Hugo Bueno, a young Wolves player, will make his international debut on Friday night for a country that is not recognized by FIFA or UEFA.
Throughout the 2023/24 season, many Wolves first-team players have had their performances recognised by their respective countries. While several of the team members are already regular internationals, many stars have only recently made their debuts for their respective countries.
Toti Gomes and Jose Sa made their debuts for Portugal back in November. Joao Gomes also made his debut for Brazil in a 1-0 win over England in March.
Hugo Bueno is now likely to be added to this list. However, it is not for the country you would have anticipated.
Hugo Bueno set to make international debut for Galicia
Hugo Bueno was born in Vigo, Spain. While this makes him eligible for the Spanish national team, it also allows him to play for Galicia.
The Galicia national football team represents the region of Galicia, which is located in the top left corner of Spain, just above Portugal.
They have an official football team, like do many of the Mediterranean countries’ autonomous areas. However, FIFA and UEFA do not acknowledge this, thus they are only permitted to play friendly matches.
This is not uncommon in football, as regions such as the Basque Country and Catalonia also have teams.
Hugo Bueno will now compete for a regional team, joining a select few others. Galicia has called up the wing-back for a friendly match against Panama on Friday night.
It will be Galicia’s sixth friendly since the turn of the century, with Hugo Bueno the lone Premier League representative on the squad.
While the encounter may not be on the same level as many of the international games taking place this summer, it is still a valuable experience for the 21-year-old.
Panama is a decent national team that famously advanced to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
He will share a changing room with other players who have played internationally for Spain.
Most notably, former Wolves player Jonny. Hopefully, this will be another stepping stone for Hugo Bueno, allowing him to fulfill his full potential. The wing-back struggled to make an impact during the 2023/24 season.
However, now that the summer vacation has begun, the Spaniard has every opportunity of returning stronger in the upcoming season.
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