What If?

National Team Eligibility in an Alternate Reality

International football is full of sliding-doors moments. Some players make high-profile switches, like Diego Costa choosing Spain over Brazil or Wilfried Zaha swapping England for the Ivory Coast. But plenty of others never switch, despite eligibility for another nation.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the biggest what-ifs in international football.

What if these stars had played for a different country? Would they have won more trophies? Would football history look different?

Alaba – Super Eagle or Filipino Pioneer

David Alaba, one of Austria’s greatest representatives in football, could have chosen Nigeria through his father or the Philippines through his mother. Instead, he committed to Das Team.

Nigeria could have fielded David Alaba alongside stars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi in recent years. While stacked with attacking talent, The Super Eagles have struggled for top-tier defenders and holding midfielders. Alaba’s versatility in defense and midfield could have made them more competitive at the World Cup.

On the other hand, the Philippines rarely qualify for major tournaments. Would David Alaba’s availability have encouraged more dual-nationality players, like French goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, to declare for the archipelago nation?

Ibrahimović – Slavic Superstar

Zlatan Ibrahimović is probably Sweden’s best ever footballer, but he could easily have represented a former-Yugoslav nation instead. His father is Bosnian, his mother Croatian, and both fled to Scandinavia during the Yugoslav Wars.

The Bosnian national team lacked world-class players during Zlatan’s career. If he had joined Edin Džeko and Miralem Pjanić, they would have been more likely to qualify for European Championships.

Across the border in Croatia, the golden generation peaked later with a World Cup final in 2018. A Zlatan-led team could have made Croatia stronger contenders in the early 2010s.

Dybala – Top of the Poles

Paulo Dybala was eligible for Poland through his grandfather but opted for the Albiceleste. He never truly established himself in the national team in Argentina, struggling to compete with not just Lionel Messi, but also Ángel Di María, Lautaro Martínez and Ángel Correa.

Poland’s attack would have looked far stronger at major tournaments with Dybala lining up alongside Robert Lewandowski.

With the Poles, Dybala could have left a lasting legacy on international football with successful tournaments between 2018 and 2022.

Haaland – True Yorkshireman

Erling Braut Haaland was born in Leeds while his father, Alf-Inge, played in the Premier League. Despite moving to his parents’ Norwegian hometown at the age of three, Erling was eligible to pull on the white shirt of England.

The Three Lions struggled for a top-class striker before now-top scorer Harry Kane hit his peak. But Haaland’s emergence aligned with Kane’s free-scoring form. Could Gareth Southgate have made a strike partnership between the pair work?

Norway, on the other hand, would have lost one of their few world-class players, making a struggling side far less competitive.

Laporte – Crossing the Pyrénées

Aymeric Laporte, born in France, played 51 times for French youth teams and earnt two senior caps. In 2021, he used the same Basque heritage that enabled him to represent Athletic Club, to secure Spanish citizenship and switch to La Roja.

Les Bleus were stacked in the centre back department with the likes of Varane, Umtiti, Kimpembe, Konaté and Upamecano in the squad. Laporte could have bolstered the French backline but he was unlikely to pick up many minutes.

By choosing Spain, he became a defensive leader, taking the torch from Euro 2012-winning duo Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué.

Deco – Seleção Icon

Brazilian-born Deco became a Portugal legend, but he might have played for the nation of his birth. He moved to the Iberian peninsula at 19 and gained citizenship while playing for José Mourinho’s FC Porto.

By the time Deco had linked up with his compatriot Ronaldinho at Camp Nou, it was too late for the Seleção. Though Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning squad already boasted the likes of Rivaldo and Juninho in its dazzling midfield.

With Portugal though, Deco became a key man, helping them reach the Euro 2004 final, where they fell to surprise champions Greece.

Aubameyang – Snubbing Gabon

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was born in western France to a Gabonese father and a Spanish mother, making him eligible for all three nations. Despite playing for France’s under-21s, he committed to Gabon, going on to become the country’s all-time top scorer. By doing so, he followed in his dad Pierre’s footsteps, who represented Gabon between 1985 and 1998.

Pierre Jr.’s lethal pace and reliable finishing, while he was in his Dortmund pomp, would have made him a handy option for Didier Deschamps. Could Aubameyang have dragged his countrymen over the line in that dramatic final at Euro 2016?

Alternatively, Spain have arguably lacked an elite striker since David Villa’s prime years came and went, while Álvaro Morato is much-maligned. Aubameyang could have been the solution to La Roja’s forward line dilemma during their post-2012 decline. Although his dynamic playing style may not have suited Spain’s patient, possession-heavy football.

Hargreaves – Canada’s Main Man

Born in Canada to a Welsh mother and English father, Owen Hargreaves had three options but chose England.

Canada struggled for elite talent throughout the 2000s. The Champions League-winning midfielder would surely have dragged Les Rouges to a higher level.

With the Three Lions, Hargreaves went under the radar but was one their most consistent performers in a team that failed to live up to expectations.

Desailly – West African Hero

Marcel Desailly was born in Ghana but moved to France as a child and chose Les Bleus.

In the ‘90s, Ghana lacked the plethora of top-class players they’ve managed to secure today. Desailly could have made them a stronger force in African football, had he played for the country of his birth.

Desailly lifted the ‘98 World Cup with France. But could he have made a more significant impact for the Black Stars?

Higuaín – Brittany-Born Bleu

Gonzalo Higuaín was born in Brest in the north-west of France, while his centre-back father Jorge played for Stade Brestois. Gonzalo held French citizenship but chose Argentina, where he went to school.

El Pipita played in three major finals during his Argentina career but failed to make a mark on them. France could have used his attacking talents in the early 2010s, when they crashed out of Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Karim Benzema was France’s main striker during Higuaín’s peak years, with the pair playing together for Spanish behemoths Real Madrid between 2009 and 2013. Could a Higuaín-Benzema strike partnership have brought Madrid’s thirst for silverware to the French national side?

Jorginho – Modern-Day Dunga

Born in Brazil, Jorginho moved to Europe at 15 and secured Italian citizenship thanks to a familial link. He played for Italy’s youth teams and eventually became a key member of the Euro 2020-winning squad that inflicted England’s shootout heartbreak at Wembley.

Back in South America, the Seleção’s midfield has been inconsistent in recent years. Had Jorginho been denied Italian citizenship, he could have provided the stability and vision Brazil lacked at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

However, it’s unthinkable that Jorginho would have become the same player without his 11 years of youth-level and Serie A football between Hellas Verona and Napoli.

No matter how outlandish, these scenarios remind us how international football is often shaped by individual decisions.

Some players might have won more silverware, or collected more caps, had they chosen differently. Others might have found greater fulfilment by following their heart or avoiding their birth nation’s star-studded talent pool.

While we’ll never know how things would have played out for sure, one thing is certain: football history could have looked very different.