Morocco made World Cup history in its Group C opener against Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, becoming the first-ever nation to field a starting XI of entirely foreign-born players.
The Atlas Lions were impressive as they earned a 1–1 draw thanks to stars who have birth certificates from countries including Spain, France, Netherlands and Canada.
While Morocco became the first to reach the all-XI milestone, they are far from alone when it comes to taking advantage of international diaspora when it comes to selecting rosters.
According to the Oxford Migration Observatory, nearly a quarter of the stars at this summer’s World Cup were born in a different country from the one they will represent—an all-time high. Meanwhile, many more players would have had the option to play for another country through heritage or citizenship.
Here are some of this World Cup’s biggest names who could’ve played on a different team at the tournament.
1. Yasin Ayari
Many were left perplexed when the Sweden midfielder marked the first of two stunning goals against Tunisia in the Group F opener with the hands-raised non-celebration celebration typically reserved for players who used to play for the club they’ve just scored against.
In this case, the apologetic signal was due to the fact that Ayari’s father is actually from Tunisia. His mother, meanwhile, is from Morocco, meaning the Brighton star could’ve represented three nations at this summer’s tournament.
2. Michael Olise
Of the many players England might’ve had in its roster (keep reading) Michael Olise might just be the one that will sting the most.
The winger’s elastic brilliance has taken Europe by storm since he moved from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich in 2024 and he is now genuine contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Born and raised in Hammersmith, Olise was eligible for France, Algeria, Nigeria and England but had his heart set on Les Bleus since childhood.
He achieved the dream in 2024 and has never looked back.
3. Erling Haaland
As a result of being born in the northern city of Leeds during his father’s own playing career, Erling Haaland could’ve chosen to play for England rather than Norway.
As amusing as it would’ve been to see the Three Lions try to crowbar Haaland and Kane into the same lineup, it was never really on the cards with the Manchester City superstar always focussed on the country he moved to aged three.
4. Jamal Musiala
Unlike Haaland, Jamal Musiala was very much up for grabs in his junior years and flitted between both the England and Germany national teams before eventually settling on the land of his birth at senior level, after an all-out charm offensive from the German FA.
The fleet-footed playmaker could also have chosen Nigeria.
5. Antoine Semenyo
In an alternative universe, England goes into this World Cup with a tasty-looking front four of Haaland, Olise, Musiala and Semenyo.
The Manchester City winger took one of the more scenic routes to the top in England, starring for Stroud College and Bath City long before his big-money move to join Pep Guardiola.
The London-born winger was first called up for Ghana—the country of his parents’s birth—in 2022, while still playing for second-tier Bristol City and was no longer an option for England when he started making a big splash in the Premier League.
6. Marc Guéhi
While missed out on some stellar attackers, they did lock down Guéhi who had the option to represent Côte d’Ivoire.
The Manchester City center back was born in Abidjan, before moving with his family to London during his infancy.
Guéhi made his full England debut in 2022, having represented the Three Lions from Under-16 level, and his defensive partner Ezri Konsa could have played for Portugal, Angola or DR Congo.
7. Lamine Yamal
One of the World Cup’s—and global soccer’s—true superstars could’ve played for Morocco, rather than being the face of the Spain national team.
Yamal, was born in Catalonia to a Moroccan father and Equatorial Guinean mother, but has represented Spain from U15 level.
Along with teammate Nico Williams the two-time Kopa Trophy winner has come to represent a more modern kind of Spanish identity as the country deals with increased immigration.
8. Nico Williams
Like Yamal, Williams has been lauded as a new kind of hero in a more diverse Spain.
Born in Spain to refugee parents, Williams could’ve picked Ghana, like his older brother and Athletic Club teammate Iñaki, but made his La Roja debut in 2022.
9. Lionel Messi
The story goes that Spain had prepared all the paperwork to name a scrawny, Argentine-born 17-year-old by the name of Lionel Messi in its roster for the Under-20 World Cup in 2004.
Then, at the 11th hour, former Argentina manager José Pékerman— traveling in Europe at the time—got wind of the plan and alerted his homeland to the possibility of missing out on a generational talent. An U20’s friendly was hastily arranged against Paraguay to help lock in Messi’s future, and the rest is history.
10. Achraf Hakimi
Spain’s already fearsome-looking lineup might’ve boasted the world’s best right back had Hakimi declared for the country of his birth.
The 27-year-old was born in Madrid and grew up in the neighborhood of Getafe, before breaking through at Real Madrid. However, the defender has previously admitted he “didn’t feel comfortable with Spain” and opted for his parents’s homeland at international level.
11. Julián Quiñones
The scorer of the 2026 World Cup’s first goal was born in Colombia and only completed his naturalization process to become Mexican in 2023, having previously represented Los Cafeteros at youth level.
The Al-Qadsiah forward, who is married to a Mexican, controversially turned down a call from Colombia before the big switch, claiming that “Mexico has given me everything.”
12. Gio Reyna
While the idea of having options at international level is an increasingly common phenomenon in modern soccer, few players have quite the selection as Gio Reyna did.
Born in England to USMNT and USWNT stars, scouts from Argentina and Portugal were also said to be sniffing around the rising talent with a diverse heritage.
In 2020, Reyna made it clear: “I only want to play for the United States. That's my home country."
13. Folarin Balogun
An American only by virtue of a particularly concerned airline staff member; Balogun’s parents, then living in London, had been visiting New York during his mother’s pregnancy and were denied permission to fly home due to safety concerns.
Balogun was then born in Brooklyn, but spent his childhood in England and even played for the Three Lions’s Under-21 team, before switching to the United States after an extensive campaign to woo the talented forward—which included being taken to watch the New York Knicks, the new NBA champions after a 53-year drought.
After his two goals in the opening win over Paraguay, the accidental American has become a new national hero.
14. Yassine Bounou
Morocco’s legendary stopper was actually born in Montreal, before returning to his parents’s homeland during his childhood.
Bounou faced Canada during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and revealed that he once rejected an approach from the country of his birth before turning out for the Atlas Lions.
15. Scott McTominay
