What do you make of players changing international teams?

The rules state it is now possible for a player to change national team even if they have played competitively at senior level, provided:

  1. the player held the nationality of their new association at the time of their first official appearance for their first national team.
  2. the player played in no more than three competitive senior games before the age of 21.
  3. the player has not played in the final stage of an official tournament such as the World Cup, European Championship, Copa America etc.
  4. at least three years have passed since the player’s last senior appearance for their previous national team.

Do you think this is right that a player can play for more than one national team or does it devalue the national jersey? Recent players that come to mind are the likes of Declan Rice (potentially the most controversial), Wilfred Zaha and Franco Vázquez among others.

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  • moaterboater69@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    I think its a shame for the most part. Obviously we can go case by case but a perfect example of the downsides is the USMNT. Landon Donovan, quite insightfully, respected Jurgens decision to not take him because ultimately he was trying to pick the most in form players at the time. (2014 WC cycle) Donovan replied with something to the effect of, “youre taking guys who will never play for the U.S again or care about U.S soccer as a growing sport”. He was of course talking about the dual nationals who merely choose the U.S because they couldnt hack it in a top European national team but wanted to play at a World Cup. Meanwhile guys like him who have suffered through thick and thin playing soccer in this country, get the short end. I think FIFA needs to review the rules better. This isnt a club where its a job at the end of the day, you are representing an entire nation. That means something much more deeper than playing for a club.