List of first black players for European national football teams Facts for Kids

Football (also known as soccer) is a popular sport played all over the world. Over the years, many amazing players have joined national teams. This article is about the first black or mixed-race players who represented European countries in international football matches. These players were pioneers, breaking barriers and helping to make the sport more diverse and inclusive.

The very first black man to play international football was Andrew Watson. He played for Scotland on March 12, 1881. He even captained the team in a 6-1 victory against England in London!

Trailblazers: First Black Footballers in Europe
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Trailblazers: First Black Footballers in Europe

Many European countries have had black or mixed-race players join their national teams over time. Here are some of the first players for different nations:

Early Pioneers in Football

Scotland: Andrew Watson made his debut on March 12, 1881, against England. He was born in what is now Guyana. After Watson, Scotland did not have another black player until Nigel Quashie in 2004.
Turkey: Vahap Özaltay was the first black player for Turkey, debuting on October 14, 1927, against Bulgaria. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon, to Afro-Turk parents.
France: Raoul Diagne first played for France on February 15, 1931, against Czechoslovakia. He was born in French Guiana to Senegalese parents.
Wales: Eddie Parris played his first match for Wales on December 5, 1931, against Northern Ireland. He was born near Chepstow to a Barbadian father and English mother.
Portugal: Guilherme Espírito Santo debuted for Portugal on November 28, 1937, against Spain. He was born in Lisbon and had roots in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Breaking Barriers After World War II

Switzerland: Raymond Bardel played his first game for Switzerland on April 15, 1951, against West Germany. He was born in Yverdon-les-Bains to an American father and Swiss mother.
Italy: Miguel Montuori made his debut for Italy on February 15, 1956, against France. He was born in Argentina to an Italian father and an Afro-Argentinian mother.
Netherlands: Humphrey Mijnals first played for the Netherlands on April 3, 1960, against Bulgaria. He was born in Surinam, which was a Dutch colony at the time.
Austria: Helmut Köglberger debuted for Austria on September 5, 1965, against Hungary. He was born in Steyr to an African-American father and Austrian mother.
Germany: Erwin Kostedde played his first match for Germany on December 22, 1974, against Malta. He was born in Münster to an African-American father and German mother.
England: Viv Anderson became the first black player for England on November 29, 1978, against Czechoslovakia. Earlier, John Charles was the first black player for England's under-18 team in 1962. Later, Paul Ince became the first black captain for England in 1993.
Republic of Ireland: Chris Hughton made his debut for the Republic of Ireland on October 29, 1979, against the United States. He was born in London to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother.

New Faces in the 1980s and 1990s

Belgium: Dimitri Mbuyu first played for Belgium on February 4, 1987, against Portugal. He was born in Berchem, Belgium, and had Congolese roots.
Sweden: Jean-Paul Vonderburg debuted for Sweden on February 14, 1990, against the United Arab Emirates. He was born in Sweden.
Iceland: Anthony Karl Gregory played his first game for Iceland on August 8, 1990, against Faroe Islands.
Denmark: Carsten Dethlefsen made his debut for Denmark on March 9, 1994, against England. He was born in Hamburg, Germany, but moved to Denmark as a baby.
Greece: Daniel Batista Lima first played for Greece on October 12, 1994, against Finland. He was born in Cape Verde and later became a Greek citizen.
Spain: Donato Gama da Silva debuted for Spain on November 16, 1994, against Denmark. He was born in Brazil and became a Spanish citizen. The first Spanish-born black player was Vicente Engonga, who debuted in 1998.
Northern Ireland: Jeff Whitley played his first match for Northern Ireland on February 11, 1997, against Belgium. He was born in Zambia to a Northern Irish father and Zambian mother.
Malta: Chucks Nwoko debuted for Malta on February 10, 1998, against Georgia. He was born in Nigeria and became a Maltese citizen.
Luxembourg: Eugène Afrika first played for Luxembourg on October 10, 1998, against Poland.
Norway: John Carew made his debut for Norway on November 18, 1998, against Egypt. He was born in Akershus to a Gambian father and Norwegian mother.
Hungary: Thomas Sowunmi played his first game for Hungary on August 18, 1999, against Moldova. He was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and Hungarian mother.

New Millennium, New Players

Poland: Emmanuel Olisadebe debuted for Poland on August 16, 2000, against Romania. He was born in Nigeria and became a Polish citizen.
North Macedonia: Aguinaldo Braga first played for North Macedonia on April 17, 2002, against Finland. He was born in Brazil and became a Macedonian citizen.
Israel: Baruch Dego made his debut for Israel on February 12, 2003, against Armenia. He was born in Ethiopia and moved to Israel with his family.
Armenia: Balep Ba Ndoumbouk played his first match for Armenia on February 18, 2004, against Hungary. He was born in Cameroon and became an Armenian citizen.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ricardo Santos Lago debuted for Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 9, 2004, against Serbia. He was born in Brazil and became a Bosnian citizen.
Croatia: Eduardo da Silva first played for Croatia on November 16, 2004, against Republic of Ireland. He was born in Brazil and became a Croatian citizen.
Bulgaria: Tiago Silva made his debut for Bulgaria on August 17, 2005, against Turkey. He was born in Brazil and became a Bulgarian citizen.
Azerbaijan: Ernani Pereira played his first game for Azerbaijan on October 7, 2006, against Portugal. He was born in Brazil and became an Azeri citizen.
Czech Republic: Theodor Gebre Selassie debuted for the Czech Republic on June 4, 2011, against Peru. He was born in Třebíč to an Ethiopian father and Czech mother.
Slovakia: Karim Guédé first played for Slovakia on August 10, 2011, against Austria. He was born in Hamburg to a Togolese mother and French father and became a Slovakian citizen.
Ukraine: Edmar Halovskyi de Lacerda made his debut for Ukraine on August 10, 2011, against Sweden. He was born in Brazil and became a Ukrainian citizen.
Cyprus: Dossa Júnior played his first match for Cyprus on August 15, 2012, against Bulgaria. He was born in Portugal with Mozambican roots and became a Cypriot citizen.
Faroe Islands: Sonni Nattestad debuted for the Faroe Islands on November 19, 2013, against Malta. He was born in Tórshavn and had Afro-Haitian roots.
Finland: Nikolai Alho first played for Finland on January 24, 2014, against Oman. He was born in Helsinki and also has British citizenship.
Russia: Ari made his debut for Russia on November 15, 2018, against Germany. He was born in Brazil and became a Russian citizen.
Belarus: Max Ebong played his first game for Belarus on September 9, 2019, against Wales. He was born in Vitebsk to a Cameroonian father and Belarusian mother.
Liechtenstein: Justin Ospelt debuted for Liechtenstein on October 7, 2020, against Luxembourg. He was born in Nassau, Bahamas.