Spain’s National Team and Its Pool of Naturalized Players

Spain’s National Team and its Pool of Naturalized Players

France-born defender Le Normand may soon join this notable roster of naturalized players. The current Real Sociedad defender, Le Normand, who earned Spanish nationality, was named by Luis de la Fuente for national team duties in the Nations League and could be added to a distinctive list under certain conditions.

Before Le Normand joined the selection, Laporte—also French—was the most recent naturalized player to be called up by La Roja. This long-standing catalog would also include almost forty players born outside the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands. Many of them gained Spanish citizenship due to parentage or grandparentage, or because Spain was the homeland of their era, as in the case of Paulino Alcántara. They eventually wore the national jersey, contributing to a diverse and historically rich lineup.

Among the prominent non-Spanish footballers who acquired Spanish nationality and earned caps for the national team, additional names include Juan Carlos Heredia, Juan Carlos Tourinño, Eulogio Martínez, and Thomas Christiansen. Notable examples of players who later debuted for Spain after naturalization include:

Kubala | Country of Birth: Hungary | Debut with Spain: 1953

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Di Stefano | Country of Birth: Argentina | Debut with Spain: 1957

Puskas | Country of Birth: Hungary | Debut with Spain: 1961

Donate | Country of Birth: Brazil | Debut with Spain: 1994

Juan Antonio Pizzi | Country of Birth: Argentina | Debut with Spain: 1994

Catanha | Country of Birth: Brazil | Debut with Spain: 2000

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Mariano Pernia | Country of Birth: Argentina | Debut with Spain: 2006

Marc Senna | Country of Birth: Brazil | Debut with Spain: 2006

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Diego Costa | Country of Birth: Brazil | Debut with Spain: 2014

Source: Goal