A Quarter of Players Don't Represent Their Birthplace. Which Team is the Most Extreme?

The case of the Brighton midfielder is not unique at a World Cup brimming with players who could represent multiple nations due to birth or ancestry. "It was a special match for me, which is why I didn't celebrate the first goal. I feel a deep connection to Tunisia – I love that country," said Ayari, born in Sweden, who could also have represented Morocco, his mother's homeland.

Scouting and recruiting players with dual nationality has become essential for success on the global stage. Nearly a quarter of the 1,248 players named for the 2026 World Cup represent a country other than their birthplace.

Four years ago, Morocco became the first African nation to reach the "Mundial" semi-finals, and they hope to at least repeat that success in the coming weeks. During their impressive run, they were the first team in World Cup history to field an entire starting eleven of foreign-born players at one point.

Curaçao owes its current performance and World Cup debut to the ties between the Caribbean island of 160,000 inhabitants and the Netherlands. Of the 26-man squad, 25 are of Dutch origin, led by Dutch coach Dick Advocaat.

"We have the heart of our homeland. And we've come through the Dutch youth academy. That's a good combination," said striker Jürgen Locadia after Curaçao surprised Ecuador, securing their first World Cup point with a goalless draw.

Leandro and Juninho Bacuna of Curaçao are one of seven pairs of brothers at the current World Cup, four of whom represent different countries. Désiré Doué from Paris Saint-Germain is part of France's star-studded attack, but his older brother Guéla represents Ivory Coast.

Central defenders John and Harry Souttar play for Scotland and Australia, respectively. Nico Williams chose to represent Spain, while his older brother Iñaki plays for Ghana alongside Derrick Luckassen, the half-brother of Dutch forward Brian Brobbey.

Cape Verde is the tournament's revelation, having drawn with former champions Spain and Uruguay in their first two matches. At the heart of their defense is Roberto "Pico" Lopes. Born in Dublin to an Irish mother and Cape Verdean father, he was called up to represent the African nation via LinkedIn, but only on the second attempt. Lopes initially ignored the first message from then-coach Rui Aguas because it was in Portuguese, a language the central defender doesn't speak.

Nestory Irankunda, who scored Australia's opening goal in their 2-0 win over Turkey, was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania to Burundian parents who fled civil war and moved to Perth when the winger was an infant.

These stories, highlighting the power of immigration, are particularly poignant at a World Cup that began against a backdrop of exclusion. Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the USA, while four participating countries – Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, and Senegal – are subject to US travel bans and visa restrictions.

FIFA has adopted a more understanding approach to players facing difficult decisions about who to represent, often as teenagers. Players under 21 can now change their "allegiance" if they have three or fewer senior caps and haven't played in a major tournament. However, this rule change isn't only being utilized by smaller nations.

England international Declan Rice, who will play his 75th match for the "Three Lions," previously made three appearances for Ireland before the call-up from England. Jamal Musiala represented England at youth level, where he grew up, before being called up by Germany.

Bayern Munich star Michael Olise was born in London to a British-Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother. "I actually come from four countries. I consider myself very lucky to have these four parts that enrich me," said the 24-year-old winger.