Erling Haaland and Jamal Musiala: Stars Who Could Have Played for England

Thomas Tuchel will face no difficulty in selecting world-class talents for the England national team squad for the 2026 World Cup. The presence of stars like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Declan Rice places the "Three Lions" among the tournament favorites. However, it is even more astonishing to imagine footballers who were eligible to play for England but chose other countries. This is reported by Goal.com news .

Since joining Manchester City in 2022, Erling Haaland has been breaking Premier League records. He also boasts an incredible record with the Norway national team, scoring more than one goal per game. In fact, Erling Haaland was born in England while his father, Alf-Inge, was playing for Leeds United. He moved to Norway with his parents at the age of three and has always considered himself Norwegian.

Former manager Gareth Southgate admitted in 2020 that Erling Haaland had been tied to the Norwegian system since his youth and was unlikely to accept an offer from England. Haaland himself has repeatedly emphasized that he only ever dreamed of playing for Norway.

Another striking example is Jamal Musiala. He began to shine after moving to Bayern Munich from the Chelsea academy. Unlike Erling Haaland, Jamal Musiala played for various England youth national teams, including alongside Jude Bellingham. In 2020, he even managed to make two appearances for the England U21 team.

However, thanks to the efforts of Germany national team coach Joachim Löw and his Bayern Munich teammates, Jamal Musiala chose the country of his birth. He spent the first seven years of his life in Germany. Now he is considered one of the main stars of German football and could face England in the 2026 World Cup.