All 10 players who switched nationality ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. Ayyoub Bouaddi
Find out which players have switched their nationality.
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 on the horizon, we have witnessed many players switch their nationality to represent a different country this time. Plenty of names have decided to change their allegiance. They have been called up to the nation they have chosen to play for in the competition.
Changing allegiance for players is very common in football. Many players tend to do it often. With this, we take a look at all 10 players who switched nationalities ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
List of all 10 players to switch nationalities ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026
| S.No. | Player | New chosen Nationality |
| 10 | Ermin Mahmic | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 9 | Ayyoub Bouaddi | Morocco |
| 8 | Lenny Joseph | Haiti |
| 7 | Dominique Simon | Haiti |
| 6 | Ange-Yoan Bonny | Ivory Coast |
| 5 | Dennis Eckert | Iran |
| 4 | CJ Dos Santos | Cape Verde |
| 3 | Ahmed Qasem | Iraq |
| 2 | Matias Fernandez-Pardo | Belgium |
| 1 | Cristian Volpato | Australia |
10. Ermin Mahmic: Austria to Bosnia and Herzegovina
In May 2026, professional football player Ermin Mahmić changed his international citizenship from Austria to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was called up for the first time as a senior. Ermin Mahmic made his debut for Bosnia in a friendly match against North Macedonia after FIFA approved his move.
9. Ayyoub Bouaddi: France to Morocco
Ayyoub Bouaddi, a midfielder for LOSC Lille who was born in France, formally changed his national sporting allegiance from France to Morocco. On May 15, 2026, FIFA’s Players’ Status Chamber granted the Royal Moroccan Football Federation’s request. He was later included in Morocco’s 26-man FIFA World Cup 2026 roster.
He can now compete internationally for the Moroccan senior team after receiving formal approval.
8. Lenny Joseph: France to Haiti
Lenny Joseph, a Paris-born forward who currently plays for Ferencvaros in Hungary, decided to represent Haiti national team. A formal one-time FIFA changeover was not necessary due to his mixed French-Haitian citizenship and the fact that he had never played for France’s senior national team. Moreover, he was called up by Haiti to play in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
7. Dominique Simon: France to Haiti
Dominique Simon, a French-born football player of Haitian ancestry who chose to play for Haiti internationally, did not formally change his nationality. Having played for Haiti instead of France, he has been called up to the team for the 2026 World Cup.
6. Ange-Yoan Bonny: France to Ivory Coast
Ange-Yoan Bonny has formally changed his football nationality from French to the Ivory Coast. The 22-year-old Inter Milan forward’s appeal to modify his eligibility for the national team was granted by FIFA. He has already been included in the Ivory Coast’s final squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
He will play for the Elephants in the forthcoming World Cup. The Ivory Coast faces Ecuador, Germany, and Curacao in Group E.
5. Dennis Eckert: Germany to Iran
In order to play for the Iranian national team, German forward Dennis Eckert—now known as Dennis Dargahi in Iran—officially changed his nationality. He obtained his Iranian citizenship. Dennis was included in Iran’s roster for the FIFA World Cup 2026, thanks to his Iranian-German father.
Eckert, a former German youth international, was born and raised in Germany to a German-Iranian father and a Spanish-Galician mother. He is a dual national of Germany and Spain due to his heritage. He completed his switch to play for Team Melli.
4. CJ Dos Santos: USA to Cape Verde
In order to formally represent Cape Verde at the senior international level, keeper CJ Dos Santos used his one-time FIFA nationality switch. In March 2026, after receiving FIFA approval for the change, he received his first senior call-up. Dos Santos was included in their final 26-man roster for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Dos Santos, who was born in Philadelphia, first competed for the United States as a young athlete in the 2017 U-17 and 2019 U-20 World Cups. He was still eligible to represent Cape Verde at the senior level because of his Portuguese mother and Cape Verdean father.
3. Ahmed Qasem: Sweden to Iraq
On May 11, 2026, Ahmed Qasem received FIFA’s final say to shift his nationality from Sweden to Iraq formally. The Nashville SC midfielder was selected for Iraq’s final 26-man World Cup roster. This is after making his senior debut for the country in a friendly match against Andorra.
2. Matias Fernandez-Pardo: Spain to Belgium
In the end, Matias Fernandez-Pardo pledged his international future to Belgium. The LOSC Lille forward, who was born in Brussels to Italian and Spanish parents, was a junior player for Belgium. Spain pursued him, and in early 2025, a FIFA-approved transition to represent Spain was completed.
The 21-year-old formally chose to play for the Belgian Red Devils after an outstanding season at Lille. He was chosen to represent Belgium.
1. Cristian Volpato: Italy to Australia
Cristian Volpato has formally switched his international allegiance from Italy to Australia. FIFA gave the 22-year-old Sassuolo midfielder permission to make the switch, enabling him to play for the Socceroos.
Volpato never played an official senior match for the Azzurri despite representing Italy at the Under-20 and Under-21 levels. It allowed him to move in accordance with FIFA regulations.
How many players have switched their nationality before the FIFA World Cup 2026?
So far, 10 players have done it.
For which nation will Cristian Volpato play at the World Cup?
Australia.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.