Dargahi's path to Iran team is another example of how diaspora fuels the World Cup
Dennis Dargahi earned Iranian citizenship through one of the nation's most famous actors so he could represent Team Melli at the 2026 World Cup, and his story isn't unique given how many national teams find players through ancestry.
LOS ANGELES -- The 2026 FIFA World Cup has become a story of the power of the diaspora, with almost a quarter of all players at the tournament being born outside of the country which they are representing in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Of the 1,248 players across the 48 competing nations, 288 (23.07%) qualify for their country through their ancestry or naturalization. Erling Haaland ( Norway ), Michael Olise ( France ), Scott McTominay ( Scotland ) and Antoine Semenyo ( Ghana ) were all born in England, while six of the USMNT squad, including Gio Reyna ( Germany ) and Sergiño Dest (…
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