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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