Leeds United forward Joël Piroe has pledged international allegiance to Suriname, qualifying for the Caribbean nation through his father.

The Netherlands-born striker, who has made appearances for the Dutch Under-15s to the Under-20s groups, will link up with his national side in a fight for World Cup qualification.

Should the team defeat Bolivia in their Play-Off semi-final, Suriname will face Iraq in Mexico for a chance to reach the summer’s prestigious tournament.

After making the switch from Swansea City to West Yorkshire in 2023, Piroe has made 108 appearances for the Whites, netting 33 times and registering 10 assists. He was the Sky Bet Championship Golden Boot winner last campaign, helping United to the title win by scoring 19 goals in the 24/25 season.

The Surinamese national team is fronted by Head Coach Henk ten Cate, with the former Barcelona assistant manager and Chelsea assistant first team coach being involved with the side since 2023. Joining him are familiar names Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Winston Bogarde, who both joined ten Cate in 2025.

“I thought long and hard about it, about if I would choose Suriname or not, and when I spoke to my dad about it, I saw this twinkle in his eye that would make him very proud,” Joël exclusively told leedsunited.com. “At the end I had a good feeling about it and I really want to write history with Suriname.

“I have been to Suriname many times. It was always a special place, especially knowing that my dad and my family grew up there. I like to see how they have lived there, and as well to feel the culture, how joyful and outgoing the people are there. It is something that I carry with me as well on the pitch.

“There are huge games to qualify for the World Cup. It is very exciting. We really look forward to playing those games, starting with Bolivia. We all know what is on the line and we all believe a lot in it as well.

“Also why I chose to play for them is because I get to work not only with Henk ten Cate, who has been an amazing coach for many years already, I also get to work with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. I think that he is someone I could learn quite a bit from as well.

“First, of course, still the focus to make sure that we get the next points, make the next steps towards our goal at Leeds United, and then afterwards also for my country.”