{
    "title": "Red Devils: Matias Fernandez-Pardo opts for the Belgian national team ",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-12 15:52:21",
    "published_at": "2026-05-12 15:52:00",
    "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/red-devils-matias-fernandez-pardo-opts-for-the-belgian-national-team",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/MAGd",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "red-devils-matias-fernandez-pardo-opts-for-the-belgian-national-team",
    "body": "<p><strong>Matias Fernandez-Pardo has definitively decided to play for the Belgian national team, the Red Devils. He is therefore eligible to be selected to represent Belgium at the World Cup. National team manager Rudi Garcia will announce his World Cup squad on Friday.</strong></p><p>For a long time, it seemed as though former Belgian youth international Matias Fernandez-Pardo would never play for the Red Devils. Last year, he changed his preferred nationality to Spanish. In principle, that preferred nationality can only be changed once, but an exception is possible if the player has not played for his new federation. In that case, the player must submit a new application for a change, which must then be processed by FIFA.</p><p>As the green light has apparently been given, Fernandez-Pardo can be selected to go to the World Cup as a Belgian international. On Friday, national team manager Rudi Garcia will announce his World Cup squad.</p><p>&ldquo;The choice for Belgium wasn&rsquo;t easy, because I feel a strong connection to both Belgium and Spain,&rdquo; said Fernandez-Pardo. &ldquo;The positive and honest discussions with Rudi Garcia and Vincent Mannaert ultimately helped tip the balance in favour of choosing Belgium. In addition, playing alongside my club-mates Thomas Meunier and Nathan Ngoy at Lille further strengthened my decision. They helped me to confirm my feelings, both on and off the pitch. I look forward to giving my all for the Belgian national team.&quot;</p><div id=\"bookmark-380d0a1f-cd4b-4ae0-bbfa-f3bd237f15e6\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/allez-allez-belgium-unveils-official-world-cup-anthem\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2Fe2a674b1-d32b-4658-9bc5-7d13080d20d9%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=707269361ca3849b128a164589d5e676)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/allez-allez-belgium-unveils-official-world-cup-anthem\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"380d0a1f-cd4b-4ae0-bbfa-f3bd237f15e6\"\n           >\n                Allez Allez: Belgium unveils official World Cup anthem            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                The Belgian FA has launched its official World Cup anthem. Kiss The Grass (Allez Allez) is a collaboration between Flemish singer Sylvie Kreusch...            </div>\n        \n        <a href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/\"\n           target=\"_blank\"\n           rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"\n           class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider\"\n        >\n            <img class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider-icon\" src=\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Fallez-allez-belgium-unveils-official-world-cup-anthem&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\" aria-hidden=\"true\" />\n            belganewsagency.eu        </a>\n    </div>\n</div>\n<p>The 21-year-old has come into his own this season at the French side Lille, which signed him two years ago for 11.5 million euros from the Belgian team AA Gent. In forty matches this season, the Brussels-born forward has eight goals and seven assists to his name. He scored five of those goals in the past two months.</p><p>Up front, the Red Devils could do with some fresh blood. Lo&iuml;s Openda is barely getting any playing time at Juventus and has never really impressed for the national team. Romelu Lukaku last started a match almost a year ago after a season plagued by injuries and is travelling to the US without match fitness, whilst Charles De Ketelaere and Leandro Trossard are not true centre-forwards and perform better in other positions.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><sup>Matias Fernandez-Pardo &copy; PHOTO PRESSESPORTS/AUTISSIER JEAN BAPTISTE</sup></p><hr /><p><strong>Related news</strong></p><div id=\"bookmark-3e3c5cca-b5eb-4bcb-8e4a-a1eb6945953c\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-loses-another-football-talent-as-rayane-bounida-opts-for-morocco#header-proactive-approach\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2F04c8237e-37d8-4f5c-acfc-d203370a5b01%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=2296594bc2696a002a678d4f95031078)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-loses-another-football-talent-as-rayane-bounida-opts-for-morocco#header-proactive-approach\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"3e3c5cca-b5eb-4bcb-8e4a-a1eb6945953c\"\n           >\n                Belgium loses another football talent as Rayane Bounida opts for Morocco            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                Rayane Bounida will not play for the Belgian national team, as the AFC Ajax winger has chosen to represent Morocco. 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    },
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        {
            "description": "Allez Allez: Belgium unveils official World Cup anthem",
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            "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-loses-another-football-talent-as-rayane-bounida-opts-for-morocco#header-proactive-approach"
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            "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-chooses-seattle-as-base-camp-for-2026-world-cup"
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    ],
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Flanders",
        "last_name": "News Service"
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