--- title: "Karpaty academy graduate Ivan Zhelizko receives Polish citizenship: Ludogorets midfielder may change his sports nationality" description: "Ukrainian midfielder Ivan Zhelizko, a product of Karpaty and current player for Bulgaria's Ludogorets, has received Polish citizenship along with his family. This formally opens the possibility for him to play for the Polish national team, as he has not yet debuted for the senior Ukrainian squad." date: 2026-11-10T15:00:43.257Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ivan-zhelizko-receives-polish-citizenship-ludogorets tags: [ivan-zhelizko, poland-national-team, ukraine-football, ludogorets, karpaty-lviv, football-citizenship] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Karpaty academy graduate Ivan Zhelizko receives Polish citizenship: Ludogorets midfielder may change his sports nationality ![Footballer Ivan Zhelizko in Ludogorets kit celebrating a goal on the pitch](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/ivan-zhelizko-polushchil-grazhdanstvo-polshi-ludogorets/ivan-zhelizko-polushchil-grazhdanstvo-polshi-ludogorets-1.webp) ## Key Points - Ivan Zhelizko and his family have received Polish citizenship, confirmed by Meczyki and journalist Maciej Slominski - The midfielder has not debuted for the senior Ukrainian national team, so he is formally eligible to change his sports nationality to Poland - In the summer of 2026, Zhelizko moved from Poland to Bulgarian Ludogorets, where he has played 4 matches with 1 goal and 2 assists - The footballer himself has not commented on the citizenship decision or his intentions regarding the national team Ukrainian midfielder Ivan Zhelizko, a product of the Lviv Karpaty academy, has received Polish citizenship along with his family members. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the Polish publication Meczyki and journalist Maciej Slominski. The footballer himself had not commented on the decision at the time of publication. The fact of acquiring a second passport is confirmed by two independent Ukrainian sports outlets, which rely on the same Polish source. ### Career path: from Lviv academy to the Bulgarian league Zhelizko began his football career in the Lviv Karpaty system, but has been performing outside of Ukraine since 2019. During this time, the midfielder has played in the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Poland, where he spent several seasons. In the summer of 2026, Zhelizko left the Polish championship and joined the Bulgarian club Ludogorets, managed by former Shakhtar Donetsk coach Igor Jovicevic. Thus, in four years of his foreign career, the midfielder has changed four countries, which is typical for players of his generation looking for optimal development conditions. ### Status in international teams: a window of opportunity A key aspect of obtaining a Polish passport relates to the footballer's international status. Zhelizko has represented Ukraine’s youth and U-21 teams, but he has never debuted for the country's senior national team. Under FIFA rules, a player who has not played a single match for a senior national team (or has not played in qualifying/final tournaments) retains the right to change his sports nationality if he holds citizenship of another country. Thus, a Polish passport formally opens the door for Zhelizko to play for the Polish national team. At the same time, the midfielder has previously spoken in interviews about his desire to progress in club football and did not rule out the dream of being called up to the Ukrainian national team. ### Current form at Ludogorets Following his summer move to the Bulgarian club, Zhelizko has played four matches, scoring one goal and providing two assists. The stats look decent for a midfielder still integrating into a new team, although his amount of playing time is currently limited. Ludogorets, under the management of Jovicevic, is traditionally one of the strongest clubs in Bulgaria and regularly participates in European competitions, which gives Zhelizko a platform for further development and to attract attention from national teams — both from Poland and Ukraine. ### What’s next: the player’s decision It is currently unknown whether Zhelizko intends to consider playing for the Polish national team. Obtaining citizenship is only the first step, creating a legal possibility; the final decision on which flag to play under on the international stage remains with the player. So far, he has not made any public statements about changing his sports nationality or his intention to remain loyal to the Ukrainian team. In the football environment, such decisions are often made taking into account recommendations from agents, coaching staff, and personal ambitions, so the topic may take concrete shape in the coming months. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Воспитанник "Карпат" вместе с семьей получил гражданство Польши](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/vihovanets-karpat-razom-iz-rodinoyu-otrimav-1794319115.html) - Original source. Confirms citizenship, cites Meczyki and Maciej Slominski. Outlines career path, stats at Ludogorets (4 matches, 1 goal, 2 assists), and the fact that he hasn't debuted for the senior Ukrainian team. - [Воспитанник Карпат променял Украину на Польшу – уже получил гражданство](https://football24.ua/ru/news/vospitannik-karpat-promenjal-ukrainu-na-polshu-uzhe-poluchil-grazhdanstvo-975571) - Independent confirmation of the same fact. Same figures: 4 matches, 1 goal, 2 assists. Same reference to Meczyki and Slominski. The headline includes editorial evaluation, but the factual part matches the original source. ## FAQ ### Why is Zhelizko eligible to play for Poland? Because he has not played a single match for the senior Ukrainian national team. He has only appeared for youth and U-21 teams, which, under FIFA rules, allows a player to change sports nationality if they possess another country's citizenship. ### Where is Ivan Zhelizko playing now? In the summer of 2026, he moved from the Polish league to Bulgarian Ludogorets, managed by Igor Jovicevic. Since the move, he has played four matches, scored one goal, and provided two assists. ### Has Zhelizko commented on receiving Polish citizenship? No, at the time of publication, the footballer had not made any public statements regarding his citizenship or his intentions to play for Poland or Ukraine. ### Where did the information about the citizenship come from? The information appeared in the Polish publication Meczyki, citing journalist Maciej Slominski. Ukrainian outlets Sport RBC.UA and football24.ua confirmed this fact.