10 Football Players Who Played for Two Different Countries
It is extremely rare for players to represent two different countries at the senior level in football. Some players achieved this due to their generation’s relaxed rules, while others did so due to dual citizenship, family heritage, and a lack of playing time.
In 2004, FIFA implemented a significant new rule that requires a player to demonstrate a “clear connection” to any country they wish to represent, in response to a growing trend of naturalisation of foreign players in some countries.
Later, FIFA rules allowed a player to represent any national team as long as the player was of that country’s citizenship.
To switch nationalities, a player must not have played in a competitive match (only friendlies for the first country are permitted), and FIFA approval is required.
Furthermore, new FIFA rules will be implemented in 2021. Previously, players could only switch if they had played in a friendly fixture(s) for their country, but with the growing trend of competitive fixtures (such as the Nations League) replacing many friendly fixtures, a change was required.
Under the new rules, players can switch national teams even if they have played in an official competition for the first nation (unless the match was in the tournament phases of the World Cup or a continental competition) — *as long as they have played in three or fewer competitive matches and the appearance(s) occurred before the player turned 21.
Furthermore, three years must have passed since the last competitive match for the player to be eligible to switch. There are no time constraints for friendly matches.
These changes were intended to prevent a country from “stockpiling” players in order to make them ineligible for another.
If a player is 21 or older, the previous rule applies: any appearance(s) must have been in non-competitive fixtures to be eligible for a switch.
1. Ferenc Puskás (Hungary & Spain)
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Ferenc Puskas is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. He was a member of Real Madrid’s all-conquering side in the 1950s.
Puskas was a key member and captain of Hungary’s Golden Generation, which won gold at the 1952 Olympics and advanced to the final of the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
He became a naturalised Spanish citizen in 1962 and later played four times for Spain. Three of these games took place during the 1962 World Cup.
The Puskas Award, one of the top ten football awards, was named after Ferenc Puskas.
2. Thiago Motta (Brazil & Italy)
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Thiago Motta was a midfielder who played for Barcelona, Athletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and PSG.
He represented Brazil and Italy at the international level.
He was born in Brazil but later became an Italian citizen.
Motta made two appearances for Brazil in 2003 before switching to Italy eight years later in 2011.
He was capped 30 times by Italy and scored once.
Motta also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and two European Championships, finishing runner-up in Euro 2012.
3. Wilfried Zaha (England & Ivory Coast)
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Wilfried Zaha made his name as a promising youngster at Crystal Palace.
Having lived in England since the age of four, he seemed destined to play for the Three Lions after impressing in their youth teams.
He appeared in two friendly matches for England, totaling 25 minutes.
However, after a difficult period following a big-money move to Manchester United, Zaha was not called up for four years.
As a result, in 2016, he informed FIFA of his intention to represent his birth country, Ivory Coast.
Wilfried Zaha switched to Ivory Coast ahead of the 2017 AFCON. He has since made 30 appearances for the Elephants, scoring five goals.
Wilfried Zaha is currently one of the best dribblers and lethal left-wingers in the game.
4. Diego Costa (Brazil & Spain)
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Diego Costa, who was born in Brazil, gained citizenship and thus became eligible to play for Spain.
He had already played twice for Brazil in March 2013, but later declared his desire to represent Spain after being granted Spanish citizenship in July of that year.
This irritated many Brazilians because the country was set to host the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
Brazil manager Felipe Scolari furiously said that “a Brazilian player who refuses to wear the shirt of the Brazilian national team and compete in a World Cup in your country is automatically withdrawn. He is foregoing a chance to represent our national team, the five-time champions, in a World Cup in Brazil.”
Costa made his debut for Spain in March 2014 and went on to play in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.
He received 24 caps and scored ten goals.
5. Geoffrey Kondogbia (France & CAR)
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Geoffrey Kondogbia, an Athletico Madrid midfielder, earned 57 caps for France at the youth level before making his senior team debut in 2013.
He made five appearances for France’s senior team.
Because all five of his senior matches for France were non-competitive, Kondogbia was never capped but was still eligible to represent the Central African Republic (CAR) through his parents.
He made his international debut for the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2018.
6. Munir El Haddadi (Spain & Morocco)
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Munir El Haddadi began his career in the youth ranks of Atlético Madrid before moving to Barcelona’s La Masia Academy in 2011 and winning the 2013/14 UEFA Youth League.
In August 2014, he scored on his senior team debut for Barcelona.
Munir, who was born in Spain to Moroccan parents, made his Spanish national team debut against Macedonia in 2014.
Munir attempted to change his international ties to Morocco in 2017 but was denied.
In 2018, he petitioned the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to review FIFA’s eligibility rules, but his request to represent Morocco was denied.
However, it sparked a debate about FIFA’s rules on switching allegiances, and in 2021, FIFA passed new rules allowing a player to switch national teams. If they had three or fewer (non-competitive) appearances before the age of 21.
Munir El Haddadi eventually switched his allegiance to Morocco in 2021, after playing for Spain for seven years.
He represented Morocco at the 2021 AFCON.
Furthermore, Morocco is one of five African countries that will compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
7. Iñaki Williams (Spain & Ghana)
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Iñaki Williams progressed through Athletic Bilbao’s youth system and has made over 350 first-team appearances for the club.
He sensationally set a La Liga record by playing over 230 consecutive games.
In addition, he scored the game-winning goal in the 2020/21 Supercopa de Espana against Barcelona.
Williams, who was born in Spain, made his international debut for the Spanish national team in 2016 and was never called up again after that!
He declared his intention to represent Ghana in July 2022, ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In September, Iñaki Williams received his first Ghanaian call-up for friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua. He made his debut against the former.
His younger brother Nico Williams will play for Spain, adding to the list of brothers who play football for different countries.
8. Michel Platini (France & Kuwait)
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Former UEFA President Michel Platini is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He won the Ballon d’Or three times in a row (in 1983, 1984, and 1985) and finished seventh in the FIFA Player of the Century vote.
He was a key player in France’s victory in the 1984 European Championship, where he was the tournament’s top scorer and Best Player.
France also advanced to the semi-finals of the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.
Platini retired in 1987. However, a year later, at the request of the Kuwaiti Emir, he came out of retirement to play in an international friendly match for Kuwait against the Soviet Union.
Platini played only 21 minutes, but he accomplished the rare feat of representing two different countries at full international level.
9. Declan Rice (England & Irish)
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Declan Rice was born in England but has Irish paternal grandparents. As a result, he was eligible to play for both countries.
He had previously represented the Republic of Ireland at both the youth and senior levels, but famously switched allegiances to England in 2019.
Rice appeared in every one of England’s seven games at Euro 2020, where they were defeated by Italy in the final.
In addition, he has been named to England’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
10. Nacer Chadli (Morocco & Belgium)
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Nacer Chadli has played for FC Twente, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, Monaco, and Anderlecht.
Chadli, who was born in Belgium, initially pledged his international allegiance to Morocco because his father is of Moroccan descent.
In a friendly match in 2010, he made his Morocco debut and was named Man of the Match.
Nacer Chadli, on the other hand, switched allegiances to Belgium just a year later, in 2011.
He has since made over 60 appearances for Belgium, including appearances at the FIFA World Cups in 2014 and 2018, as well as UEFA Euro 2020.