It looks as though Adnan Januzaj will feature in this summer’s FIFA World Cup—for Belgium.
Januzaj, a 19-year-old midfielder with Manchester United, confirmed that he has chosen to represent Belgium, his birth nation, in international soccer. Belgian national team manager Marc Wilmost shared the news via Twitter on Wednesday.
J'ai reçu la confirmation officielle qu'Adnan Januzaj se met à disposition de l’équipe nationale belge pour la suite de sa carrière!
— Marc Wilmots (@WilmotsMarc) April 23, 2014
Although born in Brussels, Januzaj was also eligible to play for Albania (through his parents), Turkey (through his grandparents), Serbia (due to the disputed status of his parents’ homeland of Kosovo) and Kosovo (should it ever be admitted as a member of FIFA).
Roy Hodgson and the English FA also reached out to him last year, and Januzaj would have been able to represent England starting in 2018, provided he remained in the country until he turns 23.
Januzaj’s commitment to Belgium is a big boost for the Red Devils, especially ahead of this summer’s World Cup in Brazil where they will be missing key striker Christian Benteke through injury.
A creative player who can play in a variety of positions, Januzaj is a wonderfully skilled youngster who shows great maturity and poise for a teenager. As a winger, he offers speed and one-v-one skills on the flanks. When slotted in the middle of the park, he can operate as a string-pulling midfielder opening up defences with his insightful passing ability and posing a serious threat from set piece situations.
