Fifa World Cup 2026: China call up Brazil-born midfielder Serginho for vital qualifiers
Player known in China as Sai Erjiniao obtained citizenship on March 12 and played his first minutes for national team in a friendly on Sunday
China have included Brazil-born midfielder Serginho in their squad for crucial World Cup qualifiers, less than a week after he obtained Chinese citizenship.
In recent years China’s struggling national team have followed some other countries by turning to naturalised players, with limited impact on results.
Also named in Branko Ivankovic’s 27-man squad is Liverpool-born former England youth international defender Tyias Browning, now called Jiang Guangtai.
Serginho, known in China as Sai Erjiniao, obtained citizenship on March 12 and played his first minutes for the national team in a closed-doors friendly against Kuwait on Sunday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The 30-year-old, whose birth name is Sergio Oliveira, has played in China since 2020.
China are away at Saudi Arabia on Thursday and home to Australia on Tuesday next week as they battle to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America.