Mile Svilar holds Belgian and Serbian citizenship, yet one of Serie A’s leading goalkeepers currently has no place in international football.
The unusual situation originates from a decision made in 2021, when Svilar accepted an invitation to represent Serbia after progressing through almost every level of Belgium’s youth system.
Acting on the advice of his father, the goalkeeper changed his sporting association from Belgium to Serbia and made his senior debut during a friendly against Qatar in Debrecen.
Svilar entered as a substitute and played only a small portion of the match, but that appearance ultimately carried greater consequences than he anticipated.
Svilar had already switched from Belgium to Serbia
According to Il Messaggero, Svilar believed the friendly nature of the match would preserve his ability to represent Belgium again in the future.
The complication was not simply that he appeared in a senior friendly for Serbia. Svilar had already represented Belgium in official youth competitions before completing a formal change of association to Serbia.
FIFA generally permits a player to change sporting association only once. Because Svilar had already switched from Belgium to Serbia, he was not allowed to reverse that decision when he later expressed a desire to represent the Red Devils.
FIFA’s updated eligibility guidance explains that change-of-association cases depend on a player’s previous appearances, nationality, connection to the country and earlier formal switches.
Serbia do not select him and Belgium cannot
Svilar remains eligible to represent Serbia, but the national team has stopped selecting him.
Belgium, meanwhile, cannot call him up unless his eligibility status changes. The result is an unusual situation in which a player with two passports and international-level quality remains outside both squads.
The issue has returned to attention because Thibaut Courtois has chosen to miss Belgium’s entire Nations League campaign, temporarily creating an opening in the national team’s goalkeeper hierarchy.
Under different circumstances, Svilar could have been a leading candidate to compete for that position. Instead, he will remain at Trigoria throughout the international break.
Svilar continues to excel for Roma
The situation appears even more unfortunate given Svilar’s development since becoming Roma’s first-choice goalkeeper under Daniele De Rossi.
According to figures reported by Il Messaggero, Svilar has recorded 48 clean sheets, keeping opponents scoreless in 38.4 percent of his appearances.
His progress extends beyond those numbers. Svilar has improved his authority in the penalty area, one-on-one decision-making and distribution with the ball.
Those qualities have also made him an excellent fit for the aggressive football Gasperini wants Roma to play.
Svilar was recently named Serie A’s best goalkeeper for a second consecutive season and is now valued at approximately €35 million by Transfermarkt, earning a place in the league’s most valuable starting XI.
Roma benefit from Svilar remaining at Trigoria
Roma receive one practical advantage from the situation. Svilar avoids international travel and can continue working with Gasperini’s staff during every break.
For the goalkeeper, however, the circumstances remain difficult to accept.
A decision made in 2021—when he believed a brief appearance in a friendly would not permanently close the Belgian option—continues to shape his international career.
Svilar has two passports and has represented two football associations, but for now his international future remains limited to a Serbia team that no longer selects him.
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