How Spain Masterfully Sped Up Ansu Fati's Nationality Switch to Avoid Losing him to Guinea Bissau

• Ansu Fati will be representing Spain at the World Cup in Qatar later this year despite being born in Guinea-Bissau
• Ansu Fati was eligible to play for the country of his birth Guinea-Bissau and the Portuguese national team
• The Barcelona forward returned from a long layoff to rejoin his teammates for the pre-season in the United States

2010 World Champions, Spain, were clever and quick in their approach to get Guinea-Bissau born Ansu Fati represent them at international level.

The Barcelona attacker was eligible to play for Guinea-Bissau and the Portuguese national team.

However, having arrived in Spain at the tender age of six, it made him available to represent the two-time European champions.

Fati, in 2019 was 16 and had a call-up to the Spain U17 team ahead of the FIFA U17 World Cup but had to be later dropped to avoid being selected by other suitors.

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The Spanish Football Federation decided to fasten his path to the senior team by handing him a an invite for a World Cup qualifier. Spain immediately capped him and he went on to become the country's youngest scorer at international level.

“The decision we have taken, in this case made by the sports management, is for the player not to come to the U17 World Cup," said Spain's youth team director, Francisco Hernandez, as quoted by ESPN.

”We believe that the aim of the federation when beginning the process to nationalize Ansu was that -- at some point -- he could be available for the national team and not for a given national team squad.

”Having made a general sporting analysis, we consider that the best thing is for the lad to stay and to have an option in the upcoming November callups to take part in a higher category. For that to happen, he can’t go to the World Cup.

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”Our aim is for Ansu to be available for selection and that one day he can make his debut with the senior team, to be a part and have a starring role in the senior team.”

The Barcelona teen has gone on to make four appearances for Spain, and has a goal to his credit.

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