FIFA allows soccer players to change national teams under certain conditions—but they can only change teams once.
Folarin Balogun is Team USA’s leading goal scorer in the World Cup, becoming the first player for the Stars and Stripes to score more than one goal in a match since 1930.
But he was not raised—nor has he ever lived—in the United States.
Team USA was able to secure its striker thanks to birthright citizenship. His Nigerian mother visited New York City in 2001 and was deemed by airline staff to be too far along in her pregnancy to fly home to London. He was born in a Brooklyn hospital and flew to England when he was 1 month old.
All debate on that policy aside, the striker’s place on Team USA’s roster is just one of a tournamentwide phenomenon. In fact, there are scores—if not hundreds—of World Cup soccer players taking the pitch for a country in which they were not born or raised.
This scattering of dual citizens has come to highlight expanding opportunities for footballers outside of Europe and Latin America, as well as the apparent pressuring of the children of immigrants to choose between nationality and cultural heritage.
Dual Citizens Choose a Side
Balogun is one of five Team USA players who were born and/or raised outside of the United States.
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter is also from London. His father, Gregg, also played for the U.S. men’s national team and had a lengthy professional career. His mother, Rosalind, was a four-time NCAA champion during her time at the University of North Carolina. Sebastian was born in London while his father played for Crystal Palace in the Premier League, but he was primarily raised in Columbus, Ohio, where his father served as head coach for the Major League Soccer team, the Columbus Crew.
Defender Antonee Robinson is also from the UK, having grown up in Liverpool, England. His father, Marlon, is American. He played soccer at Duke University. His mother, Kelly, is English. He holds dual citizenship and credits his father for maintaining an American cultural influence.
Robinson’s fellow defender, Sergiño Dest, is from the town of Almere in the Netherlands, born to a Surinamese American father from New Jersey and a Dutch mother. He committed to Team USA in 2019, crediting his father for providing a major influence over his decision. His father served in the U.S. military and wore the same number during his soccer-playing days.
Midfielder Malik Tillman also comes from a military family. He was born in Fürth, Germany, to an American serviceman and a German national. He fostered his soccer career in Germany before following his older brother, Timothy, to choose Team USA over Germany.
Meanwhile, at least three American-born players decided to give their allegiance to another national team.
Midfielder Brian Gutiérrez from Berwyn, Illinois, and defender Richard Ledezma from Phoenix, Arizona, have used their dual citizenship to join Team Mexico despite having previously played with Team USA in some capacity. Both were born in the United States to Mexican parents. They received clearance from FIFA to make the national switch just a few months before the tournament began.
Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was born in Newark, New Jersey, to a Ghanaian father and Japanese mother. He moved to Urawa, Japan, when he was young, and started his career with the Urawa Red Diamonds. His professional career advanced to the European leagues, but he chose Japan’s national team over Team USA or Ghana.
Of all the countries exporting players, France appears to be on top. Nearly 100 of its nationals are playing in the World Cup, but only 23 of those are playing for France, while 73 are wearing the colors of another nation, according to a Reuters analysis.
That lot includes goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France’s star player from its 1998 World Cup championship, Zinedine Zidane. He chose to represent Algeria at this World Cup.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, was born in France and was brought up learning the game there, playing with the U-21 French national team as recently as March. But, he chose to represent Morocco, as did his teammate Achraf Hakimi, who was born in Spain.
By T.J. Muscaro
