The new transfer market

FIFA has been making new rules for players who wanted to change their nationalities to have a second chance to play for a NT. These new rules have benefited small countries because talented players that wouldn’t go to a big NT had the chance to go for a smaller NT but starting every match. But sometimes, gems from small countries change their nationality to play for a big NT.

In the last few months lots of countries have persuade players to join them with a lot of negotiations and still there are even more players that could make a change. Here are twenty recent examples of players that change their nationality (for the better or not):

1. Airidas Golambeckis (04/11/2007) from Lithuania to England. He’s been living in England for some time and is playing for the youth levels of West Ham, he’s such an incredible gem that England took him to their NT. Though, he’s only played for England U-18 so he could still make another change back to Lithuania.

2. Mees Hilgers (13/05/2001) from The Netherlands to Indonesia. He’s had an amazing development since the last season for Twente, so as his talent was increasing, he deserved NT matches, so he went to his second nationality and has played two matches in the WC qualifiers.

3. Mohamed Adli (25/06/2005) from Bahrain to UAE. He didn’t play neither for Bahrain youth teams nor the senior team. I’ve been watching him for a time, and I was expecting a call up to his NT, but instead he received a call up from UAE, staying on the bench. He’s a keeper playing in the youth levels of Southampton.

4. Eliano Reijnders (23/10/2000) from The Netherlands to Indonesia. The younger brother of Tijjani has picked the nationality of his mother to gain NT minutes as he wouldn’t get any from The Netherlands. He started the first three matches for PEC Zwolle, but since then he hasn’t started in a match again. He’s only played from of a match for Indonesia in the WC qualifiers.

5. Esmir Bajraktarevic (10/03/2005) from USA to Bosnia Herzegovina. I predicted this would happen since he wasn’t called up for the Copa América. In his debut for Bosnia Herzegovina, he assisted his hero, Edin Dzeko, and has played a total of four matches (one as a starter) in the UEFA Nations League. Such an excellent player for New England Revolutions, I’ll also predict that he’ll go to Europe in the next summer transfer window.

6. Erawan Garnier (05/01/2006) from France to Thailand. He was French, but never played for them, so he went to his country of origin and played in the AFC U-23 assisting once. He’s a regular player from the Olympique Lyonnais academies and I’m sure that he’ll make his senior debut sooner than later.

7. MacKenzie Hunt (14/11/2001) from England to UAE. UAE has made the most transfers in this list, and as I heard from some local fans, only one of them had Emirati blood (Mohamed Adli). As I said, this is the new transfer market and Hunt was a part of it. A very regular player for Fleetwood Town who started his first match for UAE just two days ago.

8. Kouame Kouadio (22/09/2000) from Cote D’Ivoire to UAE. He’s been playing for Emiratis teams since 2019, so at least he earned his nationality. Now playing for Al-Ain he’s started almost every match for them. He’s played four matches in the WC qualifiers, three of them the ninety minutes.

9. Junior Ndiaye (29/03/2005) from France to UAE. He’s played some matches for Montpellier B and even played two matches for the first team (only seven minutes). He was a French player for the U-17 and, somehow, has managed to get a call up from UAE, staying on the bench.

10. Lucas Shlimon (15/02/2003) from Sweden to Iraq.He’s been playing in Sweden for more than six years, currently playing for Örebro in regular basis. He played for the U-19 NT until he chose his country of origin. He’s played two matches in the WC qualifiers.

11. Vimal Yoganathan (13/01/2006) from Sri Lanka to Wales. He never played for Sri Lanka, so he started playing for Wales U-19, playing a match in the U-19 Euro qualifiers and some friendlies. He plays for Barnsley U-21 and some matches for the first team too.

12. Amin Chiakha (12/03/2006) from Denmark to Algeria. He played for Denmark U-17, U-18 and U-19, but he decided to change to Algeria to play some senior international minutes. He plays for Kobenhavn U-19, even though, he’s played some matches for the first team, including two goals in the Conference League.

13. George Ilenikhena (16/08/2006) from France to Nigeria. He was French and converted in a Nigerian, which was his country of origin, nevertheless, he hasn’t played for France neither Nigeria yet. He plays every match for Monaco, at least for a couple of minutes, and even scored in the Champions League against Barcelona.

14. Ibrahim Maza (24/11/2005) from Germany to Algeria. He was born in Germany to an Algerian father and a Vietnamese mother, so he could have chosen between Algeria and Vietnam. He’s only played the final minutes in an AFCON qualifier. He’s a key part of the team for Hertha Berlin and has attracted the attention of many top clubs such as Atlético Madrid.

15. Arkell Jude-Boyd (22/01/2003) from England to Saint Lucia. He played a lot at the beginning of the season for Cheltenham, but suddenly stopped being part of the team due to an injury, which seems he has recovered of now. He played two matches in September in the CONCACAF Nations League scoring a goal and played again yesterday for them.

16. Obed Vargas (05/08/2005) from USA to Mexico. He was American, then Mexican, then American again and now back to Mexican. This is more common than what people would think as I’ve seen this happened with another ones, for example, with Fidel Barajas. He’s a key part of the team for Seattle Sounders having played most of the matches scoring a goal and five assists in the MLS.

17. Omari Hutchinson (30/10/2003) from Jamaica to England. This was a big mistake from the Jamaican federation as he only played two friendlies and wasn’t called up for the CONCACAF Nations League, so he made a return for England, this time for the U-21 team. He’s been a valuable player since joining Ipswich, helping to the promotion of the team to the Premier League.

18. Christos Zafeiris (23/02/2003) from Norway to Greece. He gained the Norwegian nationality playing in every youth level making a quick cameo in the U-16 for Greece and now coming back, this time to the senior Greek NT. He’s played five times in the UEFA Nations League and only started once. He’s a very important piece for Slavia Prague, who are still unbeaten in the Chance Liga.

19. Rémy Vita (01/04/2001) from Madagascar to Comoros. This one is an interesting change. He was from Madagascar, then from France and now from Comoros in the spam of a month. He never played for Madagascar neither France. He’s played some minutes in three matches of AFCON qualifiers. He’s making an incredible job for Amiens having played and started every match in the Ligue 2.

20. Livano Comenencia (03/02/2004) from The Netherlands to Curaçao. He played in the youth levels of The Netherlands and as he saw that he wouldn’t get his chance in the senior level, he changed to his country of origin, having played three matches in the CONCACAF Nations League making an assist. He’s having a decent season with Juve Next Gen playing almost every match, even though, they’ve only won once this season.

However, there are even more players that could change their NT in the next few months as there are negotiations between players from around the world to join their NT as could be the case of Brajan Gruda to Albania or Alejandro Gomes Rodríguez who can still play for England, Portugal or Venezuela. I don’t know if FIFA is planning to make it easier or not but right now is relatively easy.