Migrant Footballers in National Teams

Migrant footballers in national teams

A critical reflection and alternative approach(es) to foreign- born football players at the FIFA World Cup, c. 1930-2014

G. van Campenhout, MSc. PhD Candidate ‘Sport and the Nation’ Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands [email protected] www.sportandnation.com @SportandNation French squad without migrants

Steve Mandanda Rod Fanni

Samir Nasri

Source: Simran Khosla / Global Post (2014) International football as a prism • Recent phenomenon?

• Lack of (historical) overview on migrant footballers and nationality changes in international football

• Database on FIFA World Cups, 1930-2014 – Biographical data and genealogy – 9.400 cases/football players – Who counts as a migrant football player? Acquiring Citizenship

Jus Soli Jus Sanguinis

Source: FIFA (2017)

Jus Nexi Source: van Campenhout (2017) Foreign-born proxy (Jus soli) • Foreign-born “An international migrant is a person who is living in a country other than his or her country of birth.” (UN, 2015)

• Overlooks historical and geo-political contexts ➢ Territorial changes of borders ➢ Colonial relationships between states

• Three approaches 1) Current state borders (2014) 2) Territorial borders at time of FIFA World Cup edition 3) Colonial ties Approach 1: 2014 Borders

PERCENTAGE FOREIGN-BORN FOOTBALL PLAYERS 1930-2014, APPROACH 1 [#CASES: 913, N=9.400] 16,00%

13,96% 14,00%

12,57% 12,22% 11,95% 11,93% 12,00% 11,75% 11,55% 10,73%

10,00% 9,65% 9,63% 8,87% 8,94% 8,52% 8,71% 8,21% 8,16% 8,00% 7,67%

5,68% 6,00% 5,46%

4,00%

2,27% 2,00%

0,00% 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014

Source: van Campenhout (2017) 2014: French foreign-born players

Source: Conrad (2014) Approach 2: Territorial Changes PERCENTAGE FOREIGN-BORN FOOTBALL PLAYERS 1930-2014, APPROACH 2 [#CASES: 623, N=9.400] 12,00% 11,41%

10,33%

10,00% 9,09% 8,56% 8,18% 8,33% 8,00% 7,38% 7,04%

5,85% 6,00% 5,33% 5,12% 4,83% 4,62% 4,61%

4,00% 3,69% 3,44% 3,13% 2,84% 2,27% 2,00% 1,70%

0,00% 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014

Source: van Campenhout (2017) Disintegrated States

Yugoslavia: World Youth Champions 1987

Source: Diallo (2013)

Source: BBC News (2006) Approach 3: Colonial Ties PERCENTAGE FOREIGN-BORN FOOTBALL PLAYERS 1930-2014, APPROACH 3 [#CASES: 578, N=9.400] 12,00% 11,41%

10,19% 10,00%

8,68% 8,42% 7,95% 8,00%

6,66% 6,45% 6,29% 6,00% 5,28% 4,83% 4,93% 4,61% 4,19% 4,00% 3,78% 3,44% 3,13% 2,84%

2,00% 1,70% 1,14% 1,14%

0,00% 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014

Source: van Campenhout (2017) Colonial Nationals

1934: Dutch international Beb Bakhuys

Portuguese national football team in 1966

Source: Alchetron (2017) | Soccernostalgia (2016) Outcomes

APPROACHES FOREIGN-BORN FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS

Foreign-born Footballer C1 Foreign-born Footballer C2 Foreign-born Footballer C3 International Migrants

16,00%

14,00%

12,00%

10,00%

8,00%

6,00%

4,00%

2,00%

0,00% 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Source: van Campenhout (2017) Thank you for your attention Questions?