Morocco made history in their Group C opener against Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, becoming the first nation to field a starting XI of entirely foreign-born players.
The Atlas Lions earned a 1–1 draw thanks to stars with birth certificates from countries like Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Canada.
Morocco is far from alone in tapping into the international diaspora when selecting their rosters, with many players having the option to play for another country through heritage or citizenship.
According to the Oxford Migration Observatory, almost a quarter of World Cup stars were born in a different country to the one they will represent, an all-time high.
Here are some of the biggest names of this World Cup who could have played for a different team at the tournament.
Yasin Ayari scored two goals against his father’s country of birth, Tunisia, while his mother is from Morocco, giving him three possible national teams to choose from.
Michael Olise’s stellar performances for France were a surprise to many, but the winger was born in Hammersmith and eligible for France, Algeria, Nigeria, and England.
Erling Haaland could have played for England instead of Norway, thanks to his birth in Leeds during his father’s playing career, but chose to represent Norway instead.
Jamal Musiala was the subject of an international tug of war between England and Germany, with the playmaker finally settling on the land of his birth at senior level.
Antoine Semenyo was born in the UK to Ghanaian parents and could have represented Ghana instead of England, but chose to play for the Three Lions.
Marc Guéhi, the Manchester City centre-back, was born in the Ivory Coast and had the option to represent Côte d’Ivoire, but chose to play for England instead.
Ezri Konsa, Guéhi’s defensive partner, could have played for Portugal, Angola, or DR Congo, but chose to represent England.
Lamine Yamal, a key player for Spain, was born in Catalonia to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother, but has represented Spain at U15 level.
Nico Williams, Yamal’s teammate, was born in Spain to Ghanaian parents and could have chosen to play for Ghana, but made his La Roja debut in 2022.
Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar, was eligible for Spain, but was persuaded to play for Argentina instead of Spain.
Achraf Hakimi, the Moroccan right-back, was born in Madrid and grew up in Getafe, but chose to represent Morocco instead of Spain.
Julián Quiñones, the Mexican striker, was born in Colombia and only completed his naturalization process to become Mexican in 2023.
Gio Reyna, the USMNT star, was born in England to USMNT and USWNT stars, but chose to play for the United States instead of Argentina or Portugal.
Folarin Balogun, the American forward, was born in Brooklyn to English parents, but moved to the United States after an extensive campaign to lure him.
Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper, was born in Montreal and once rejected an approach from Canada to play for Morocco.
Scott McTominay, the Scottish midfielder, was born in Lancaster, England, but earned a call-up through his father and chose to play for Scotland instead of England.
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