De Balogun a Bouaddi: Jogadores da Copa do Mundo enfrentam uma escolha difícil de lealdade nacional

Dozens, if not hundreds, of players at this World Cup are playing for a country other than the one in which they were born

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice

The World Cup 2026 often highlights the deeply personal choices players make regarding national allegiance, creating compelling narratives on the global stage.

Folarin Balogun , for instance, scored twice in the United States’ opening win over Paraguay. He chose the U.S., his birthplace, over England, where he grew up, or Nigeria, his parents’ homeland.

Yasin Ayari also…