FIFA eligibility rules
Encyclopedia
FIFA eligibility rules describe the criteria that are used to determine whether an association football player is allowed to represent a particular country
in officially recognised international competitions and friendly matches. Eligibility rules are implemented and maintained by FIFA
, the governing body for international football. In the 20th century, FIFA allowed a player to represent any national team, as long as the player held citizenship of that country. In 2004, in reaction to the growing trend towards naturalisation of foreign players in some countries, FIFA implemented a significant new ruling that requires a player to demonstrate a "clear connection" to any country they wish to represent. FIFA has used its authority to overturn results of competitive international matches that feature ineligible players.
played for both the country of his birth, Argentina
, and Spain
, for whom he acquired citizenship for following a transfer from Millonarios Fútbol Club to Real Madrid
in the 1950s.
Di Stefano's Real Madrid team-mate Ferenc Puskás
also played for Spain after amassing 85 caps for Hungary
earlier in his career. A third high-profile instance of a player switching international football nationalities is Jose Altafini
, who played for Brazil
in the 1958 FIFA World Cup
and for Italy
in the subsequent 1962 FIFA World Cup
.
Other 20th century examples of players officially representing more than one country – excluding those resulting from changes to geopolitical borders e.g. East Germany
/Germany
, Soviet Union/Ukraine
, Yugoslavia
/Croatia
– are:
A number of players have additionally represented one country/territory that is not recognised by FIFA as well as a FIFA recognised country, such as Carlos Puyol (Spain and Catalonia
), Jocelyn Angloma
(France and Guadeloupe
) and Kristian Nushi
(Albania
and Kosovo
).
Furthermore, some international players have played for another FIFA-recognised country in unofficial international matches, i.e. fixtures not recognised by FIFA as full internationals. This category includes England
international Gordon Hodgson
, who has an amateur cap for South Africa
, and the aforementioned di Stefano, who also has four caps for Colombia
. These caps are not officially recognised due to a dispute between FIFA and the Colombian Football Federation
at the time.
In January 2004, a new ruling came into effect that permitted a player to represent one country at youth international level and another at senior international level, provided that the player applied before their 21st birthday. The first player to do so was Antar Yahia
, who played for the France under-18s
before representing Algeria
in qualifiers for the 2004 Olympic Games. More recent examples include Sone Aluko
, who has caps for the England under-19s
and Nigeria
, and Andrew Driver
, a former England under-21 representative who is committed to the Scotland national team.
In March 2004, FIFA amended its wider policy on international eligibility. This was reported to be in response to a growing trend in some countries, such as Qatar
and Togo
, to naturalise players born in Brazil (and elsewhere) that have no apparent ancestral links to their new country of citizenship. An emergency FIFA committee ruling judged that players must be able to demonstrate a "clear connection" to a country that they had not been born in but wished to represent. This ruling explicitly stated that, in such scenarios, the player must have at least one parent or grandparent who was born in that country, or the player must have been resident in that country for at least two years.
The relevant current FIFA statute, Section VII, Article 16: Nationality entitling players to represent more than one Association, states:
Under these criteria, it is possible for a player to have a choice of representing one of several national teams. Defender Nikola Vujadinovic
, for example, would be eligible to play for the senior teams of Serbia
, Montenegro
or Bulgaria
. It is not uncommon for national team managers and scouts to attempt to persuade players to change their FIFA nationality; in June 2011, for example, Scotland manager Craig Levein
confirmed that his colleagues had started a dialogue with United States under-17 international Jack McBean
in an attempt to persuade him to represent Scotland in future.
In June 2009, FIFA Congress passed a motion that removed the age limit for players who had already played for a country's national team at youth level to change national associations. This ruling features in Article 18 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes.
Unless geopolitical changes play a role, players are generally not allowed to switch nationalities if they have made senior appearances for one FIFA-recognised country in competitive fixtures. One exception is Thiago Motta
, who has caps for Brazil in competitive fixtures but in 2011 received special permission from FIFA to represent Italy. Friendly match appearances do not commit a player to one country; Jermaine Jones
played several friendlies for Germany in 2008 but has played for the United States since 2010. A second instance is English-born defender Alex Bruce, who has two caps for the Republic of Ireland
in official friendly matches, and following a successful summer 2011 application to FIFA he received approval to represent Northern Ireland
in future. A FIFA Player's Status Committee is responsible for making such judgements.
FIFA takes punitive action against teams that field ineligible players. In August 2011, FIFA expelled Syria
from the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
process following the appearance of George Mourad
in a senior qualification match against Tajikistan
. Mourad had made friendly match appearances for Sweden
earlier in his career, but had not requested permission from FIFA to change national associations prior to playing for Syria.
There are no restrictions on players that wish to switch national associations at youth level. Alex Zahavi
has represented the Israel under-21s
, the United States under-20s, the Portugal under-19s
, the Portugal under-18s
and the Portugal under-17s
.
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
in officially recognised international competitions and friendly matches. Eligibility rules are implemented and maintained by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, the governing body for international football. In the 20th century, FIFA allowed a player to represent any national team, as long as the player held citizenship of that country. In 2004, in reaction to the growing trend towards naturalisation of foreign players in some countries, FIFA implemented a significant new ruling that requires a player to demonstrate a "clear connection" to any country they wish to represent. FIFA has used its authority to overturn results of competitive international matches that feature ineligible players.
History
Historically, FIFA had a relaxed attitude to which country or countries a player could represent. As long as a player held citizenship of the nation he intended to represent, FIFA did not object. For example, Alfredo di StefanoAlfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
played for both the country of his birth, Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, for whom he acquired citizenship for following a transfer from Millonarios Fútbol Club to Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the 1950s.
Di Stefano's Real Madrid team-mate Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
also played for Spain after amassing 85 caps for Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
earlier in his career. A third high-profile instance of a player switching international football nationalities is Jose Altafini
José Altafini
José João Altafini, is an Italian Brazilian former footballer. He is the joint-third highest scorer in Italian Serie A history with 216 goals. He currently holds the record for the highest no...
, who played for Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
in the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
and for Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in the subsequent 1962 FIFA World Cup
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
.
Other 20th century examples of players officially representing more than one country – excluding those resulting from changes to geopolitical borders e.g. East Germany
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
/Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, Soviet Union/Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
/Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
– are:
- Law AdamLaw AdamLawrence "Law" Adam was a Dutch football player. He was born in Probolinggo, Dutch East Indies and died in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies. Law Adam is reportedly the inventor of football's Scissors move....
– (SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football teamThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
and NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) - Jock AirdJock AirdJohn "Jock" Rae Aird is a Scottish-born former association football player who played for both the Scotland and New Zealand national sides.- Career :...
– (ScotlandScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and New Zealand) - Gyula BodolaGyula BodolaGyula Bodola; 26 February 1912 – 12 March 1993) was a Romanian-Hungarian footballer who played international football for both of those nations. He played at both the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1938 FIFA World Cup. Bodola played club football for Clubul Atletic Oradea, Venus Bucureşti, Ferar...
– (RomaniaRomania national football teamThe Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
and Hungary) - Joe GaetjensJoe GaetjensJoseph Edouard Gaetjens was a Haitian soccer player who played for the United States national team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the 1–0 upset of England.- Early life :...
– (United StatesUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and HaitiHaiti national football teamThe Haiti national football team represents Haiti in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the governing body for football in Haiti. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and their head coach is Edson Tavares...
) - Rodolphe HidenRodolphe HidenRodolphe Hiden, or Rudolf Hiden was an Austrian–French football goalkeeper, who became a coach in Italy after his playing career.-Playing career:...
– (AustriaAustria national football teamThe Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
and FranceFrance national football teamThe France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
) - Marius HillerMarius HillerMarius Hiller, also known as Eduardo Hiller was an association football player who played international football for both Germany and Argentina, as well as club football for clubs including 1...
– (Germany and Argentina) - Joe KennawayJoe KennawayJames 'Joe' Kennaway was a dual international football goalkeeper. He began his career in Canada, spent four years in the American Soccer League before finishing his career with Celtic F.C. in the Scottish Football League...
– (CanadaCanada men's national soccer teamThe Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
and Scotland) - Miklós Kovács – (Romania and Hungary)
- László Kubala – (CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia national football teamThe Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
, Hungary and Spain) - Eulogio MartínezEulogio MartínezEulogio Martínez Ramiro was a Paraguayan-Spaniard football striker...
– (ParaguayParaguay national football teamThe Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and Spain) - Luis MontiLuis MontiLuis Felipe Monti was an Italian Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder. Monti has the distinction of having played in two FIFA World Cup final matches with two different national teams. He played the first of these finals with his native Argentina in 1930, which he lost to Uruguay; and...
– (Argentina and Italy) - Raimundo OrsiRaimundo OrsiRaimundo Bibiani "Mumo" Orsi was an Italian Argentine footballer who won the 1934 FIFA World Cup with Italy and the silver medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-Club:...
– (Argentina and Italy) - Michel PlatiniMichel PlatiniMichel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
– (France, and later 21 minutes in a friendly for KuwaitKuwait national football teamThe Kuwait National Football Team is the national team of Kuwait and is controlled by the Kuwait Football Association. They made one World Cup Finals appearance, in 1982, managing a draw with Czechoslovakia but losing to England and France. During the match against France, France scored a goal...
on invitation by the Emir) - José SantamaríaJosé SantamariaJosé Emilio Santamaría Iglesias is an Spanish-Uruguayan former football player and coach. He is regarded by many as one of the all-time greatest central defenders...
– (UruguayUruguay national football teamThe Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
and Spain) - Alberto SpencerAlberto SpencerAlberto Pedro Spencer Herrera was an Ecuadorian football player, regarded as the best of his country. He is probably best known for his still-standing record for scoring the most goals in the Copa Libertadores, the most important club tournament in South America...
– (EcuadorEcuador national football teamThe Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
and Uruguay)
A number of players have additionally represented one country/territory that is not recognised by FIFA as well as a FIFA recognised country, such as Carlos Puyol (Spain and Catalonia
Catalonia national football team
Catalonia national football team is the official football team of Catalonia. It is organized by the Catalonia Football Federation. The team has been referred to by various names including Selecció Catalana, Selecció de Barcelona and the Catalan XI...
), Jocelyn Angloma
Jocelyn Angloma
Jocelyn Angloma is a French-Guadeloupean football defender currently playing for a Guadeloupean club, L'Etoile de Morne-à-l'Eau.He is fluent in French, Creole patois, English, Italian and Spanish.- Career :...
(France and Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe national football team
The Guadeloupe regional football team represents the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue Guadeloupéenne de Football , a local branch of French Football Federation ....
) and Kristian Nushi
Kristian Nushi
Kristian Nushi is a Kosovar Albanian football player. He is a midfielder and currently plays for FC St. Gallen in Switzerland. He plays for the Kosovo national football team at international level.-Career:...
(Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
and Kosovo
Kosovo national football team
The Kosovo national football team represents Republic of Kosovo in international men's football. Controlled by the Football Federation of Kosovo, the governing body for football in Kosovo, they are not a member of FIFA or UEFA....
).
Furthermore, some international players have played for another FIFA-recognised country in unofficial international matches, i.e. fixtures not recognised by FIFA as full internationals. This category includes England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international Gordon Hodgson
Gordon Hodgson
Gordon Hodgson was a South African-born English sportsman, being best known for as a striker for Liverpool and also a first-class cricketer for Lancashire, he also excelled at baseball....
, who has an amateur cap for South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, and the aforementioned di Stefano, who also has four caps for Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
. These caps are not officially recognised due to a dispute between FIFA and the Colombian Football Federation
Colombian Football Federation
The Colombian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Colombia. It was founded in 1924 and has been affiliated to FIFA since 1936...
at the time.
Modern changes
Since 2004, FIFA has implemented a series of significant changes to the rules covering international eligibility. The new rulings are more stringent and set additional requirements that determine which country a player may represent in international football.In January 2004, a new ruling came into effect that permitted a player to represent one country at youth international level and another at senior international level, provided that the player applied before their 21st birthday. The first player to do so was Antar Yahia
Antar Yahia
Antar Yahia is an Algerian professional footballer who currently plays as a defender for Saudi side Al Nassr and the Algerian national team....
, who played for the France under-18s
France national under-18 football team
The France national under-18 football team is the national under-18 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team serves as a feeder team to the under-19 team as its matches aren't competitive...
before representing Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
in qualifiers for the 2004 Olympic Games. More recent examples include Sone Aluko
Sone Aluko
Omatsone "Sone" Aluko is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Scottish Premier League club Rangers. Aluko began his career at Birmingham City but failed to make any league appearances. He joined Aberdeen on loan in the 2007–2008 season and was loaned to Blackpool at the...
, who has caps for the England under-19s
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, and Andrew Driver
Andrew Driver
Andrew David Driver is a professional footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League team Hearts as a left winger. He has represented Scotland at schoolboy level and England, where he was born, for the under-21 side.-Hearts:...
, a former England under-21 representative who is committed to the Scotland national team.
In March 2004, FIFA amended its wider policy on international eligibility. This was reported to be in response to a growing trend in some countries, such as Qatar
Qatar national football team
The Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...
and Togo
Togo national football team
The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks, is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football.They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus...
, to naturalise players born in Brazil (and elsewhere) that have no apparent ancestral links to their new country of citizenship. An emergency FIFA committee ruling judged that players must be able to demonstrate a "clear connection" to a country that they had not been born in but wished to represent. This ruling explicitly stated that, in such scenarios, the player must have at least one parent or grandparent who was born in that country, or the player must have been resident in that country for at least two years.
Under these criteria, it is possible for a player to have a choice of representing one of several national teams. Defender Nikola Vujadinovic
Nikola Vujadinovic
Nikola Vujadinović is a Montenegrin football defender who is contracted to Serie A club Udinese....
, for example, would be eligible to play for the senior teams of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
or Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. It is not uncommon for national team managers and scouts to attempt to persuade players to change their FIFA nationality; in June 2011, for example, Scotland manager Craig Levein
Craig Levein
Craig William Levein is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager of the Scotland national team. During his playing career he played for Cowdenbeath and Heart of Midlothian...
confirmed that his colleagues had started a dialogue with United States under-17 international Jack McBean
Jack McBean
Jack McBean is a midfielder for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He is the club's youngest ever-signing. In June 2011, it was confirmed that he has been formally approached to consider switching his FIFA nationality from American to Scottish at the request of Scotland national football...
in an attempt to persuade him to represent Scotland in future.
In June 2009, FIFA Congress passed a motion that removed the age limit for players who had already played for a country's national team at youth level to change national associations. This ruling features in Article 18 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes.
Unless geopolitical changes play a role, players are generally not allowed to switch nationalities if they have made senior appearances for one FIFA-recognised country in competitive fixtures. One exception is Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta Santon Olivares , known as Thiago Motta, is a Brazilian-born Italian footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Internazionale....
, who has caps for Brazil in competitive fixtures but in 2011 received special permission from FIFA to represent Italy. Friendly match appearances do not commit a player to one country; Jermaine Jones
Jermaine Jones
Jermaine Jones is a German-born American soccer player who plays for Schalke 04.- Personal life :Jones grew up in Frankfurt-Bonames. His father is an African-American soldier who was stationed in Germany. As a child, Jones lived in Chicago and Greenwood, Mississippi in the U.S...
played several friendlies for Germany in 2008 but has played for the United States since 2010. A second instance is English-born defender Alex Bruce, who has two caps for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
in official friendly matches, and following a successful summer 2011 application to FIFA he received approval to represent Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
in future. A FIFA Player's Status Committee is responsible for making such judgements.
FIFA takes punitive action against teams that field ineligible players. In August 2011, FIFA expelled Syria
Syria national football team
The Syria national football team represents Syria in association football and is controlled by the Syrian Football Association, the governing body for football in Syria. Syria's home grounds are Abbasiyyin Stadium and Aleppo International Stadium...
from the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will feature 32 teams. One place was allocated to the hosts, , but no automatic place is given to the defending champions, . The remaining 31 places will be determined by a qualification process, in which entrants from among the other 207 teams from the six FIFA...
process following the appearance of George Mourad
George Mourad
George Mourad is a Assyrian/Syriac Swedish footballer. He currently plays for Mes Kerman of Iran Pro League as a striker.-Club career:After playing for Västra Frölunda IF, he joined IFK Göteborg in 2004 and scored seven goals in his debut season in Allsvenskan. In 2005, he had a disappointing...
in a senior qualification match against Tajikistan
Tajikistan national football team
The Tajikistan national football team represents Tajikistan in association football and is controlled by the Tajikistan National Football Federation, the governing body for football in Tajikistan. Tajikistan's home ground is Pamir Stadium in Dushanbe....
. Mourad had made friendly match appearances for Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
earlier in his career, but had not requested permission from FIFA to change national associations prior to playing for Syria.
There are no restrictions on players that wish to switch national associations at youth level. Alex Zahavi
Alex Zahavi
Alexander "Alex" Abraham Zahavi is a soccer player currently playing for Portuguese club Vitória F.C. on loan from Maccabi Haifa. Zahavi was born in the United States but is the son of a Portuguese mother and Israeli father. He has represented Portugal at the U17 level but he is considering...
has represented the Israel under-21s
Israel national under-21 football team
Israel's national Under-21 team , also known as Israel Under-21s or Israel U-21s, is considered to be the feeder team for the Israel national football team...
, the United States under-20s, the Portugal under-19s
Portugal national under-19 football team
-Current squad:*The following players have been called up to participate in the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Qualifying round.*National team caps and goals correct as of 8 November 2009.*Please note some of these players play for their club's reserve team....
, the Portugal under-18s
Portugal national under-18 football team
-FIFA Junior Tournament/UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship:*1961, 1994, 1999 champions*1964, 1971, 1988, 1992, 1997 second-place*1960, 1968 third-place*1993, 1998 fourth-place...
and the Portugal under-17s
Portugal national under-17 football team
The Portugal national under-17 football team represents Portugal in international football at this age level and is controlled by Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, the governing body for football in Portugal.-FIFA U-17 World Cup Championship Record:...
.
See also
- FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
(Fédération Internationale de Football Association) - Laws of the Game (association football)