Not every sportsperson dreams of representing the country of their birth.
This is certainly true at the World Cup, where nations will utilise the best players available to them – no matter where they are from.
Here is our select side for this summer’s edition who are drawn from the relevant diaspora and immigrant populations across the globe.
ADOPTED NATIONS XI (3-4-3)
Yassine Bounou (Morocco via Canada)
The giant goalkeeper swapped the temperate Canada of his birth for the searing deserts of Morocco as a small child.
This switch to a football-obsessed country worked wonders. After appearing for Moroccan powerhouse Wydad Casablanca, he was swiftly picked up by Atletico Madrid B in 2012.
Regular first-team football would be earned at Girona where his 341 saves in 2017/18’s La Liga was the ninth most in the competition.
Pepe (Portugal via Brazil)
One of European football’s great hatchet men was born more than 7,000 kilometres away in Brazil.
Pepe would move across the Atlantic as a teenager in 2001. From there, his athleticism and determination would take him from Maritimo, to Porto and a decade at Real Madrid from 2007-17.
The centre-back has not looked back since being naturalised 11 years ago, Euro 2016’s triumph the obvious highlight.
Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal via France)
This is a real case of someone slipping the net for France.
The imposing centre-back’s early promise saw him pick-up 11 caps for France Under-20s from 2011-12. Perhaps his subsequent move to Belgium’s Genk took him off the radar, with Senegal taking advantage of his parental links to play him from 2015 after starring for Napoli.
Embarrassingly, France scouted him for Euro 2016 duty despite his lack of availability.
Mehdi Benatia (Morocco via France)
Benatia had the option to play for three nations – France of his birth, Algeria of his mother and Morocco of his father.
This conflict for the refined centre-back’s services saw him represent both France and Morocco at youth level, before selecting the latter a decade ago.
This choice would have real pertinence for the Atlas Lions – the Juventus star’s goal last November helped end a 20-year wait for a World Cup spot.
Mario Fernandes (Russia via Brazil)
The right-back’s record reads like a relic from a bygone era when international commitments changed with the wind.
A cap was earned for his native Brazil in 2014, three years after he’d rejected an initial call-up because of “personal problems”.
He’d already moved to CSKA Moscow by this stage. Forgotten by the Canarinha, naturalisation from Russia would lead to him adopting new national colours after 2017.
Ivan Rakitic (Croatia via Switzerland)
How Switzerland must rue the loss of one of the world’s best midfielders.
Rakitic was born in Mohlin to a Croatian family. Caps followed for the phenomenally talented starlet for the Swiss at Under-21 level, but by 2007 he would be handed a full debut by the nation of his parents.
The subsequent sight of Barcelona’s Rakitic and Real Madrid’s Luka Modric twinned together has been beautiful to behold.
Thiago (Spain via Italy)
Born in Italy to a World Cup 1994 winner with Brazil, but forged in Spain – this is the story of the joyously talented Bayern Munich centre midfielder.
Thiago would flit between nation and club in his youth, two stints at Rio de Janeiro-giants Flamengo ultimately ending with a move to Barcelona.
But his international commitments have never wavered, representing Spain with distinction from the U-17s to the seniors.
Raphael Guerreiro (Portugal via France)
Talent was never the issue when the rampaging left-back was first called up by Portugal’s U-21s in 2013.
A significant language barrier meant the Le Blanc-Mensil native barely spoke a word of his adopted nation’s language after being raised using the French of his mother.
This did not hold him back. Guerreiro was exceptional as Euro 2016 was claimed, earning a move to Borussia Dortmund.
Raheem Sterling (England via Jamaica)
Just like the electric John Barnes 30 years ago, Sterling has gone from Jamaica to the England side via an explosive stint at Liverpool.
Sterling then emigrated to London as a youngster and played for Queens Park Rangers. A breakthrough on Merseyside would lead to a monster move to Manchester City.
The forward has been in the England system since the U-16s and will be key to their summer hopes.
Diego Costa (Spain via Brazil)
A warrior born within Brazil’s interior could lead the line in bullish fashion for Spain in Russia.
Costa needs little introduction after his belligerent and productive exploits at Atletico Madrid (twice), plus Chelsea. He appears the antithesis of the patient ‘tiki-taka’ that delivered such glory from 2008-12, but successive regimes have tried to weld him into the Spanish system.
Whenever he’s on the pitch, entertainment, scandal and goals follow.
Pione Sisto (Denmark via Uganda)
It is safe to say that Sisto will have no memories of when he was a resident of Uganda.
His parents of South Sudanese-extraction would head to Denmark when he was aged just two months.
From there, the creative left winger’s excellent displays at Midtjylland would lead to La Liga’s Celta Vigo and the full Denmark side.
Himself and Christian Eriksen represent a supreme production line.
