List of Spain international footballers born outside Spain

A number of the male footballers who have reached international status with Spain were not born in the country. Some were born overseas and moved there at a young age (as far as this list is concerned, more often they were the children of Spanish migrants who decided to return, rather than migrant newcomers from other parts of the world)[1] while others became naturalised citizens of Spain after living there for the required period and never being selected by their homeland – for some countries, including those of Latin America, this process requires only a few years of residency, which has allowed several Brazil-born players to play for Spain having only moved there in the course of their professional careers. Prior to the 1960s, players were not tied to a single national team having appeared for them, and some of the leading foreign players in the Spanish league in the 1950s thus were selected on residency grounds.

Alfredo Di Stéfano (left) and Ferenc Puskás both played for Spain in the 1950s while playing for Real Madrid, having already appeared for their nations of birth (Argentina and Hungary respectively)
José Eulogio Gárate was born in Argentina but lived in Eibar from a young age
Roberto López Ufarte was born in Morocco but lived in Irun from a young age
Thiago Alcântara, the son of Brazilian player Mazinho, was born in Italy but lived in Spain from a young age
Diego Costa opted to play for Spain at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, causing anger in his native Brazil who also wanted him to play for them

This list does not include players born in non-peninsular Spain (the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, all of which have provided at least one player for the national team), nor any internationals of other heritage who were born in Spain.

List of players edit

Name[2]Spain capsYears activeNation of birth
Eduardo Arbide11921  Argentina
Paulino Alcántara51921–1923  Philippines
Juan Errazquin61925–1928  Argentina
Emilio Sagi Liñán11926  Argentina
Marcelino Gálatas11927  Philippines
Ramón Zabalo111931–1936  England
Jesús Alonso Fernández31942  Cuba
Francisco Martin Arencibia (es)11942  Cuba
László Kubala191953–1961  Hungary
Héctor Rial51955–1958  Argentina
Heriberto Herrera11957  Paraguay
Alfredo Di Stéfano311957–1961  Argentina
José Santamaría161958–1962  Uruguay
Eulogio Martinez81959–1962  Paraguay
Ferenc Puskás41961–1962  Hungary
Vicente Anastasio Jara (es)11966  Paraguay
José Eulogio Gárate181967–1975  Argentina
Juan Carlos Touriño11972  Argentina
José Luis López Peinado41972–1973  Morocco
Rubén Óscar Valdez91972–1974  Argentina
Heraldo Bezerra11973  Brazil
Roberto Juan Martínez51973–1974  Argentina
José Antonio Ramos Huete41975–1977  Morocco
Rubén Cano121977–1979  Argentina
Roberto López Ufarte151977–1982  Morocco
Juan Carlos Heredia31978–1979  Argentina
Gerardo Miranda91981–1985  Mauritania
Álvaro Cervera41991–1992  Equatorial Guinea
Thomas Christiansen21993  Denmark
Pier Luigi Cherubino11994  Italy
Donato Gama da Silva121994–1996  Brazil
Juan Antonio Pizzi221994–1998  Argentina
Armando Álvarez21996–1997  France
Catanha32000  Brazil
Luis Cembranos12000   Switzerland
Curro Torres52001–2002  Germany
Mariano Pernía112006–2007  Argentina
Marcos Senna282006–2010  Brazil
Thiago Alcântara372011–2021  Italy
Diego Costa242014–2018  Brazil
Rodrigo222015–  Brazil
Ansu Fati42020–  Guinea-Bissau
Aymeric Laporte72021–  France
Joselu32023–  Germany
Robin Le Normand72023–  France

List by country of birth edit

CountryTotal
 Argentina13
 Brazil6
 France3
 Morocco3
 Paraguay3
 Cuba2
 Germany2
 Hungary2
 Italy2
 Philippines2
 Denmark1
 England1
 Equatorial Guinea1
 Guinea-Bissau1
 Mauritania1
 Switzerland1
 Uruguay1

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Los 11 jugadores nacidos fuera de España con más partidos" [The 11 players born outside Spain with the most matches] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Todos los extranjeros que jugaron con La Roja" (in Spanish). El Gold Digital. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.

External links edit