Top Players Who Didn’t Play For Their Countries Of Origin In The World Cup

As we say goodbye to the 2018 Russia World Cup today in Moscow, Kahawa Tungu looks at some of the game’s top stars, past and present, who never represented their countries of origin.

France

Zinedine Zidane – Algeria

Kylian Mbappe – Cameroon

Karim Benzima – Algeria

N’Golo KANTE – Mali

Paul Pogba – Guinea

Adil Rami – Morocco

Samuel Umtiti – Cameroon

Samir Nasri – Algeria

Blaise Matuidi – Angola

Hatem Ben Arfa – Tunisia

Moussa Sissoko – Mali

Laurent Koscielny – Poland

Nabil Fekir – Algeria

Steve Mandanda – DR Congo

Bacary Sagna – Senegal

Djibril Cisse – Ivory Coast

Claude Makelele – DR Congo

Patrice Evra – Senegal

Patrick Viera – Senegal

Lilian Thuram – Guadeloupe

Ousamane Ndembele – Mali

Nicolas Anelka – Cameroon

Thierry Henry – Guadeloupe

David Trezeguet – Argentina

William Gallas – Guadeloupe

Bafetimbi Gomis – Senegal

Germany

Mesut Ozil – Turkey

Jerome Boateng – Ghana

Serg Gnabry – Ivory Coast

Lukas Podolski – Poland

Emre Can – Turkey

Leroy Sane – Senegal

Miroslav Klose – Poland

Sami Khedira – Tunisia

Spain

Diego Costa – Brazil

Thiago Alcantara – Brazil

Marcos Senna – Brazil

Portugal

William Carvalho – Angola

Deco – Brazil

Edar – Guinea Bissau

Luis Nani – Cape Verde

Pepe – Brazil

Renato Sanches – Cape Verde

Eusebio – Mozambique

Belgium

Divock Origi – Kenya

Nacer Chadli – Morocco

Christian Benteke – DR Congo

Marouane Fellaini – Morocco

Michy Batshuayi – DR Congo

Lukaku – DR Congo

Italy

Thiago Motta – Brazil

Mario Balotelli – Ghana

Camoranessi – Argentina

Eder – Brazil

Pablo Osvaldo – Argentina

Stephen El Shaarawy – Egypt

England

Daniel Sturridge – Jamaica

Dele Alli – Nigeria

Danny Welbeck – Nigeria

Raheem Starling – Jamaica

Netherlands

Ibrahim Afellay – Morocco

Khalid Boulahrouz – Morocco

Edgar Davids – Suriname

Patrick Kluivert – Suriname

Clarence Seedorf – Suriname

Theodor Selassie – Ethiopia

Gonzalo Higuain – France

David Alaba – Nigeria

CROATIA

Ivan Rakitic (Croatia) –Switzerland

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