Harvey Elliott played one minute for Liverpool before his deadline day transfer to Aston Villa on loan in September -- an important minute that saw him start the move for Rio Ngumoha 's dramatic stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 win at Newcastle on Aug. 25 -- but it is a minute that has turned the England midfielder's 2026 World Cup dream into a nightmare.

Thanks to a little-known FIFA rule -- Article 5, paragraph 2 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players -- professional footballers are only able to play for two different teams in one season, and it is that regulation that has left Elliott facing a lost year without an escape route.

The rule states: "Players may be registered with a maximum of three clubs during one season," but adds, "During this period, the

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