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Football

19th Nov 2025

England player may switch allegiance to Scotland for World Cup

SportsJOE

Scotland secured qualification last night

A player who has represented for England before at international level may potentially switch his allegiance to Scotland in order to appear at next summer’s World Cup.

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Scotland secured automatic qualification for the North American tournament with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Denmark at Hampden Park on Tuesday evening, thanks to brilliant strikes from former Premier League stars Kieran Tierney and Scott McTominay.

Napoli star McTominay is without doubt the nation’s most important player, even though he was actually born outside of Scotland.

Incredibly Steve Clark could see his squad bolstered by the addition of another English-born Premier League star.

Newcastle United’s 27-year-old forward Harvey Barnes may have been born in Burnley, but he still qualifies to play for Scotland through his maternal grandparents .

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 08: Harvey Barnes of England in action during the international friendly match between England and Wales at Wembley Stadium on October 08, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Nick Potts – Pool/Getty Images)

According to FIFA rules, so long as a player hasn’t earned a cap in a professional game, they’re allowed to switch to another nation.

Barnes’ solitary England appearance came in a friendly.

Barnes’ Newcastle teammate Matt Target is in a similar position and could also switch to Scotland.

It remains to be seen if Barnes or Targett opt to make the change in time for next summer.

Former Leicester City star Harvey Barnes has four goals and two assists for the Magpies so far this season.

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