This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On September 20, 2019, Ansu Fati, the 16-year-old starlet from Barcelona, was granted Spanish citizenship, allowing him to represent Spain at international level.
The decision was made by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's cabinet, which approved a request from the justice minister to grant Fati Spanish citizenship during its weekly meeting.
Fati, who was born in Guinea-Bissau, moved to Spain with his family in 2009 at the age of seven. He joined Barcelona's prestigious youth academy La Masia at 10 and has since become a key player for the club.
With his new citizenship, Fati is now eligible to play for Spain's national team. His first major tournament could be the Under-17 World Cup in Brazil, which begins on October 26 and ends on November 17.
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde expressed concerns that Fati's participation in the tournament could be a setback for the club, as he could miss seven games.
"We will wait for him to be called up first," said Valverde. "But it would be a setback because he is a player that is contributing a lot to us at the moment."
