Folarin Balogun, star striker for the United States Men¡¯s National Team, helped to lead his country into the World Cup knockout rounds. He could just as easily have been trying to knock them out. Born in New York to Nigerian parents and raised in England, he was eligible to represent three nations.
He¡¯s not the only one. Twelve additional members of the 26-man U.S. roster were also eligible to represent other countries. And the U.S. is far from unique. Nearly one-quarter of the players at this World Cup are representing a country other than the one in which they were born, up from roughly 9% in 2006.
At first glance, this ¡°diaspora World Cup¡± can feel messy. But it¡¯s hardly a flaw. It reflects a world in which national communities exist beyond their borders. Rather than resist that reality, FIFA has wisely adapted to it.
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