​FIFA is considering a rule change that would allow players to suit up for more the one country.
Current stipulation makes it so that a player who has played one competitive fixture for a nation cannot switch international allegiances.
But Cape Verde’s football federation has requested that the governing body loosen the sanctions so that a move can still be made after one or two matches.
Head of FIFA’s Stakeholders’ Committee, Victor Montagliani, has revealed that FIFA is looking into implementing pertinent changes without compromising the integrity of the sport.
“There are so many issues that have popped up,” he said. “The world is changing.”
“Immigration is changing. There are nationality issues that pop up all over the world – in Africa, (and) there are issues in Asia and CONCACAF.
“So it’s a good time to have a look at this and see if there are solutions without hurting the integrity of the game.”
Montagliani also reported that FIFA is also considering increasing the length of time after which a player can represent a country if that player has no blood connection.
As things stand, foreign players must live and play in a country for five years before being allowed to represent that country in international competition if they so desire.
A compensation scheme is also being looked into in order to tackle potential issues regarding players training and playing for a country at youth level then switching to another.
