Bizarre impasse for Mile Svilar: Serie A top keeper, but no national team

Mile Svilar, 27-year-old born in Antwerp, belongs to the absolute top of Serie A at AS Roma, but he cannot currently break into any national team. The goalkeeper has dominated the best goalkeepers of the Italian league for two seasons, while a decision from 2021 still haunts him.

International career in a bind

Svilar progressed through the Belgian youth selections from U15 to U20, after which Benfica took him in 2017 for €2.5 million. In September 2021 he accepted a call‑up from Serbia, the country of his parents, and played 45 minutes in a friendly match against Qatar. That single appearance made him, according to FIFA rules, ineligible to switch national teams again, because he had already played official youth internationals for Belgium.

Why Belgium is no longer an option

Although sportingly the path to a regular place at Belgium seemed difficult at the time because of Thibaut Courtois, FIFA regulations now block any return. Belgium cannot select him, and Serbia no longer calls him up after he indicated he wanted to play for Belgium again.

Roma’s undisputed number one

At AS Roma Svilar has become an undisputed number one; the club even calls him the best goalkeeper of Serie A of the past two seasons. His father, former Yugoslav international Ratko Svilar, played a key role in the decision to represent Serbia, but the current situation leaves the goalkeeper without an international career. According to, Svilar’s entourage continues to search for a solution behind the scenes. For the World Cup an exit was already tried to be found, but FIFA would not want to make an exception for now. It remains an unresolved issue that makes the future of the 27‑year‑old Antwerper uncertain.