Alejandro Garnacho could make his debut for the Argentina team during the world champions’ party: will Spain no longer be able to quote him?

Speaking at The Best Awards Gala, Lionel Scaloni said: “We go to the bottom and if he is 17 and he is very good and we think he has to be there, he will be there”. It was a preview of the call to Alexander Garnacho for the FIFA double date in which Argentina will face Panama (Thursday March 23 at Most monumental stadium) and Curaçao (Tuesday 3/28 at mother of cities of Santiago del Estero). Now well, Will the presence of Manchester United’s promise nullify the possibility of Spain calling him for future appointments? The answer, in advance, is no.

In the AFA bunker of Ezeiza, they have already started the seduction operation to convince Garnacho to definitively compete with the Albiceleste. In addition, the figure of Manchester United shares a team with world champion Lisandro Martínez, with whom he will travel for the next commitments. And its level displayed with the Red Devils They invite us to think that Scaloni will seek to give him more and more shoots thinking about the Copa América 2024. The Major League coach had already included him in a few calls, including the pre-selection for the World Cup Qatar 2022, where it was later cut.

United did not give in to the AFA to contest the South American championship which took place in Colombia last month and ended in the premature elimination of the Under-20s coached by Javier Mascherano. From afar, Garnacho also showed his sense of belonging to his team and teammates and encouraged from England with social media posts (just as now he was moved by the present call).

On September 18, 2020, the FIFA Congress approved the first comprehensive modernization of eligibility rules playing with national teams in over a decade. A group of specialists analyzed the existing regulations and took into account the submissions of the member associations and observed the practices applied throughout more than 20 years of FIFA jurisprudence to make certain changes.

Once he makes his debut with the Argentina team, the requirements established by FIFA to change teams will start running. That is to say in case in the future he wants to play again for Spain, his country of birth.

The regulations indicate that to access this benefit you will have to take into account a series of requirements: be under the age of 21 in their last match with the Albiceleste; play a maximum of three international “A” matches (official or not); and at least three years have passed since he played his last international “A” match for Argentina. These items are “cumulative”, so it is understood that they must all be met in order to request the change. In other words, already adding minutes against Panama or Curacao, as a base, will mean that to change your selection in the future, you will have to wait until March 2026.

It should be noted that among a series of main amendments, were introduced three exceptions to the general prohibition which prevented to change federation to avoid too severe situations (and even in certain circumstances, to allow a player to return to the federation of origin). The two fundamental principles are:

1) Any person who possesses the permanent nationality of a country not linked to the place of residence will be eligible to play in the teams of the federation of that country (art. 5, section 1);

2) In general, players who have participated – partially or totally – with a federation in an official competitive match in any category or discipline of football cannot participate in an international match with the team of another federation ( art. 5, section 3).

Article 9 specifies the circumstances in which the change of federation could be approved, three exceptions. Within the first, governs:

1) The footballer has already played an official competitive match of any category (except international “A” matches) and discipline of football with his current federation.

2) When playing your first official competition match in any football discipline with your current federation, you did not have the nationality of the federation you wish to represent.

3) When he played his last official competition match in all disciplines with his current federation, he was not yet 21 years old.

4) Satisfy one of the requirements stipulated in Articles 6 or 7.

There second exception (article 9, section 2 c) underlines as requirements:

1) He has already played an international “A” match in an official competition of any discipline of football with his current federation.

2) At the time of playing his first official competition match with his current federation, all categories and disciplines of football, he already had the nationality of the federation he wishes to represent.

3) When he played his last official competition match in all disciplines with his current federation, he was not yet 21 years old.

4) He has played a maximum of three “A” international matches of any discipline of football with his current federation, both in official and unofficial competition.

5) At least three years have passed since you played the last international ‘A’ match in any discipline of football with your current association, both in official and unofficial competition.

6) He has never appeared in any international “A” match of the final phase of a FIFA World Cup or a confederation tournament.

The points of the third exception (article 9, section 2 e) are:

1) He has already played an international “A” match in an official competition of any discipline of football with his current federation.

2) You have permanently lost your nationality without your consent or against your will due to a decision by government authorities.

3) You already have the nationality of the federation you wish to represent.

Remember that the case of Garnacho (18), an Argentinian mother and a Spanish father, is not the only one on the table concerning promises with dual nationality. In the current call, there is also Valentin Carboniof an Argentinian father born in Italy, and other young players who appear in the coaching staff’s orbit as Luka Romero, Nicolas Paz and Franco Carboni (Valentine’s brother).

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