The overwhelming majority of France’s NT were either born and raised in France (making them French citizens, educated and trained there) or emigrated to France at very young ages (as toddlers or small children) — and were raised, educated and trained in France. Just because I was born in Brazil and emigrated to the US at the age of 4 doesn’t mean I am not an “authentic American”, whatever that means. It means that I am both Brazilian and American. The sheer stupidity of people like Fab beggars belief. Barack Obama, currently running for president, has an African father who emigrated to the US. Obama was born and raised in the US, as was Sagna. Is Obama not a “real” American?

For me the bottom line here is that it’s entirely up to the player. Freddy Kanoute was born in France but his family hails from Mali. He had the choice of playing for either country and chose to play for Mali. Sagna wants to play for France, the country where he was born, raised, and trained in football. Whatever their reasons, it’s their individual choice. I also lament at the affect on smaller, poorer nations but players shouldn’t be shackled to play for countries they weren’t even born and raised in if they choose not to.

Arsenal’s Eduardo da Silva was born in Brazil and emigrated to Croatia at the age of 15. He acclimatized himself to the culture, married a Croatian, became Dinamo Zagreb’s most important player (and team captain) and chose to take Croatian nationality. He is now Croatia’s best striker, a very critical member of the NT. He speaks the language fluently but has never forgotten Portuguese and keeps regular contact with relatives in Brazil. He is both Brazilian and Croatian.

More importantly, I’m amazed that more of you aren’t considering the patriotic side to this. I’ll bet that each of these players have a preferred ideal for who they would wish to represent. Which country they feel they owe their allegiance to.

Most people on here seem to be just talking about players playing for the national team that they can, where they have some link to allow it.

For me, I was born and raised in England but have a Welsh grandfather and some players have managed to argue their way onto national teams via such tenuous links. However, if I were good enough to play for Wales and not England, I would feel like a right fraud pulling on a Wales jersey.

I’ll add that Vieira and Maké, the only 2 players I believe who were born outside France, are much more French than Deco is Portuguese/Camoranesi is Italian/Jonathan de Guzman (whose brother has been on the Canada NT) is Dutch.

I really don’t regret or fault the FFF for not having Drogba/Kanoute/Sissoko. Drogba was a late bloomer, as he didn’t become a star at all until he was 24-25. It’s almost the same with Freddie, who struggled to score early in his career. Also, the 77-78-79 generation has produced so many terrific strikers (Henry, Trez, Anelka, Saha, add Piquionne if you will).

As for Momo Sissoko, the defensive midfield position in the 84-87 generation is more than crowded. Lassana Diarra, Mavuba, Diaby, Flamini, Ducasse, etc.

I’ll tell you what I’d implement if I were god of FIFA. (Are you listening, Michel Platini? Sepp Blatter? Of course you are.) I’d give every player the option of switching countries one time after the age of twenty-one, even if they’ve played on a country’s senior team.

But…hmm…on second thought, that opens the door to a Drogba or Kanoute having a chat with Raymond and then playing for France, too.

A very complicated issue! I’m enjoying the debate.

(Supersebgrimaldi, can you give me a shorter version of your name to call you by if I want to mention one of your comments?)

The entire “But he’s not really French” debate is stupid and stems from jealousy.

I wonder how the US would do in sports if they excluded players who are the children of immigrants or who are naturalized citizens here.