Football News: Three players who represented two international teams

Football News: A lot of things have changed in football over the years. However, one thing remains the same that is: you play for your home country and that’s it.

However, once in a while we have seen players who have switched nationalities on the international platform. Most of the time the reason given is: better chances to showcase their talent.

A very small percentage of players even get to represent their country. However, the number is countable at the fingertips when it comes to the people who have represented two countries.

Due to the rules adopted by FIFA, players have been allowed to move teams. Whether it’s due to dual nationality or they’ve only represented a country at the juvenile level. We’ll be looking at three players who have represented more than one country.

Football News: 1. Ferenc Puskas

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When it comes to Real Madrid in the 1950s, Puskas has the distinction of having played for not just one of the greatest club teams in history, but also one of the greatest international teams.

The forward was a member of the ‘Magical Magyars,’ who famously defeated England 6-3 in 1953. He scored 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary while playing for Budapest Honved in the domestic league.

However, following political turbulence in 1956, Puskas flew to Spain and teamed up with Di Stefano to become the unbeatable Los Blancos. After topping the La Liga goalscoring statistics four times, the Spanish national team approached him, and he represented them at the 1962 World Cup, winning three of his four caps.

2. Diego Costa

Costa made headlines on the eve of the 2014 World Cup by abandoning Brazil. He chose back-to-back European champions Spain.

The deadly striker, who was then playing for Atletico Madrid, broke into Luiz Filipe Scolari’s team in March 2013 and would debut for La Roja less than a year later.

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Costa, a Brazil native, was in the same boat as Zaha in that he’d only played friendlies for the Selecao before being granted Spanish citizenship in July 2013.

Scolari was enraged by the decision, claiming, “A Brazilian player who refuses to wear the Brazilian national team shirt and compete in a World Cup in your country is immediately withdrawn.”

3. Alfredo De Stefano

When it comes to football legends, it doesn’t get much bigger than Di Stefano. Los Blancos won five consecutive European Cups from 1956 to 1960, all of which he scored in, earning him the moniker “silver arrow.”

Di Stefano ended up playing for Argentina, Colombia, and, most notably, Spain. He initially represented Argentina, his natal nation, at the 1947 Copa America when he was 21 years old. He was named the golden player by the Spanish Royal Football Federation on its 100th anniversary in 2003.

Following that, despite not having a passport, Di Stefano made four unofficial friendly appearances for Colombia. This effectively cut him out of ever playing for La Albicelesta or another team.