Fifa Approves Hamza Choudhury’s International Switch to Bangladesh

Fifa has approved Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury’s decision to switch his international allegiance to Bangladesh. Choudhury has played two matches for Leicester City this season. Choudhury, a 27-year-old product of the Leicester City academy, was born in Loughborough and previously played seven times for England Under-21s. He is eligible to play for Bangladesh due to his ancestral ties. This move will establish him as the inaugural Premier League player to represent the Bengal Tigers, a team currently positioned 185th in Fifa’s global rankings. The Bangladesh Football Federation issued a statement, saying, “We are pleased to inform that Hamza Dewan Choudhury has been cleared to play for Bangladesh.” They further clarified that “This decision was made by the Player’s Status Chamber of the Football Tribunal of Fifa.” Since his senior debut for the Foxes in 2017, Choudhury has accumulated 89 league appearances and was a member of the squad that secured the club’s first FA Cup victory in 2021. Choudhury is currently the sole British Asian player active in the Premier League, though midfielder Arjan Raikhy is also under contract with Leicester City but has not yet debuted in the top flight. Choudhury expressed his excitement, stating, “I’m so happy everything is over the line and I can’t wait to be playing for Bangladesh.”