Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury has officially been cleared by FIFA to play for the Bangladesh national football team.
Born in Loughborough, the 27-year-old previously represented England at the U-21 level, earning seven caps. However, his eligibility to represent Bangladesh comes through his family heritage.
This development marks a historic moment, as Choudhury is the first Premier League player to join the ranks of the Bangladesh national team, which is currently ranked 185th in the FIFA world rankings.
Choudhury expressed his excitement over the decision, saying, as quoted from BBC Sport, “I’m so happy everything is over the line and I can’t wait to be playing for Bangladesh.”
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) confirmed the move, highlighting that FIFA’s Player Status Chamber of the Football Tribunal approved Choudhury’s eligibility.
Since making his senior debut for Leicester City in 2017, Choudhury has made 89 league appearances and was part of the team that clinched the club’s first-ever FA Cup title in 2021.
Notably, Choudhury stands out as the only active British Asian footballer in the Premier League. Another player of similar background, Arjan Raikhy, is also contracted to Leicester City but has not yet made his Premier League debut.
Choudhury’s allegiance switch represents a significant boost for Bangladesh, who also had veteran Denmark-born midfielder Jamal Bhuyan as their star diaspora player, as they seek to emerge out of the shadows of India within the South Asian footballing scene. Choudhury’s presence would be vital for Bangladesh as they will embark on their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign on March of next year, taking on India, Singapore, and Hong Kong.