If the Ottoman Empire Still Existed and had a Football Team in the World Cup

The Ottoman Empire stretched from the Arabian Peninsula to North African and the Balkans.

Here are 11 footballers who either hail from former Ottoman controlled territories or are descendents of parents who emigrated from those territories.

Asmir Begovic (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Xherdan Shaqiri (Albanian Descent)
Nuri Şahin (Turkey)
Ahmed Elmohamady (Egypt)
Hatem Ben Arfa (Tunisian Descent)
Sami Khadera (Tunisian Descent)
Mesut Özil (Turkish Descent)
Edin Dzeko (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Samir Nasri (Algerian Descent)
Karim Benzema (Algerian Descent)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt)