Bizarre FIFA Rule Blocks PL Star From Switching England Allegiance for World Cup

A Premier League player's dreams of playing at the World Cup have been halted due to a strange FIFA rule.

Next summer, Thomas Tuchel will lead England in his first major tournament since replacing Gareth Southgate as the Three Lions compete at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

After claiming a dominant 5-0 win over Latvia during the international break, England secured their place at the summer competition, which is set to be hosted across various stadiums in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Ahead of England's opening match at the 2026 World Cup, much of the discussion will focus on which players Tuchel will select in his squad as he looks to secured England's first major trophy in 60 years.

But there is one Premier League player who already knows that his chances of being included in the England squad are slim, yet a bizarre FIFA rule is stopping him from switching his national allegiance.

Thomas Tuchel will lead England as manager during the 2026 World Cup. (Image: Getty)

Before joining the Premier League in 2018 following his move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, centre back Max Kilman was enjoying a different sport.

Ahead of his carer as a 11-a-side footballer, Kilman played futsal, a hardcourt five-a-side football game typically played indoors, for England in 25 matches

However, because these games were competitive matches, it means that Kilman can not switch his national allegiance from England.

Football, futsal and beach soccer are all overseen by FIFA, meaning any player who competes for a country in any of these sports cannot change their nationality.

With current odds giving Kilman just a 33/1 chance of making Tuchel's squad, it's no surprise that this rule is frustrating for the 27-year-old, as it significantly hurts his chances of playing in a World Cup during his career.

If he had his way, the West Ham United defender would switch his national allegiance to Ukraine, which he is eligible to represent through his father.

Had he not played Futsal for England, Kilman could have play for Ukraine, due to his father who was born in Odessa, and he was evem called up to do so in a training camp ahead of Euro 2020 by then-boss Andriy Shevchenko.

Kilman had met the Ukrainian manager before at Chelsea, where the defender's younger brother currently plays at youth level, and has spoken with Nottingham Forest's Oleksandr Zinchenko on the phone about his eagerness for the move.

Max Kilman represented England in Futsal between 2015-2018. (Image: Getty)

Speaking to The Athletic in 2022, Kilman gave his thoughts on the situation, revealing: “It’s crazy. Shevchenko spoke to me and said he wanted me to play for Ukraine.

"I agreed and they tried to get the paperwork done, but because I represented England futsal in an official qualifier, I couldn’t change.

“If I was a beach soccer player, I couldn’t play international football for a different country either. It sounds very strange. It’s a completely different sport, it’s like tennis and table tennis.

“I travelled over and was just waiting for FIFA to accept everything, but they rejected it. I thought I was going to be in the Euros, it would have been a great end to the season. It didn’t happen.

“So, my only option is England.”

Unlike England, Ukraine are yet to secure their place at the 2026 World Cup, as they currently sit second in Group D of the World Cup qualifiers, behind France.

However, representing his father's home country would undoubtedly give Kilman a better chance of playing in the major tournament than continuing to battle with the likes of John Stones and Marc Guehi for a spot in England's backline.