World Cup squads' ethnic makeup: is any team still homogeneous?

Which World Cup squads still have a homogeneous ethnic makeup?

The question keeps coming up in circles where the globalisation of football has yet to be fully digested: are there any World Cup teams without players of sub-Saharan origin? The answer keeps getting shorter. The naturalisation of talent and migration have diluted the ethnic profile of almost every national side, especially the European ones. According to the analyses shared in the discussion, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Argentina come closest to a Caucasian composition, but even for them the trend points towards diversification.

The case of Japan: the goalkeeper who broke the stereotype

One of the most discussed facts concerns the Japanese squad, which includes a goalkeeper of Nigerian origin. The fact that a country with a historically small African diaspora has brought in a footballer with sub-Saharan antiestéticatures shows just how far elite football has transcended racial boundaries. For some, it is an example of 'forced multiculturalism'; for others, simply the logic of the talent market.

Eastern Europe: the last holdout under debate

Croatia, the Czech Republic and Bosnia are constantly mentioned in the debate as the eastern teams that still field a mostly white squad. However, even in those sides players of African origin are starting to appear, albeit in smaller numbers than in Europe's major powers. The original question about which teams have no 'black players' finds few candidates and no definitive answer.

Globalised football has made the 'national team' an increasingly fluid concept. For some, an identity pavor; for others, the reflection of an inevitable reality. The list of ethnically homogeneous national teams keeps shrinking, and by the next World Cup they will probably be even harder to find.