Immigration to Europe has altered the career paths of football stars, giving them opportunities to represent other national teams.

(Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, and Vinicius Junior)

From Yamal to Haaland and Mbappé: The most valuable dual-nationality stars in world football

The migration of some families to Europe has significantly altered the career paths of many stars in the world of football, leading to a major shift in their careers. Many of these stars hold more than one nationality and have the opportunity to represent other national teams.

The global website Transfermarkt revealed that Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, currently playing for Manchester City, could have represented England. Valued at €200 million, Haaland's transfer was highlighted in a report on the most valuable dual-nationality players who could have represented other national teams. 

Former England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed that Haaland's desire was to represent Norway, his family's homeland, despite being born in Leeds, England. Bennacer and Atal: The "Glass" Conflict Haunts Algeria's Stars

With a similar market value, Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona winger, could have represented Morocco, but he chose to defend the colors of La Roja, despite his father's Arab heritage.

The Moroccan national team tried to call up Yamal to represent the Atlas Lions in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, but he opted for Spain, even though he also holds Equatorial Guinean citizenship through his mother.

Kylian Mbappé, the French striker for Real Madrid, also chose to represent France despite his mother's Algerian heritage and his father's Cameroonian heritage. His price tag is €200 million.

Vinicius Junior, the Brazilian star of Real Madrid, had the opportunity to represent Spain since his arrival from Flamengo in 2018, but the €150 million player decided to defend the colors of the Seleção.

Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, and Vinicius Junior

The 2024 "The Best" award winner obtained Spanish citizenship in 2022, but this came after representing Brazil in more than 10 matches. Another Real Madrid star, the Englishman Jude Bellingham, valued at €140 million, could have represented Ireland due to his grandfather's heritage, but he chose to defend the colors of the birthplace of football.

The Frenchman Michael Allis, the Bayern Munich star also valued at €140 million, could have represented England, but he opted for Les Bleus. The same applies to his Allianz Arena teammate Jamal Musiala, who played for England in his youth before choosing Germany. It's worth noting that Musiala could also have represented Nigeria due to his family roots.

Bukayo Saka, the England and Arsenal star valued at €120 million, could have represented Nigeria because of his family origins. With the same financial value is Uruguayan Federico Valverde, who, like his Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior, holds Spanish citizenship but chose the Latin American country.

England duo Declan Rice of Arsenal (120 million) and Cole Palmer of Chelsea (110 million) had the opportunity to represent Ireland and Saint Kitts and Nevis respectively, but opted for the Three Lions.