5 Great footballers who played for multiple national teams

Portugal v Spain: Group B - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
Portugal v Spain: Group B - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

#3 Ferenc Puskas | Hungary and Spain

Ferenc Puskas
Ferenc Puskas

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have graced the sport, Ferenc Puskas etched his name into Real Madrid folklore. Born in Budapest, Puskas spent 13 years of his professional career in Hungary playing for Honved, guiding them to five top-flight titles.

On the international front, he scored at an astounding rate as the forward racked up 84 goals in 85 appearances for Hungary, and was at the heart of the Might Magyars side that lost in the historic 1954 World Cup final against West Germany.

Upon moving to Real Madrid at the age of 31, Puskas continued to score goals for the Blancos and fired them to three European Cups. He stayed for eight years in Spain, during which he also turned up for their national side. However, he failed to replicate his scoring record as he couldn't find the back of the net in four appearances for La Roja.


#2 Michel Platini | France and Kuwait

Michel Platini of France
Michel Platini of France

Before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo established a duopoly over the Ballon d'Or, there was French legend Michel Platini. He became the first man in history to win three successive Ballons d'Or, which he achieved in 1983, 1984, 1985. He won the UEFA Euro and captained France to a third-place finish in Mexico. He was one of the defining names of 20th-century football and was once branded as "the European footballer of the 1980s" by Pele.

What may come as a surprise, however, is that Platini turned up for two countries during his playing career. Platini played 72 times and scored 41 goals for Les Bleus before calling it a day in 1987.

However, he returned to the international stage a year later to fulfill a request from the Kuwaiti Emir as he represented Kuwait in a friendly fixture against the Soviet Union.


#1 Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain, Colombia, and Argentina

Di Stefano
Di Stefano

The four previous names on this list represented two different nations in their careers, but Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano took it one step further as he's one of the only few players in history to have played for three countries across two continents.

Di Stefano was the man who acted as the catalyst for Los Blancos' unprecedented levels of success in the 1950s. During his time in his native country Argentina, he played for River Plate, guiding them to two top-flight titles. He also represented La Albiceleste on six occasions, scoring six goals in the process.

Upon his move to Colombian side Millonarios, the forward played four games for Los Cafeteros' combined XI despite not holding a Colombian passport. This enraged the football authorities, which led to them banning Di Stefano from the international stage.

Upon his move to Los Blancos in 1953, where he won eight LaLiga titles and five successive European Cups, the Spanish FA pressured FIFA to uplift his ban. This led to Di Stefano playing for Spain acquiring Spanish citizenship, and he went on to score 23 goals across 31 games for La Roja.


Also read: 5 famous footballers with weird jersey numbers

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