senegal, securing a point for his home country in a 1-1 draw.
Tsakiris, 20, has been called up to represent the U.S. U-20 National Team for international friendlies in Spain. The midfielder will face Morocco on Friday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 7. This camp will serve as the final preparation for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which kicks off Sept. 27 in Chile.
The Saratoga, California, native is now in his fourth season with the Earthquakes’ first team, tallying 60 appearances (33 starts) in Major League Soccer play after graduating from the Quakes Academy to sign a contract as a Homegrown Player in 2022. He was one of the youngest players to appear in the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs at age 18. This season, he has appeared in 10 games (four starts) and recorded an assist.
Internationally, Tsakiris has been a standout for the United States on various youth teams. At the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship, he scored three goals to help the USA qualify for the subsequent U-20 World Cup in Argentina, where he featured in all three group stage games and scored a goal against Slovakia. Last year, he was nominated for Young Male Player of the Year by U.S. Soccer after earning Golden Ball honors as the best player at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.
Medina, 18, has been called up to represent the United States in the U-20 Domestic Identity Camp from Monday, Sept. 1, to Tuesday, Sept. 9, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The San Francisco native has been a standout player for the Quakes’ MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, The Town FC. The midfielder has tallied 16 goal contributions (10g/6a) across 64 appearances (51 starts). This season, he has tallied career highs in goals (5) and assists (4) as TTFC have risen to third place in the Western Conference. One of only three Americans named to The Guardian’s 2023 Top 60 Best Young Talents in the World list, he signed a first-team contract as a Homegrown Player with San Jose in June 2022.
Internationally, Medina was called up to the U.S. U-19 team’s training camp in Morocco in 2024 before playing in the Concacaf U-20 Championships, scoring a goal and notching an assist as the U.S. were finalists. The midfielder starred for the U-17 United States Men’s Youth National Team in 2023, making the Concacaf U-17 Championship Best XI. He subsequently served as U.S. team captain in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup group stage in Indonesia. Mexico’s Youth National Team has also showed interest in Medina, calling him up to their U-20 training camp which he attended in March 2024.
Mendoza, 19, will join Medina at the USA U-20 Domestic Identity Camp from Monday, Sept. 1, to Tuesday, Sept. 9, in West Palm Beach, Forida.
He has netted five goal contributions (2g/3a) for the Quakes’ MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, The Town FC, across 60 appearances (51 starts). Mendoza has a goal and an assist out of a primarily defensive role this season, as TTFC are contending once again for a high seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. In 2024, he led the team and was among the league leaders in minutes played. The San Jose native was signed to the Quakes’ first team as a Homegrown Player on May 16, 2023.
Internationally, the midfielder helped the U.S. U-17 National Team qualify for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
