The Politics of Nation Switching

This past month, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2022 Winter Olympics have dominated the world of sports media. Not only are both of these events at the height of international sporting competition, but they have also managed to pick up mainstream news coverage on the topic of nation switching. Athletes have come under fire for deciding to forgo their birth nations in favor of another. In a globalized world, athletes are increasingly choosing their nationality based on economic and sporting opportunity rather than national ties. The idea of nation switching is an idea as old as international—or…