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France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group I football match against Iraq at the Philadelphia Stadium, on June 22, 2026. [AFP]
When Sweden's Yasin Ayari scored seven minutes into his World Cup debut he raised his arms in apology rather than celebration out of respect for Tunisia, where his father is from.
The case of the Brighton midfielder is far from unique at a World Cup awash with players who could play for multiple nations via birth or ancestral roots.
"It was a special game for me, that's why I didn't celebrate in the first goal because I feel a lot for the country (of Tunisia), I love this country," said Swedish-born Ayari, who could also have represented his mother's nation Morocco.
