# List of Chinese naturalized footballers

Chinese naturalized footballers are association football players originally from another country who changed their nationality to Chinese (People's Republic of China) via naturalization.

## History

Born in 1990 in Shanghai to a Tanzanian father and Chinese mother, Eddy Francis made one appearance for the China national under-14 football team in 2004. This was the first time a multiracial player has appeared for a China national football team of any level.
Since 2019, China had begun a series of naturalization on foreign-based players in order to improve the China national team's fortunes, with the naturalization of Nico Yennaris, an English-born Cypriot and Chinese player. After the naturalization of Yennaris, China continued its naturalization process, with Tyias Browning, another English-born player with Chinese ancestry, being naturalized. Subsequently, Elkeson, a Brazilian player with no Chinese ancestry, was naturalized to become the 90th Brazilian who chose to represent another team outside Brazil.

## List of naturalized footballers

The following is a list of notable Chinese naturalized footballers. Footballers who have non-Chinese descent but likely had Chinese nationality at birth (e.g. Eddy Francis) or who are not notable, do not appear in the list.
If the player has previously participated in official matches on behalf of other national teams, he will still not be able to play for the Chinese national team after acquiring or restoring Chinese nationality. However, he can participate in Chinese football competitions as a domestic player.
| Origin name (Chinese name) | Born | Origin nation | Naturalized | Eligible for China | Chinese ancestry | Reason of naturalization |
| John Hou Sæter (Hou Yongyong) | 1998 | Norway | 2019 | Y | Y | Born in Trondheim to a Norwegian father and a Chinese mother. His ancestral home is in Luoyang, Henan. |
| Alexander N'Doumbou (Qian Jiegei) | 1992 | Gabon | 2019 | N | Y | Born in Port-Gentil to a Gabonese father and a Chinese mother. His ancestral home is in Zhejiang. |
| Nico Yennaris (Li Ke) | 1993 | England | 2019 | Y | Y | Born in Leytonstone to a Cypriot father and a mother of Chinese origin. His ancestral home is in Guangdong. |
| Pedro Delgado (De Erjiaduo) | 1997 | Portugal | 2019 | Y | N | Unknown; no Chinese ancestry. |
| Elkeson (Ai Kesen) | 1989 | Brazil | 2019 | Y | N | Settled in China for a long time; no Chinese ancestry. |
| Tyias Browning (Jiang Guangtai) | 1994 | England | 2019 | Y | Y | Born in Liverpool to a mother of Chinese origin. His ancestral home is in Jiangmen, Guangdong. |
| Aloísio (Luo Guofu) | 1988 | Brazil | 2019 | Y | N | Settled in China for a long time; no Chinese ancestry. |
| Alan Carvalho (A Lan) | 1989 | Brazil | 2019 | Y | N | Settled in China for a long time; no Chinese ancestry. |
| Ricardo Goulart (Gao Late) | 1991 | Brazil | 2019–2021 | N | N | Settled in China for a long time; no Chinese ancestry. Renounced Chinese nationality in late 2021. |
| Fernandinho (Fei Nanduo) | 1993 | Brazil | 2020 | Y | N | Settled in China for a long time; no Chinese ancestry. |
| Roberto Siucho (Xiao Taotao) | 1997 | Peru | 2020–2023 | N | Y | Born in Lima to a father of Chinese origin. His ancestral home is in Zhongshan, Guangdong. Renunciated Chinese nationality in early 2023. |
| Serginho (Sai Erjini'ao) | 1995 | Brazil | 2025 | Y | N | Settled in China for a long time; no Chinese ancestry. |