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Playing at the FIFA World Cup is a dream come true for most players but only 32 countries can participate in the tournament meaning many players go through their entire career without ever playing at the grandest stage. Some of the game’s all-time greats like Alfredo Di Stefano and Ryan Giggs are examples of such ill-fated men.
In addition to the problem of qualifying, some of the countries have a huge talent pool to choose from and as a result, some players like Leroy Sane of Germany will be left out.
However, FIFA’s eligibility rules give many players a chance to play for a different country if the following criteria from FIFA statute, Article 7 are met.
Any player who assumes a new nationality and who has not played international football [in a match (either in full or in part) in an official competition of any category or any type of football] shall be eligible to play for the new representative team only if he fulfills one of the following conditions:
a) He was born on the territory of the relevant association;
b) His biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of the relevant association;
c) His grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of the relevant association;
d) He has lived continuously for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 on the territory of the relevant association.
For example, Munir El Haddadi’s appeal to play for Morocco at the World Cup was denied because he played 13 minutes in a Euro qualifier for Spain.
There are several players at the World Cup who will be playing for a country they were not born in. Many players from Morocco and Portugal for example, were born in a different country. So here are 10 superstars who will not be playing for their country of birth at the 2018 FIFA World Cup:
#10. Hakim Ziyech
Ziyech was born in the Netherlands and played for the Oranje at the U19, U20 and U21 level. He was called up to the senior squad in 2015 by Guus Hiddink after an impressive season with FC Twente. However, he had to pull out of the squad through injury and was later overlooked. A few months later, he chose to play for Morocco as he was eligible to play for them because of his heritage.
The 25-year-old central midfielder has spent his entire professional career in the Netherlands playing for Heerenveen, Twente and Ajax. For the three teams combined, he has 66 goals in 195 games.
The decision to let a talent like Ziyech slip through the hands was not met well by the Dutch media but the player will be happy as he will now be playing at the World Cup which the Netherlands failed to qualify for.
Ziyech, who is a set-piece specialist, now has 15 caps for Morocco and has scored 8 goals for the team already.
#9. Gelson Martins
The Sporting CP winger who has been linked with a move to Arsenal was born in the African country Cape Verde. Martins moved to Portugal during his teenage years and came through the Academy of Sporting for whom he still plays.
He has represented Portugal at the U18, U19, U20, U21 and U23 level since 2012 before making his senior debut in September 2016.
The 23-year-old pacey winger has represented Portugal at the senior level 18 times so far and will add to that during the World Cup. Portugal manager, Fernando Santos, has opted to leave out Nani from the FIFA World Cup squad and this opens up a starting role for Martins.
During the recent friendly against Belgium, he was one of the team’s standout performers and he will be hoping to lessen the burden on the team’s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.
#8. Medhi Benatia
The Morocco captain was born in France and started his professional career with Marseille. He didn’t break into the Marseille squad and his best stint in France was in the Ligue 2 with Clermont.
Although he played for the France U18 team once in 2005, he never played another game for the country at any level and a year later he played for the Morocco U20 team.
He made his senior debut for Morocco in 2008 against Zambia but he only rose to fame after switching to the Serie A in 2010 with Udinese.
After leaving Udinese in 2013, Benatia has gone on to play for Roma, Bayern Munich and Juventus while winning several honors and making a name for himself as one of the best defenders in the Serie A.
He now has 53 caps for Morocco and will be a crucial player for the African nation at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia.
#7. Kalidou Koulibaly
The France team is full of players with roots in Africa and Koulibaly could have easily become one of them. However, in September 2015, he chose to play for Senegal, the country of his parents, despite interest from France Manager, Didier Deschamps, to call him up to the France squad.
Koulibaly, who now has 22 caps for Senegal, played for the France team at the U20 level in 11 games.
Interestingly, after Koulibaly made his debut for Senegal, Deschamps sent scouts to watch him play for Napoli only to discover later that the player was no longer eligible to play for France.
"I heard that a member of the French national team’s scouting team came to watch Napoli against Empoli recently but I thought it was for [Empoli’s Vincent] Laurini who is also French.
"When I arrived at Napoli, I knew that there would be an opening. I waited for a long time for my chance [with France] and I decided to play for Senegal. It was a choice from the heart and I’ve no regrets."
The Napoli defender is slowly becoming one of the best defenders in the game at the moment and has been strongly linked with moves to multiple Premier League clubs.
#6. Samuel Umtiti
While Koulibaly opted to play for an African nation despite being born in France, Umtiti chose the opposite route.
Umtiti was born in Cameroon and spent two years in the country before moving to France. Cameroon sent the nation’s legend Roger Milla along with members of their football association to convince the player to represent his country of birth but failed to change his mind.
The current Barcelona man played at the U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 level for France and was part of their U-20 FIFA World Cup-winning team in 2013. He received his first call-up to the national team by being named in the Euro 2016 squad.
He made his debut for France in the quarterfinal of the Euro against Iceland in a 5-2 win where he completed all 77 of his passes!
Umtiti is expected to start for France at the World Cup alongside Raphael Varane.
#5. Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling has followed in the footsteps of former Liverpool player, John Barnes, by playing for England after being born in Kingston, Jamaica.
Sterling’s absent father was murdered in Jamaica when he was two years old and the player left the country when he was five years old to move to London. He started out at the QPR academy before moving to Liverpool with whom he made his professional debut.
He represented England at the U16, U17, U19 and U21 level before making his senior debut in 2012.
The 23-year-old is heading to the FIFA World Cup 2018 with England after his career-best season. He scored 23 goals and assisted 11 more in all competitions for Manchester City as they won the league and league cup double.
Sterling has played 38 games for England but has only scored two goals so far. He is expected to start behind Harry Kane for England at the World Cup and the three Lions will need him to improve his current goalscoring record if they are to progress further in the tournament.
#4. Ivan Rakitic
Rakitic is part of an amazing Croatian midfield consisting of players like Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Milan Badelj and Marcelo Brozovic. However, he could have been playing for Switzerland at the World Cup.
The Barcelona man was born and raised in Switzerland to Croatian parents and he represented his country of birth up to the U21 level. However, he chose to play for Croatia at the senior level much to the annoyance of the Swiss football federation.
Rakitic admitted it was a difficult decision for him to make but he had to listen to his heart.
"I know it's not easy for them [Swiss football association]. They spent a lot of money to develop me and to help me on my way. But in the end I had to listen to my heart.”
“It was the hardest moment for me, I had been playing for five-and-a-half years for Switzerland and went right through from the U15s to the U21s.I remember I had the opportunity to join the first team for two internationals, but something inside me said, 'Just wait a little bit longer.'
"It was a really hard moment for me. One part of me, my heart, really wanted to play for Croatia. All my family is from there and I had a real feeling of being Croatian."
He has gone on to play 91 games for Croatia at the senior level and has scored 14 goals from midfield.
#3. Pepe
Pepe left Brazil before he turned 18 to move to Portuguese club Maritimo and it was with this club that he made his professional debut. After four years with Maritimo, he moved to Porto and started to gain more recognition.
According to his father, he was contacted by Dunga in 2006 to play for Brazil, but he had already made up his mind to play for Portugal once he became naturalized. He cited a lack of recognition in his homeland as a reason behind his decision to play for Portugal.
"I feel a bit like this (lack of recognition), but, I also understand. I left the country just before I turned 18 years and nobody knew me. I had a unique opportunity to come to Madeira and play in the Portuguese league.
"I feel something inside also moves with the person, but I took the option of leaving my country. I was lucky to succeed and be happy."
Pepe’s decision didn’t affect Brazil because they had plenty of terrific defenders to choose from but it turned out to be a huge blessing for a Portugal side that has been deprived of world-class central defenders for many years.
He put in a man of the match performance in the final of Euro 2016 as Portugal went on to lift the cup. Now 35, Pepe has 91 caps for Portugal and will surely be adding to that at the FIFA World Cup.
#2. Gonzalo Higuain
There will be a section of Argentina fans that wish Higuain played for France instead of Argentina but he’s a world-class player. Period.
Higuain’s father was playing for French club Stade Brestois 29 at the time of his birth. However, the player moved to Argentina when he was 10 years old and continued his football education there with River Plate.
In 2006, while he was playing for River Plate, then France coach, Raymond Domenech, included the player in the France senior squad but his father informed that the player was not ready to choose which country he would play for. In fact, he also rejected a call-up from Argentina.
Eventually, he declared for Argentina and became only the third foreign-born player to represent the country. With 31 goals in 70 games, he is the sixth highest goalscorer ever for Albiceleste and the third highest scorer in the current squad behind Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero.
#1. Diego Costa
Diego Costa’s decision to play for Spain instead of Brazil is one of the most famous instances of a player changing nationality to play international football.
Costa played for Brazil in two friendlies in 2013 but because he played most of his career in Spain, he held a Spanish passport and opted to play for them. One cannot blame him because players like Fred and Jo were ahead of Costa in the pecking order for Brazil under Scolari.
His decision to play for Spain was not received well by Scolari who lashed out at the player. The player made the following statement about his decision to represent Spain.
"I hope people understand and respect my decision because it has been very difficult," he said. "It was very difficult to choose between the country where you were born and the country that has given you everything.
"I looked at everything and saw that it was right and best to play for Spain because this is where I have done everything. All that I have in my life was given to me by this country.
"I have a special affection. Here I feel very appreciated for all that I do and I feel the love of the people."
He has now scored 7 goals in 19 games for La Furia Roja.
