In football, some players may choose to represent a nation completely different from their birthplace, potentially as a result of growing up there or having historical family links to a country further afar. This has been a part of international football for many years before the modern developments of ancestry tracking, streamlined international travel, and even technology like live dealer games online.
There are some mammoth superstars that could have represented the Three Lions by choosing a different international path, so today we will be taking a look at the top footballers who decided to veer away from their Great British links.
Erling Haaland
Known as one of the most prolific strikers in the world in 2025, Erling Haaland, son of former Manchester City midfielder Alfie Haaland, is a current legend in the making. Bursting onto the scene as a teenager for his incredible goalscoring ability and unbeatable form at RB Salzburg, Erling Haaland has gone on to play for Borussia Dortmund and currently leads the line for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
During his time in England, the Norwegian has won two Premier League titles and a Champions League, as well as a Premier League Player of the Season and two Premier League Golden Boots. At an international level, he has made over 50 appearances so far; however, his Norwegian career may never have happened if he had chosen to represent the country of his birthplace. Haaland was born in Leeds, meaning he could qualify to play for England, potentially rewriting the history for not just Haaland’s international career, but also potentially being England’s missing piece to secure silverware.
Jamal Musiala
Potentially one of the most exciting youngsters on the planet, Jamal Musiala is making a name for himself in football, whether it’s on the international stage or for his current club, Bayern Munich. The German international began his career moving through the ranks at the Bavarian outfit after spending nine years in England with Southampton and Chelsea.
With his sights set on going back to his birthplace and his mother’s home nation, Musiala joined Bayern Munich in 2019 at the age of 16. Despite the move, he continued to represent England at the youth level until 2020, when he decided to pursue his senior career with Germany. His announcement came in time for the 2020 Euros being played in 2021, which saw the youngster come full circle and be defeated by England at Wembley. The midfielder is definitely a player people may want to keep their eye on, and is a real star that the Three Lions missed out on.
Giovanni Reyna
Just like the previous two players on this list, Giovanni Reyna is another big name that could have chosen to represent England, but rather chose his parents’ nationality over his birthplace. Football runs deep in the Reyna family, with both his mother and father making it as professionals, which resulted in Giovanni’s potential to represent the famous Three Lions. Claudio Reyna, his father, made the trip to England in 2001 to play for Sunderland after impressing at Glasgow Rangers.
During this time, Giovanni was born in Sunderland, meaning he qualified to play for the international squad if he wished to. Unfortunately for England, Reyna opted to represent his parents’ home country, the United States. The now-Borussia Mönchengladbach star has experienced a halt in what was said to be a very promising career, but with the midfielder still being young, who knows what is around the corner?
Louis Saha
The French forward will be remembered in England for years to come, thanks to some iconic moments and nostalgia in relation to his time at Fulham, Manchester United, and Everton. The majority of Saha’s career was spent in England, representing both Newcastle and Sunderland, as well as Tottenham and the previously mentioned clubs. From 2000 to 2004, Saha made a name for himself while playing at Fulham, even catching the eye of England boss at the time, Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Eriksson was so keen on the young Frenchman that he even asked the player if he would want to represent England during the 2004 Euros. As the striker moved to Manchester United, he chose to wait and hold out for a call up from his beloved France, which he received and was featured in both their Euro 2004 squad and their World Cup 2006 squad. Saha’s career is a memorable one that was short lived when it came to his international appearances, but the forward is yet another player who could have been crucial in England’s long search for silverware.
Final Thoughts…
There are plenty of players who choose to switch nationality, including some of the squad England currently plays with. England’s long quest for silverware has continued for over 50 years despite featuring some of the biggest global talents the sport has seen. However, with plenty of young talent surging through the youth, they can only hope to keep a hold of them and finally bring football home.
Feature image by David Pickup on Pexels
