Did Funes Mori ever play for the Argentina national team?

Even though he was originally prevented by FIFA regulations, Rogelio Funes Mori represents the Mexican National Team after the international organization allowed players to be part of more than one national team.

According to an official document, there is a regulation that will be applied in some cases, including the Rayados player. After completing his naturalization process, he will now be eligible by Gerardo Martino for the Mexican National national team competition.

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Funes Mori's history with Argentina

The Mendoza, Argentina native has met the various requirements. In 2011, he played his last game with the ‘Albiceleste’, and in that year he played six games, and scored two goals in the U-20 Qualifying with Argentina, a tournament organized by Conmebol, according to FIFA guidelines. However, he was under 21 years old and enough time has past since that commitment regardless of whether it was an official match or just a friendly.

FIFA permission

Initially, article 8 of FIFA's Statutes established that the Monterrey striker must have had Mexican nationality to request a change of Federation; a situation that did not apply to the player.

"Players may exercise the right to change federation only if they have not played -either partially or in full- any "A" national team match in an official competition representing their current federation, and if at the time of their first participation, partially or in full, in an international match in an official competition representing their current federation they already possessed the nationality of the country for whose federation they are requesting authorization," it was clarified.

Now, Rogelio has already enjoyed the pleasure of having been called up by Tata Martino for an official tournament, seeking to become the center-forward that many were waiting for due to Raúl Jiménez's game-changing injury and to join the trio that has been formed by Hirving Lozano and Jose ‘Tecatito’ Corona.

Naturalized players cause controversy

In Mexico, as in other countries, the use of naturalized players for the national team has always raised controversy. The last naturalized player in ‘El Tri’ was Christian "Chaco" Giménez, born in Argentina and called up in 2013 by José Manuel de la Torre for qualifying matches for the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

Martino has used this situation to his advantage

Martino is used to this kind of controversy when he was the coach of Paraguay, taking three naturalized players to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa: Lucas Barrios, Jonathan Santana and Néstor Ortigoza.

"I'm a coach, maybe I have a non-objective opinion, but every player legally in a position to do so is considered, why not?" justified Martino. "Important teams do it, many world champions, it seems to me that there is not much to discuss. But I understand that it is a good source of controversy and talking about this becomes relevant."