FIFA prepares revolutionary changes to rules on naturalisation of footballers

There are cases when a footballer does not want to or cannot play for one or another national team due to his desire or a banal lack of sporting prospects and goes under another flag. FIFA wants to help these players, and they intend to change the rules of naturalisation of footballers.

Currently, a footballer receives his final football citizenship if he has played more than three matches for that national team, including at least one appearance in an official match, before he reaches the age of 21 and once he has received his football citizenship he can no longer change it.

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But according to FourFourTwo, the age limit will be raised from 21 to 22 and the new rules will also aim to exclude youth games from this rule. Also, to change football citizenship, a player needs to live in the country he wants to play for at least five years, and the new rule will reduce this period to four years.

Recall that in 2020, FIFA approved a rule change allowing players to apply to play for the national team of the country of residence for five years or more, provided they have not played for their country at the highest level.