Few words declare nationality as clearly as "national team representative." Yet the 2026 World Cup in North America is shaking that conventional wisdom. According to an analysis by the University of Oxford's Centre on Migration, Policy and Society, 1,248 players from 48 countries are competing in this World Cup's final tournament. Among them, the share of players representing a country other than their country of birth stands at 23.2 percent (289 players), the highest of any World Cup in history.
Indeed, Morocco's national team is composed entirely of players who grew up in other countries, with "zero" born domestically. Curacao, which reached the round of 32 in its first World Cup appearance, has only one native-born player among its 26 representatives. Qatar's national team draws on players whose birth backgrounds span 10 countries. The so-called "soccer diaspora" is becoming common at the World Cup. Under the rules of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), to become a national team player, one must hold the citizenship of that country and meet requirements such as parental or grandparental lineage or residency of five years or more.
Korea has changed too. Jens Castrop, who was born and raised in Germany, played in the North American World Cup final tournament as the first mixed-race national team player in Korean soccer history. Born to a Korean mother and a German father, he plays his career in Germany but chose the Taeguk mark. At the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in March this year, four Korean American players joined the national team. This reflects one facet of change in our society. Overseas Koreans worldwide number about 7 million, and long-term foreign residents in Korea have surpassed 2.6 million. The share of international marriages also exceeds 10 percent. The country is moving closer to a multicultural society than a single-ethnicity one.
Given that sports are another mirror reflecting society, national team membership is no longer the exclusive preserve of those born within specific borders. It is the product of migration, international marriage, and the global movement of talent. Nationality still matters, but competitiveness depends not on purity of bloodline but on how diverse a pool of talent one can embrace. In World Cup matches, wouldn't the enjoyment grow even greater if we paid attention to players' backgrounds along with their skills?
