FIFA officially announced that Chen Dayi's affiliation has changed from the Netherlands to Curaçao, ending any chance with the Chinese national team, which is regrettable but no longer discussable.

The 25-year-old Chinese-descendant player Chen Dayi, formerly known as Zhong Taixi during his Manchester United days, has had his FIFA player affiliation updated: he has switched from the Dutch Football Association to the Curaçao Football Association. This means Chen Dayi will represent Curaçao in the World Cup qualifiers, fulfilling his World Cup ambitions and completely ruling out any future with the Chinese national team.

Curaçao’s previous national team roster has included Chen Dayi. Currently ranked 86th by FIFA, Curaçao will compete in the CONCACAF final round (12 teams divided into 3 groups of 4, with 3 direct World Cup spots and 2 intercontinental playoff spots). Curaçao is grouped withJamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bermudain the same group.

Curaçao has a population of only 150,000. Since the 2026 World Cup hoststhe United States, Canada, and Mexicoautomatically qualify, Curaçao has a promising chance to pursue their dream of reaching the 2026 World Cup.

Chen Dayi, aged 25, stands 1.85 meters tall, is left-footed, and can play as an attacking midfielder or winger. According to Transfermarkt, he is valued at 5 million euros. He currently plays for Luton (recently relegated twice, now in League One), is a key player, and last season made 30 Championship appearances with 2 goals and 1 assist.

Chen Dayi had previously expressed willingness to represent the Chinese national team, so his naturalization by Curaçao is seen as a great pity by Chinese football fans. It should be noted that Chen Dayi isa fourth-generation Chinese descendantand the Chinese Football Association cannot naturalize him using the bloodline method like with Jiang Guangtai or Li Ke. Instead, he must reside continuously in China for five years to meet naturalization requirements, similar to the foreign naturalization process used for Sergiño. Therefore, the possibility of Chen Dayi naturalizing for China is almost zero, making any regret unfounded.