National football teams embrace dual-nationality players to rebuild squads

National football teams are increasingly utilizing players with dual nationality to rebuild their squads. The Italian national team is embracing a more multi-ethnic approach to move past recent failures to qualify for the World Cup. Among the new faces is Michael Kayode, a defender at Brentford who chose to represent Italy despite interest from Nigeria.

Similarly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undergoing a significant roster revolution by recruiting talent from the diaspora. Several players trained in major European leagues have opted to represent the Leopards, including Willy Kambwala of Villarreal, Stephy Mavididi, Noah Mbamba, and Jorthy Mokio. This strategy aims to build a competitive squad for upcoming international fixtures by leveraging players born or formed in Europe.