Cameron Puertas, a rising star with Union Saint-Gilloise, had aspirations of representing Switzerland on the international stage, but a past legal issue is now delaying his national team debut.
Puertas, who holds Spanish citizenship but was born and trained in Switzerland, was a key player for Union before a significant transfer to Al-Qadsiah for over 15 million. He is currently on loan with Werder Bremen, where he has become a regular starter in the Bundesliga.
Despite his consistent performance in Germany, Puertas will be ineligible for selection by the Swiss national team, a situation stemming from legal infractions committed during his youth.
Delayed National Team Dreams
In 2017, at the age of 19, Puertas had his driver’s license temporarily revoked and was found driving one day before the suspension expired. Two years later, in 2019, he used his mother’s license plates on his vehicle. Both incidents resulted in a criminal record.
While the record was cleared in October 2025, Swiss law requires a ten-year waiting period from the date of the offense before naturalization can be completed, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Migration, as reported by Swiss newspaper La Liberté. This impacts his eligibility for the national team.
Cameron Puertas will not be able to represent Switzerland until 2029, when he will be 31 years old. The forward reportedly wishes he had chosen public transportation if he’d known the consequences of his actions.
