Naturalisation has been a hot topic in Chinese football over the past half-decade, and the latest development has garnered the attention of many.
The China National Team continues to hunt for a place in the 2026 World Cup, having claimed three vital points in a 2–1 victory over Indonesia earlier this week, and their sights are now on the future as their hopes of qualifying have not yet died.
With the team sitting just two points back of automatic qualification, a few hard-fought results could give them a genuine chance of at least making the next stage of qualifying — making their case even stronger.
With that, searching for ways to strengthen the squad as much as possible appears to be at the forefront of the Chinese FA’s minds, as talk on naturalisation has reappeared after months of quiet.
Earlier this year, Cangzhou Mighty Lions’ Oscar Maritu and Changchun Yatai’s Serginho were both mentioned as candidates for switching allegiances, given their longevity in the Middle Kingdom.
Maritu has played his entire professional career in China while Serginho is approaching five years of service with Changchun and looks set to stay for the long term as team captain.
While Maritu’s case softened after a poor stretch of form this year, Serginho’s has reignited now that the national team has a chance of qualifying for the World Cup.
Reports have suggested the 29-year-old’s case could be expedited in order to integrate him within the national team setup as soon as possible, allowing him the chance to play a meaningful role in upcoming qualifiers.
November is the next time China plays, but it’s unclear if Serginho’s case, assuming he accepts the call, could be resolved in time for those fixtures.
If he were to be brought in, he would provide China with a boost in midfield. He is capable of holding down a central role or even lining up out wide and further forward in attack.
He would bring an offensive style that could help the team’s attacking play, with 13 goal contributions (including seven of his own) through 21 league matches with Changchun Yatai.
Through 97 total appearances, Serginho has contributed to 50 goals with the northeastern club, showing how important he is in the attacking third despite his best role being in central midfield.
While he likely won’t have a lengthy international career, turning 30 in 2025, he could certainly be an impactful player for at least the next five years and give Team Dragon another valuable asset that was previously not an option.
This is still speculation until the process is completed, if it ever does, but it’s certainly something that could boost hopes for China on the international stage and is unsurprising to see brought up again considering their qualifying position.