It is said that no one is a prophet in their own land, but Matías Fernández‑Pardo (born in Belgium in 2005) has spent years trying to prove otherwise.

The Lille striker, who holds three passports, could have played for Spain, France, or Belgium — and he represented Belgium at every youth level from U‑15 onward. But after breaking out last season in Ligue 1, scoring six goals and adding four assists at just 19, and with Spain struggling to produce top‑tier strikers, the Spanish federation made its move.

Spain called — four times — and he still said no

First, Spain’s U‑21 coach Santi Denia invited him to join preparations for the 2025 U‑21 Euros. Matías accepted the call‑up but never showed, citing an injury. Behind the scenes, though, the buzz was different: with multiple national teams courting him and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, he wanted to wait and see who would offer him a senior spot first.

Denia tried again in June. Same result. Months later, U‑20 coach Paco Gallardo reached out ahead of the U‑20 World Cup. No luck. Finally, in November, David Gordo made one last attempt — and got the same answer.

If Peter denied Jesus three times, Matías denied Spain four.

With the World Cup approaching, he made his choice

As the World Cup drew closer and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente — who had even included Matías in early provisional lists — locked in his roster, Fernández‑Pardo made his decision: he would play for Belgium, the one team ready to take him to this World Cup.

After all that back‑and‑forth, he ended up right where he started — with the Red Devils.

A bench role, but an official commitment

Fernández‑Pardo made his Belgium debut in a World Cup warm‑up friendly against Croatia, coming on for 17 minutes in the second half of a 2–0 win. He played another 16 minutes in a 5–0 rout of Tunisia. In both matches, coach Rudi Garcia made it clear: Matías would be, at best, an impact sub.

Across Belgium’s World Cup games so far, he’s logged 40 total minutes — enough to officially tie him to Belgium under FIFA rules. Spain is no longer an option.

Belgium’s hierarchy is set

In both matches, Garcia opted for Charles De Ketelaere as a false nine instead of a traditional striker. And if Belgium needs a true No. 9, the choice is obvious: Romelu Lukaku, one of the team’s most respected veterans and a consistent force for the Red Devils.

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