FIFA might change nationality rules

[Infield Infidel]

Fifa is considering changing the rules that govern a player's eligibility to represent a national team.

At present, players who have played a competitive international for one team cannot switch to another national side.

Cape Verde's football federation has proposed this rule be relaxed in cases where a player has played only once or twice for a national side.

Another Fifa rule dictates that players with no blood connection to a country are only allowed to represent it if they have lived and played there for five years.

Montagliani said his committee is considering changing that period and possibly increasing it as well.

He added that Fifa may also look into a compensation scheme in cases where a player goes through the training system of one country and represents it a youth level before switching to another.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41715159

Looks like there are three potential rules changes, all that would affect the US player pool

1. Players with 1 or 2 caps, but then no caps for a number of years, might get an opportunity to switch national team allegiance. Cape Verde filed the proposal likely because they have a lot of eligible players in Portugal, Netherlands, France and Switzerland. But the US also could have a number of new players eligible if this proposal is passed. Many national teams, including the US, cap players just to tie them to the country, and then don't end up playing them later.

2. Compensation for players that train on youth teams for one country but then play for the senior team of another. The US has a bunch of these players so going forward they may have to pay other countries if these players switch to US.

3. Increasing the number of years a player must reside if they want to claim nationality in a country they have no blood connection to. Right now it's 5 years.

 

[DJnVa]

All I did was skim to make sure nothing can take Pulisic away.

EDIT: More seriously, there might be some people that can help the US talent pool, but if they haven't received a cap in that many years, I don't know how much talent we could bring in. I understand this from Cape Verde's perspective though.

 

[Titans Bastard]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41715159

Looks like there are three potential rules changes, all that would affect the US player pool

1. Players with 1 or 2 caps, but then no caps for a number of years, might get an opportunity to switch national team allegiance. Cape Verde filed the proposal likely because they have a lot of eligible players in Portugal, Netherlands, France and Switzerland. But the US also could have a number of new players eligible if this proposal is passed. Many national teams, including the US, cap players just to tie them to the country.

It's very possible I'm blanking on someone, but I can't think of anyone worthwhile the US could get if players with a handful of competitive caps were fair game.

The devil is in the details, of course, as there are currently three ways to be cap-tied and I'm not sure how many could change:

1) Play in a competitive senior NT game
2) File a one-time switch
3) Play in an official, competitive youth NT game prior to the acquisition of a second nationality

3. Compensation for players that train youth for one country but then play for the senior team of another. The US has a bunch of these players so going forward they may have to pay other countries if they switch to US.

I can't imagine this will go over well politically, and what's the point? On the whole, it will be mostly poor countries compensating mostly rich countries for the players they don't even want anymore.

Sure, a few German-Americans will switch to the US and I'd have no problem with the US paying compensation, but what about the dozens and dozens of players who switched from French youth teams to various Francophone African squads? Taxing the former colonies is a bad look.


EDIT: It occurred to me that Victor Montagliani's Canadian perspective might influence him significantly here. Canada has lost so many dual nationals over the years.

 

[Infield Infidel]

Yeah, it makes a lot of sense that Montagliani would be pro loosening the restrictions.

I think if this happened, players in the future with options would be less hesitant to take that first call-up, knowing that if it doesn't work out, they would have a fallback option.

Also, I think it depends on how many years we're talking. If it's three or four years, for someone that got capped at 21 and then didn't get more caps, they would still be in their prime. If it's something like 8 years then these would be players looking for one last chance at international play. If it happens I think they'll likely settle on 4 or 5 years.