Diego Costa Controversy: Will Atletico Madrid Forward Cause Problems Between Brazil & Spain?

Will Diego Costa cause problems between Spain and Brazil?

The Atletico Madrid forward is currently at the center of a dispute between the two soccer nations due to his inclusion in either club.

Brazil has ignored him for years while Spain seemed ready to include him in the World Cup qualifying group this past week; documentation issues with FIFA made it impossible for the Brazilian-born Costa to join his current country of residence.

To add fuel to the fire, Brazil Coach Luis Felipe Scolari is slated to visit Madrid in coming weeks to convince the forward to join his birth-nation for the November qualifiers. However, Scolari has made it clear that Costa is not guaranteed anything even if he joins.

"I said that Diego Costa would be called up," Scolari said according to ESPN. "But only in the group of 45 players in whom we are interested and from which we will choose final squad."

He also noted that Fred, who played in the Confederations Cup for Brazil, remains his top choice at the center forward position.

"When Fred recovers, he will be in the team," Scolari said. "We need three players for that spot. I gave a chance to Pato, Lucas has been playing... Now we must make some judgments."

Scolari's attempts to go after Costa may be a ploy to limit Spain in preparations for the World Cup. La Furia Roja is in desperate need of a stable force up front and many believe that Costa would provide that insurance due to his club form in the Spanish League. With Scolari, Costa may have to watch from the bench next summer while with Spain he may be the starter. However, even this situation is dubious judging from the recent performances from Alvaro Negredo. The Manchester City striker scored two goals over the weekend for Spain and has exuded confidence throughout. Should Negredo continue his sparkling form, Costa may find himself on the bench with the defending Champions.

Costa could join up with either side in coming months as he is not locked into any particular national team until he has played in a competitive match. Brazil and Spain will not play in a competitive game until the 2014 World Cup.