.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
When Folarin Balogun scored for the United States at the 2026 World Cup, it capped an unlikely international journey for a striker who once looked set to wear England's colors.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in London, Balogun came through England's youth ranks before switching his allegiance to the United States in 2023 — a move made possible by the American citizenship he held automatically from birth.
His case is one of the clearest modern examples of how a player can be eligible for more than one country, and why so many footballers at this tournament could, in theory, have lined up for a different flag.
Here's the background on the FIFA rules that decide who can play for which country.
2026 WORLD CUP HQ: Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets
World Cup eligibility rules
The starting point for FIFA is simple, summed up by its own principle of "no nationality, no eligibility." A player must hold the nationality of a country before they can represent it, whether that nationality comes automatically at birth or through a later naturalisation process.
Holding a passport is not always enough on its own. Where a player is eligible for more than one nation, FIFA requires a "genuine link" to the country they want to represent. A player satisfies that link if they meet at least one of four conditions:
- They were born on the territory of the country;
- A biological parent was born there;
- A grandparent was born there;
- They have lived there for a set number of years.
In Balogun's case, the link was never in doubt. He was born on American soil, which under the United States' birthright citizenship laws made him a U.S. national — the result of his mother going into labor in New York rather than back home in London.
Those family ties explain why some players are courted by several nations at once. Sweden midfielder Yasin Ayari, born and raised in Sweden, was eligible for Tunisia through his father and Morocco through his mother, giving him three realistic options before he chose to represent the country he grew up in. When Sweden beat Tunisia at the 2026 tournament, Ayari scored but declined to celebrate out of respect for his father's roots.
MORE: Full list of teams to qualify for 2026 World Cup
Can players switch national teams in soccer?
Yes, but only within strict limits. The moment a player is fielded, even for a few seconds, in an official competition for a senior national team, they are usually tied to that country for the rest of their career.
The key word is "official." Friendly matches and youth fixtures do not lock a player in, which is why footballers can appear for one nation at under-21 level and still commit to another at senior level later on. A player who has only featured in youth or friendly games can apply to FIFA for a one-time change of association, provided they already held the nationality of the country they want to switch to.
That is precisely the route Balogun took. Having represented England only at youth level, and holding U.S. nationality from birth, he was free to file a request to switch, which FIFA approved in 2023 before he made his senior USMNT debut. Players who have already played competitive senior soccer are far more restricted, with switches limited to a small number of cases such as never having featured at a World Cup or continental final.
It is worth noting how fine the margins can be. Balogun's eligibility flowed entirely from being born in the United States, a reminder that the question of who plays for whom is often settled long before a player ever kicks a ball.
Notable 2026 World Cup players who switched countries
Here are a few of the biggest names at the 2026 World Cup who previously played for a different national team, either in friendly games or at youth level.
Note: this list focuses on those who actively changed allegiance, not simply those eligible for more than one country. Erling Haaland, for example, was born in England but only ever played in the Norway national-team setup.
| Player | Initial country | Switched to | Notes |
| Esmir Bajraktarevic | USA | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Born in Wisconsin to Bosnian parents. Played for U.S. youth teams and USMNT in a 2024 friendly. Switched later that year. |
| Folarin Balogun | England | USA | Born in USA to Nigerian parents but moved to England as an infant. Played for England youth teams (and USA U-18s). |
| Jens Castrop | Germany | South Korea | Born in Germany and played for their youth teams, but eligible for South Korea through his mother. Switched in August 2025. |
| Brahim Diaz | Spain | Morocco | Born in Malaga to Spanish mother and Moroccan father. Played for Spain youth teams and in a 2021 friendly vs. Lithuania, in which he scored. Switched to Morocco in 2024. |
| Jurgen Locadia | Netherlands | Curacao | One of many Curacao players with strong Dutch roots. Born in the Netherlands and played from U-17 to U-21 level. Switched in 2023 (family is from Curacao). |
| Jamal Musiala | England | Germany | Born in Germany to German-Polish mother and Nigerian-British father. Played for England youth teams to U-21 level. Declared for Germany in 2021. |
| Julian Quinones | Colombia | Mexico | Born in Colombia and played for U-20 side. Became naturalised Mexican citizen and declared for El Tri in 2023. |
| Declan Rice | Republic of Ireland | England | Born in England but played for Republic of Ireland youth teams via grandparent eligibility. Played in three senior Ireland friendly games before declaring for England in 2019. |
| Inaki Williams | Spain | Ghana | Born in Spain to Ghanaian parents. Played for U-21 team and in a 2016 friendly vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2016. Switched to Ghana in 2022 before World Cup. His brother, Nico, plays for Spain. |
| Alejandro Zendejas | Mexico | USA | Born in Mexico but moved to the U.S. as a youngster. Played for USA and Mexico youth teams, then in two friendlies, which became subject of a FIFA probe regarding eligibility regulations. Officially switched to USA in March 2023. |
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:
English (US)