International Competitions are some of the biggest scenes for football betting at GGBET. It is not uncommon in football to see players with dual citizenship (some even have as many as four!) These players naturally have the chance to choose among these countries to represent in international competitions. As you would expect, most tend to choose the one that promises the most glory. Let’s take a look at some top footballers that could have donned the red and white jersey but didn’t.
Paulo Dybala
A fan favorite, Paulo Dybala made a name for himself since his youth days when he took Palermo to the Serie A by winning the Serie B. He consequently signed for Juventus the following here. La Joya, as he’s popularly known, could have represented either Poland or Italy in international competitions but eventually chose to represent Argentina. He once stated, “I feel 100% Argentinian” in an interview with Football Italia.
He had to obtain an Italian passport when he wanted to play for Palermo and was able to do so thanks to his great-grandmother, whom he “knows nothing about”. His great-grandfather is Polish, and he once tried to obtain Polish Citizenship, but the process proved too difficult.
Dybala made his debut with Argentina at the age of 21, and despite tough competition in the forward position for the current World Cup champion, he has earned over 30 caps.
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav is most known for his prolificacy with the German National team. He started his football at the fourth league side, FC 08 Homburg, before working his way gradually to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. He previously impressed at Werder Bremen, scoring 53 goals in 89 goals across four years, where he won German Footballer of the Year.
He was approached by the Poland National team coach in 2001 when Miroslav was just 22, but he declined the request, choosing Germany over Poland. This proved to be the right decision as Klose can be arguably regarded as one of the most successful sportsmen on the international scene. He is the current all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 16 goals. He’s also Germany’s leading all-time top scorer in international competitions and has a World Cup title to display for it by winning the 2014 edition.
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski will be remembered for his legendary left-footer strike that has left many goalkeepers rooted to a spot. This has earned him transfers to some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Inter Milan.
Just when he began his senior career in Koln in 2003, he was rejected by the Poland National team coach, Pawel Janes. Podolski went on to score 46 goals in 81 games for Koln before moving to Bayern Munich.
He enjoyed great success with the German National team, and he is the third-highest goal scorer and third most capped for Germany. He was also a part of the 2014 World Cup-winning squad.
Layvin Marc Kurzawa
Kurzawa was a part of the Monaco team that finished runner-up to Paris Saint Germain in the impressive 2013/14 season, starting 28 league games in the campaign. He moved to PSG in 2015 as a backup to Brazilian Maxwell. He eventually earned a place as a mainstay in the defense. He then briefly went on a season-long loan spell with Premier League side Fulham during the 2022/23 season.
Kurzawa’s mother is Polish, and in 2012, he was unconventionally approached by the Polish team on Facebook, which he quickly turned down, stating that he was fully focused on the French National team.
Phil Jagielka
Phillip Jagielka is a conventional center-back who played most of his football for Sheffield United and Everton playing close to 600 games across both clubs.
Phil is of Polish descent, with his grandparents and father coming from Poland, but he has lived in England all his life, and he decided to represent the three lions on the international scene.
James Tarkowski
Tarkowski started playing football at the age of 11 at Oldham Athletic on a scholarship. After impressing, he was handed a professional contract. He has played the majority of his football for Burnley but now plays for Premier League side Everton.
Despite having a Polish grandfather, James Tarkowski lived and played all his football in England and saw it fit to represent the Three Lions over the Eagles. That hasn’t been going well so far, as he has represented England just two times.
Filipe Luis Kasmirski
Filipe Luis has been appraised by many top managers in football for his high football IQ and ability to read the game. He played for some of the top clubs in the world, including Ajax, Chelsea & Atletico Madrid, and even briefly went on loan to Real Madrid.
Filipe Luis could have represented either Poland, Italy, or Austria in international competitions but decided to play for Brazil and fight for a place in the team.
