Brazil Has Seven Athletes Playing for Foreign Teams

05/15/2014 - 09h07

Thirty Brazilian players are training to play the World Cup.

Apart from the 23 called up by Luiz Felipe Scolari, other seven native athletes were drafted by overseas national teams.

Announced yesterday (14), the 30 names on Croatia's list, the last to be unveiled and Brazil's first rival, has two Brazilians in their lineup: the midfielder Sammir, 27, from Getafe (ESP) and the striker Eduardo da Silva, 31, from Shakhtar Donetsk (UCR).

Born in Bahia State, Sammir represented Brazil's national federation in minor categories. He moved to Croatia when he was 19 and became a citizen in 2002.

Eduardo da Silva was head-hunted by Dinamo Zagreb during a favela championship in 1999. Naturalized Croatian, he even played the Under-21 for the country. In 2006, he got close to be called up to the World Cup.

Five other foreign national teams might use Brazilian players in the tournament.

Portugal drafted the defender Pepe, who also played in 2010. Italy called up midfielders Thiago Motta and Rômulo. Spain put on its list the striker Diego Costa, who said no to Felipão last year. The defender Marcos González was chosen to represent Chile.

They were all born in Brazil. Except the last one, the others formed strong bonds with those countries due to their occupations.

González, on the other hand, was born in Rio where he lived until the age of 2, when he moved to Chile. He only returned to Brazil in 2012, after signing Flamengo. He recently signed Unión Española, from Chile.

If they are kept until the final call ups, Brazil will set a record of its presence in overseas teams.

In 2006, five Brazilians represented foreign squads. In 2010, they were six.

This is not an exclusive Brazil phenomenon, though. The number of athletes playing for foreign teams increases each tournament.

They were 43 in South Korea/Japan 2002; 65 in Germany 2006 and 74 in South Africa 2010. 93 "gringos" were picked for this World Cup so far.

That means up to 12.6% athletes playing the contest might defend outside teams. Only six out of 32 squads do not have a player from overseas. Brazil is one of them.

"If we don't keep tabs on Brazilians who play for rival teams, in 2014 and 2018 World Cups we'll have 32 squads full of Brazilians", said FIFA President Joseph Blatter in 2007.

His prophecy might be an overstatement, but is not madness anymore.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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	Julio Muñoz/EFE
	Spain put on its list the striker Diego Costa, who said no to Felipão last year