Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury is all set to represent Bangladesh national football team after receiving approval from FIFA’s players’ status chamber, confirmed the Bangladesh Football Federation on Thursday.Ìý
The BFF press release also stated that Hamza’s inclusion would inspire the new generation of footballers.
The 27-year-old English Premier League player Hamza received the Bangladeshi passport in late August before getting the no-objection certificate from the England Football Association in mid-September this year.
With the FIFA approval, Bangladeshi football supporters' long wait for the son of a Bangladeshi mother born in Loughborough, England, since he made his Leicester City debut seven years ago is over.
‘Hi, everyone, it's Hamza here. I’m so happy that everything's over the line. I can't wait to playing for Bangladesh and hopefully see you guys soon,’ Hamza said in a video message shared by the BFF.
If everything goes well, Hamza is expected to make his Bangladesh debut when Javier Cabrera’s charges face India in their Group C first match of the Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers third round on March 25, 2025.
Hamza, who represented England Under-21 team seven times but always had a desire to play for Bangladesh, will be the first player with Premier League experience to represent the country.
Hamza, a Leicester academy graduate who has visited his extended family in Habiganj, Sylhet, on a regular basis for years, has set his sights on improving Bangladesh's (185th) FIFA rankings.
He expects that his choice would help Bangladesh generate players capable of competing in Europe and enhance the domestic game.
‘It’s something that’s been in the works for a couple of years,’ Hamza told The Athletic in an interview on Thursday.
‘I represented England in the youth team, but as my career progressed, it came to fruition that is not an option for me. It’s something I’ve definitely always had in the back of my mind, that I’d like to represent Bangladesh.
‘I always had a connection with Bangladesh, from speaking the language to my mum cooking Bangladeshi dishes every day…more importantly, I’ve got a really good connection with the fans in Bangladesh. I get messages every day letting me know that they want me to come and play.’
‘I also feel like it’s something that I wanted to do to have some more exposure for Bangladesh on the footballing stage.’Ìý Ìý
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