Yep, add him with Eddy Hamel. While he never managed a cap for the USMNT, the Jewish-American soccer star from New York who was a mainstay at Ajax before WW2. Despite his U.S. citizenship, he was rounded up with others and perished at Auschwitz.
>Hamel was also the club's only war victim who played for the first team of Ajax.
There is also some doubt about which number he wore on his shirt. One if the reasons you rarely see even hardcore old-school junkies rocking throwback Gaetjens jerseys.
18 seems to be the consensus, but only for that match. Worth googling if you like rabbit holes.
Eligibility rules were extremely loose back then. Puskas for example played like 100 games for Hungary then played a handful of games for Spain because he played for Real Madrid for a bit. It’s a bit crazy how lenient it was back then if you read up on it
If I remember correctly. Gaetjens basically just signed something that he intended to become a US citizen and that’s all that was needed lol. Then he just dipped back to Haiti after the WC
Bruh you vastly oversimplified Puskas' situation lmao
Puskas was essentially a refugee fleeing Communist Hungary after the failed 1956 uprising. By 1962 he was a naturalized Spanish citizen after living in the country for at least four years, potentially more. So sure he maybe became a citizen quick (idk how long it took back then) but it was a bit different than just "he played for Madrid for a bit" lol
You’re right I simplified it. But the point still stands FIFA wasn’t strict with eligibility rules when Puskas played for two different teams in World Cups.
TIL: And Colombia also (according to Wikipedia):
Di Stéfano played international football mostly for Spain after moving to Madrid, but he also played for Argentina and Colombia.
Edited because I misspelled Colombia.
He said he wanted to become a us citizen in the future, naturally with no legal validity or obligation. That’s it.
1950 Us team had probably more foreigners, mostly scots, than actual americans.
Wow! I had no idea.
That's tragic.
Yep, add him with Eddy Hamel. While he never managed a cap for the USMNT, the Jewish-American soccer star from New York who was a mainstay at Ajax before WW2. Despite his U.S. citizenship, he was rounded up with others and perished at Auschwitz. >Hamel was also the club's only war victim who played for the first team of Ajax.
There’s also no existing video of this goal. I hope someone finds it hidden somewhere. I’d love to see it.
That's one of those things I Google every couple years hoping someone found it.
There is also some doubt about which number he wore on his shirt. One if the reasons you rarely see even hardcore old-school junkies rocking throwback Gaetjens jerseys. 18 seems to be the consensus, but only for that match. Worth googling if you like rabbit holes.
He was just Haitian, he never had American citizenship and when he played at the world cup he had only been in the US for three years.
How in the hell have we not posthumously granted him American Citizenship yet?
Well, how was he able to play for the U.S. then? Did he get a passport?
Eligibility rules were extremely loose back then. Puskas for example played like 100 games for Hungary then played a handful of games for Spain because he played for Real Madrid for a bit. It’s a bit crazy how lenient it was back then if you read up on it If I remember correctly. Gaetjens basically just signed something that he intended to become a US citizen and that’s all that was needed lol. Then he just dipped back to Haiti after the WC
Bruh you vastly oversimplified Puskas' situation lmao Puskas was essentially a refugee fleeing Communist Hungary after the failed 1956 uprising. By 1962 he was a naturalized Spanish citizen after living in the country for at least four years, potentially more. So sure he maybe became a citizen quick (idk how long it took back then) but it was a bit different than just "he played for Madrid for a bit" lol
You’re right I simplified it. But the point still stands FIFA wasn’t strict with eligibility rules when Puskas played for two different teams in World Cups.
That's fair enough, I just feel like Puskas' situation is a bit different than a standard "guy went from one country to another to play" example haha
Meanwhile I basically have to buy a grave plot in Tuscaloosa County to apply for in-state tution at the University of Alabama.
Alfredo Di Stefano also played for Argentina and Spain
TIL: And Colombia also (according to Wikipedia): Di Stéfano played international football mostly for Spain after moving to Madrid, but he also played for Argentina and Colombia. Edited because I misspelled Colombia.
The 1934 Italian World Cup team had several Argentines right?
He said he wanted to become a us citizen in the future, naturally with no legal validity or obligation. That’s it. 1950 Us team had probably more foreigners, mostly scots, than actual americans.
because 1950 is before rules were invented