In September, Maximiliano Gutierrez became the first Chilean to play for Dynamo Moscow in an official match. We have no doubt that Josue Casimir will soon become the first Haitian in the history of the blue and whites. Against this background, we decided to recall other Dynamo players who are still the only representatives of their countries in our club.
1992 – Turkmenistan
First on our list is a product of Ashgabat football, Vladimir Kostyuk, who played for Dynamo in both the final edition of the USSR Cup and the inaugural Russian championship. The Turkmen midfielder — who earned six caps for his national team — played 14 matches for our club and won a bronze medal.
2004 – Latvia and South Africa
Neither midfielder Dillon Sheppard (14 caps for South Africa) nor forward Andrejs Prohorenkovs (33 caps for Latvia, including three games at Euro 2004) managed to make a significant mark at Petrovsky Park; they played just six and five matches for Dynamo, respectively, during one of the "White-and-Blues'" most unsuccessful seasons.
Dillon subsequently moved to the Greek club Panionios but did not stay long; he returned home, where he is now part of the coaching staff at the Kaizer Chiefs, one of the country's most popular clubs. Andrejs left Dynamo in 2005 and went on to play in Spain, Greece, and his native Latvia, where he won the league title with Metalurgs. He passed away last year at the age of 48 due to cancer.
2005 – Greece
Another player — one with a far higher profile from the Euro 2004 tournament — also did not stay long at Dynamo. Defender Giourkas Seitaridis, who had been named to the tournament's All-Star Team, arrived in Moscow as a European champion (he earned 72 caps for Greece in total). However, he played only 10 matches for Dynamo — including the memorable game against FC Moscow where the starting lineup featured 11 foreign players. He subsequently spent three seasons with Atlético Madrid before returning to Panathinaikos to finish his career; he currently works with the club's youth setup.
2006 – Argentina and Peru
Just as in the current year, 2006 saw Dynamo add players from two Latin American nations to its roster. While Andrés Mendoza (44 caps for Peru) returned to Metallurg Donetsk after just six months and five appearances for Dynamo, Leandro Fernández went on to become one of the most significant foreign players in the club's history.
The 2004 Olympic champion stayed in Russia for a full eight years, playing 235 matches (a record for foreign players at Dynamo) and scoring 16 goals. The Argentine defender played a key role in the team winning the bronze medal in 2008 and secured a lasting place in the hearts of Dynamo fans. Leo finished his career at his boyhood club, Newell's Old Boys, and at the Uruguayan side Danubio. He is currently involved in the construction of sports facilities in Rosario and owns a dog food manufacturing company.
2008 – Australia
During that same period, another fan-favorite defender, Luke Wilkshire, played alongside Fernández. This Australian international (78 caps) joined the team midway through the 2008 season and helped secure the bronze medals. In total, he recorded two goals in 170 matches (ranking second among Dynamo’s foreign players); his final appearances came during the 2016/17 season, when the team won the FNL championship. In 2018, Luke began his coaching career back home, serving on the staffs of both the youth and senior national teams; he currently manages the Wollongong Wolves.
2012 – Austria, Hungary, and Ecuador
This was the only year that saw three new additions to our list at once. In January, the team was joined by Christian Noboa from Rubin (83 caps for Ecuador) and Balázs Dzsudzsák from Anzhi (109 caps for Hungary). Both spent four seasons at Dynamo and were key figures in a squad that, at times, impressed observers not only in the Russian Premier League but also in European competitions. Noboa (92 matches and 12 goals for Dynamo)—a three-time Russian champion—retired in his home country in late 2024, while Dzsudzsák (112 matches and 13 goals for Dynamo), who turns 40 this December, is still playing for his hometown club, Debrecen.
Left winger Jakob Jantscher’s stint at Dynamo lasted just one season, after which he returned to Salzburg following his loan spell. Notably, his statistics in Russia and for the Austrian national team are identical: 23 matches and one goal. After retiring last summer, Jakob turned to coaching and spent six months on the staff of Sturm Graz’s second team.
2013 – Congo
Like Dzsudzsák, Christopher Samba (26 caps for Congo) joined Dynamo from Anzhi; he is remembered not only for his defensive solidity but also for his goal-scoring contributions (8 goals in 52 games). His standout moment was a stoppage-time goal in the return leg against Cyprus’s Omonia, which sent Dynamo through to the Europa League group stage—where they subsequently won all six of their matches.
After his time in Russia, Samba had brief stints with Panathinaikos and Aston Villa before retiring in 2018. He then trained as a coach and worked at the Blackburn academy, all while raising his sons—both footballers. 18-year-old Tyron currently plays for the Manchester City youth team, while 17-year-old Floyd made an impressive first-team debut two weeks ago, scoring a brace in a cup match against Norwich.
2017 – Mali
Shortly after Christopher’s departure, another Samba arrived at Dynamo. Defensive midfielder Samba Sow (36 caps for Mali) spent two seasons with the club, making 43 appearances. After leaving Russia, he played two seasons for Nottingham and, in 2022, came full circle in his career by playing 10 matches for the reserve team of Lens—the club where he had originally come up through the youth ranks.
2019 – Burkina Faso
In the defensive midfield role, Sou was succeeded by another Francophone African player, Charles Kaboré (100 caps for Burkina Faso). Having already made a name for himself at clubs in Krasnodar, he posted nearly identical statistics — 42 matches over two seasons — and was remembered for his boundless optimism, which had a positive effect on the team atmosphere. Kaboré ended his career in France and is now involved in sports development in his home country.
2022 – Israel and Norway
Israel national team captain Eli Dasa (79 caps) played one match fewer than his predecessor during his three seasons at Dynamo and scored a single goal — but what a goal it was! His volley following a corner kick in the second minute of a cup match against Spartak in October 2024 is destined to feature in highlight reels for a long time to come. Eli spent last season with the Dutch club NEC and is currently looking for a new team.
Mathias Normann (12 caps for Norway) failed to score during his 18 appearances and left the club before his contract expired. Since then, the Norwegian has settled in the Middle East, playing in the leagues of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
2023 – Colombia and Mexico
Two standout representatives of Latin American football joined the "White-and-Blues" in 2023. Marcel Lička successfully managed Jorge Carrascal (24 caps for Colombia) after the player had become unsettled at CSKA; over two seasons, the midfielder was one of the club's most prominent attacking players, recording 9 goals in 64 matches. For the past year and a half, Jorge has been playing for Flamengo, with whom he won the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores.
Luis Chávez, who scored one of the most spectacular goals of the 2022 World Cup, recently participated in his second World Cup (amassing 47 caps for Mexico in total) while already a Dynamo Moscow player. "White-and-Blue" fans have also enjoyed his powerful strikes; he currently has 7 goals in 72 matches to his name.
2024 – Morocco
El Mehdi Maouhoub arrived at Dynamo immediately after the Olympic Games, where he won a bronze medal with the Moroccan national team. Initially, things went well for the young forward in Russia, too: in his first season, Mehdi scored 8 goals, including a hat-trick against Krylya Sovetov. His playing time was significantly reduced in his second season, and in August, he went on loan to Dubai United, where he scored two goals and provided one assist in three matches.
2026 – Haiti and Chile
Maximiliano Gutiérrez had already made his mark in matches against Orenburg and Rostov before joining the Chilean national team, for whom he scored a stunning goal against the USA (he has a total of three goals in nine appearances for the national squad). Josué Casimir, meanwhile, opted not to join the Haiti squad — with whom he had recently competed at the World Cup — choosing instead to stay in Novogorsk and systematically prepare for his debut with his new team. We look forward to it!