​Why Aymeric Laporte plays for Spain despite being born in France originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Aymeric Laporte was born in France and spent his youth career playing for French national teams at various age-group levels.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDespite that, he’s now playing against France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal. Laporte suits up for Spain in the center of defense.It’s not a common occurrence, to play your birth country in a World Cup semifinal.That’s exactly where Laporte finds himself on Tuesday in Dallas.MORE: Christian Pulisic gives a terrible answer after World Cup-ending lossSimply, France wasn’t calling Laporte to the senior national team, and so Laporte looked for a different route.He is of Basque descent, which allowed him to sign with Athletic Club in Spain’s La Liga, and while there, he eventually started to look for a way to add Spanish citizenship and potentially play for Spain.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFrance hadn’t picked him for the 2016 European Championship, which sparked this initial action toward finding another route toward national team opportunties.He actually didn’t follow through immediately, though, and was called up to a pair of 2018 World Cup qualifiers, but he didn’t play in those matches at all. He missed two more France qualifying games in 2020 due to injury, and so he never got onto the field for France.In 2021, he decided to fully go down the path of joining Spain.Laporte was born in Agen in southwestern France to two French parents.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe suited up 51 times at youth level for France.He has played more now at senior level for Spain than he did at youth level for France.Erling Haaland brought a wild $750 gift home from the World CupAn on-brand finish to Neymar’s Brazil careerLionel Messi makes announcer lose his mind in 35-second goal callWhy France sends kickoffs directly out of playActor who played Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso makes pro soccer debut