&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Life of Dejan Stankovic: Only man to represent three different countries at three FIFA World Cups")
Dejan Stankovic is not just another name in football folklore, but one that has a distinctive piece of history attached to it. A former Serbian midfielder is the only player in this sport’s more than a hundred-year-old history to have represented three different countries in three different FIFA World Cups. Known for his powerful long-range shooting and elite versatility, Stankovic represented Yugoslavia in the 1998 edition in France before doing so for Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. In the 2010 edition in South Africa, he finally played for his birth country, Serbia.
Stankovic’s strange nationality conundrum
As a 19-year-old during the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, the lanky midfielder played for Yugoslavia. Bursting onto the World Cup scene for Red Star Belgrade, Stankovic scored three goals during the qualification and began the tournament on a high before his team suffered a painful round-of-16 exit.
Eight years after the ‘Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’ changed its political structure - no longer a tight republic but rather a loose partnership between two states, Stankovic captained Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. His team suffered an early exit, with title contenders Argentina and the Netherlands also placed in the same group.
For what is unimaginable, the country underwent another political separation in the meantime. The midfield maestro returned to the world stage in his final World Cup in South Africa in 2010 to captain an independent Serbia. He flagged off his WC career with a famous 1-0 win over Germany in the group stage.
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In total, he had 103 international caps, scoring 15 times.
Domestic giant
Following a trophy-laden spell with Lazio in Serie A, Stankovic moved to Inter Milan in 2004. His switch turned the tables around for himself and the club, as he became an integral part of the side, which, under Jose Mourinho in 2010, won the historic Champions League title. Besides that, the midfield king also won six Serie A crowns.
