5 active players who have switched their national teams
Nothing is more prestigious than playing for your country. Irrespective of the sport, competition or context, it is a proud moment for anyone to have the chance to represent their nation.
Many footballers have been blessed with this opportunity time and again. In fact, most of them thrive very hard at the club level to represent their country at various competitions.
Some top players have switched their national teams
Over the years, the reasons for switching international allegiances have varied from player to player. After initially wanting to play for England, Michail Antonio recently opted to play for the Jamaican national team. This was because the switch would give him more chances to play at the international level.
Many others have cited various reasons and decided to play for a different country. Here, we take a look at the top active players who have changed their international allegiances.
Honorable mentions: Wilfried Zaha & Dejan Kulusevski
#5 Ivan Rakitic
The 34-year-old midfielder returned to Sevilla in 2020 after a six-year spell with Barcelona. Ivan Rakitic, with his amazing vision and superb creative abilities, has been an effective playmaker of his generation.
Born in Switzerland, the central midfielder played for the Swiss team at the youth level. At the senior level though, Ivan Rakitic accepted then-Croatian manager Slaven Bilic's call to play for the national side.
Since then, the former Barcelona midfielder has been an integral part of the Croatian team. He was also part of the team that reached the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Rakitic retired from international football in September 2020. However, remains the fourth-most capped player in the history of the Croatian national team with 106 appearances.
#4 Kalidou Koulibaly
It is surprising how Kalidou Koulibaly is still at Napoli and not playing for one of the top European clubs. The central defender is an efficient player at the back courtesy of his strong tackling, smart positioning and amazing anticipation.
Born in France, Koulibaly played for the French youth team and was an important part of the team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. In September of 2015, the talented centre-back decided to change his allegiance. Koulibaly decided to play for Senegal despite France manager Didier Deschamps showing interest in calling him up to the national team.
to AFCON victory. #AFCON2021
Khalidou Koulibaly missed the AFCON 2019 final through suspension. Tonight, he showed great leadership and experience on the pitch to lead Senegal 🇸🇳 to AFCON victory. #AFCON2021 https://t.co/VgzIBu8d3S
Koulibaly has been amazing for Senegal so far, having captained and taken them to victory in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The 30-year-old has also played an important role in helping his nation qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The centre-back told BBC Sport in 2018:
"I don't have any regrets because I want to write the story of the future of Senegal football and I hope I'll be able to do that. For me [the World Cup] was a good experience because I wanted to show that Senegal is one of the best teams in Africa."