Mariano called up by the Dominican Republic despite not playing since May

Mariano is the standout inclusion in the squad for the Dominican Republic's double-header against Puerto Rico, a friendly scheduled for the end of March. His selection comes as a surprise.

Coach Marcelo Neveleff has opted to call up a player who has been without a team since his contract with Sevilla expired on 30 June. The former Real Madrid forward has not signed for another club since then.

In fact, the player's last competitive appearance came on 26 May 2024, when he played 11 minutes in Sevilla's defeat to Barcelona. His last start dates back to 4 November 2023.

Since returning to Real Madrid from Olympique Lyon, Mariano has accumulated just 2,210 minutes over six seasons, featuring in a total of 83 matches—underwhelming numbers.

If he plays, it will not be his first appearance for the Dominican Republic. He earned his only cap on 24 March 2013, in a friendly against Haiti, where he also scored. The Dominican Republic squad also includes familiar names from Spanish football, such as former Betis academy player Junior Firpo, now playing in England, and Getafe's Peter Federico.