Mason Greenwood, former Manchester United player who was suspended from the club after allegations of attempted rape and assault, is close to becoming an international player for Jamaica. The Football Association said that Greenwood would no longer be called upon the national English team, thus, in the summer of 2024, he initiated paperwork to be eligible for the Jamaican national team.
Although Greenwood was born in West Yorkshire, England, his father was born in Jamaica, making him eligible for both countries. Greenwood had already decided he would like to play for England, and he did play once as a substitute during a Nations League match against Iceland in September 2020.
Rules say that if a player has made an appearance on a national team, he should not be allowed to switch sides. However, FIFA recently made the rules less strict for players under 21 who had played less than four games with a national team. According to outlets like Manchester Evening News, Greenwood has completed the necessary paperwork to switch international allegiances.
In January 2022, Mason Greenwood was accused by his girlfriend of assault and attempted rape. Manchester United suspended him, Nike suspended relationships, and he was even removed from the FIFA video games. One year later, prosecution dropped all charges, citing withdrawal of key witnesses and new material.
By that point, ostracism towards Greenwood was total, both by the English national team, who closed their doors on him, and Manchester United, who loaned him to Getafe and later sold him to Marseille. He is currently Ligue's 1 top scorer.