Nicolo Tresoldi: How a Serie A goalkeeper without a national team spot

Warning example: Nicolo Tresoldi How a Serie A goalkeeper, despite the best season, fails to secure a national team spot, is illustrated by the story of Mile Svilar, who has not been in the squad since his sole international break five years ago.

Fateful decision in Debrecen

On 1 September 2021, a Wednesday evening in the Hungarian city of Debrecen, Qatar faced Serbia in a friendly. The Serbs won comfortably 4‑0, but for the then 22‑year‑old Mile Svilar the match was a turning point, as he was substituted in for Predrag Rajkovic in the second half.

Although Svilar remained in the Serbian squad for the next four World Cup qualifying matches, he did not feature again. Thus the Debrecen lineup remained his only A‑international appearance, even though he developed at AS Rome into one of Europe’s top keepers and was voted the best goalkeeper of Serie A in the 2025/26 season.

Best Serie A keeper, but no national team place

Svilar, now 27, was born in August 1999 in Antwerp and grew up in Belgium. His father Ratko Svilar, nine‑time Yugoslav national goalkeeper, ended his professional career in 1996 after 16 years with Royal Antwerp.

At ten years old, Mile moved from Beerschot AC to RSC Anderlecht, progressed through all Belgian youth national teams and played at the 2016 U‑17 European Championship. In 2017, he left Anderlecht at age 18 for Benfica and told UEFA.com at the time: “I learned a lot from my father, almost everything. I have the same style as him.”

His father’s advice to play for his native Serbia led to his decision to leave the Belgian national team – a move he made at 22 after 26 youth international caps for Belgium, because the prospect of becoming number one in Belgium seemed hardly realistic given Thibaut Courtois.

The FIFA statutes, specifically the “One‑Way‑Rule”, prevent a player who has made an A‑international appearance for a new country from returning to the former association. Since Svilar played for Serbia in September 2021, a switch back to Belgium is impossible.

Fight for a FIFA exemption

Since his move from Benfica to Roma in 2022, Svilar has been seeking a special exemption from FIFA to be allowed to play for Belgium after all. Despite repeated applications, the rule remains in place, and Svilar must come to terms with the situation.

Mile Svilar’s story serves as a warning example for young talents like Nicolo Tresoldi, who consider what price a national decision can exact in the context of Serie A success and a personal career.