Colombia hoping to convince Arsenal star to change nationality and represent them at 2026 FIFA World Cup: Reports

Arsenal star Cristhian Mosquera is reportedly being poached by Colombia. The South Americans want to call him up for their matches against New Zealand and Nigeria in November, and eventually play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to a report in Diario AS, the Colombian Football Federation are in talks to convince Mosquera to make the switch. He has Colombian parents and is eligible to play for them, but has represented Spain in the youth levels.

Mosquera is yet to get a call-up for the national team and Colombia are hoping to lure him by offering a place in the squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They believe that they can get him to join, as Spain have Dean Huijsen, Robin Le Normand, Pau Cubarsi, Dani Vivian, and Aymeric Laporte ahead of him in the pecking order.

Colombian journalist Diego Rueda spoke about the possibility and confirmed that he spoke to the Arsenal defender. He said:

"I consulted him today (October 10) with the people of 'Cadena Ser' and he has the door open. They say the player is more willing to play with Colombia because his colleague has just said that it is more difficult to play in Spain."

Mosquera was the captain of the Spain U21 side and has also played for the U23 team. Colombian FA also tried to lure him in 2023, but RFEF managed to convince the youngster to wait for the senior call-up.

Mikel Arteta is the key reason for Cristhian Mosquera picking Arsenal

Cristhian Mosquera spoke to AS earlier this month and admitted that Mikel Arteta played a key role in his decision to pick Arsenal. He claimed that there were no doubts for him despite William Saliba and Gabriel being the top picks and said (via Sport Witness):

“I feel great at the club and in the city. From the first moment Arteta spoke to me, I had no doubts about going to Arsenal. There’s an incredible group of players. Plus, there are a lot of Spanish speakers who have helped me adapt. When I signed, I knew I was going to face them [Gabriel and Saliba], two world-class stars, but that was the club’s idea: to have players competing for every position to go as far as possible.”

Cristhian Mosquera has played eight times for Arsenal since moving in the summer from Valencia. He has started once in the UEFA Champions League, and twice in the Premier League.

Edited by Sripad