History MultinationalTeam / RealLife

* The 2016 summer Olympics will feature the debut of Team Refugee, for athletes displaced or expelled from their countries of origin. They will be selected by the IOC Executive Board, and compete under the Olympic flag.

* Professional sports teams can end up this way, especially in high-profile leagues whose sports have wide international following (notable examples include the EnglishPremierLeague, the UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation, and the UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague). Such teams are often the most well-known and richest in their leagues, as they can find and attract both overseas talent and fans.

** The British Empire forces in World War One. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, India and East, West and South Africa.
** Bill Slim's Fourteenth Army in World War Two, "a huge foreign legion of what Attlee called 'the scrapings of the barrel' from half the nations under the sun," as Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser put it. At the time, India was not a unified country, but a conglomerate of different princely states and tribes - [[KiplingsFinest Sikhs, Baluchis, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis, Dogras, and many others]], all of which had their own regiments. The Indian Army also included units from all four countries of the [[BritsWithBattleships UK]], [[NepaliWithNastyKnives Gurkhas]] and Afghans. Fourteenth Army drew primarily from the Indian Army, but also included Burmese, more troops from Nepal, Anglo-Indians, two West African divisions with troops from Nigeria, Gambia, the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone, and an East African division with troops from Kenya, Tanganyika, Nyasaland, Uganda, and Rhodesia. Not to mention significant external support from Nationalist China and the United States, which provided most of the air power and a Chindit-trained infantry regiment, Merrill's Marauders.

** The Axis, specifically NaziGermany itself, had an EvilCounterpart in -of all things- the Waffen-SS foreign volunteer divisions. At first joining was limited to ethnicities classified as "Aryan" and thus "worthy" in the racist ideology of the Nazis, such as Scandinavians (''Panzerdivision Wiking''), Dutch, Belgians and French (''Panzergrenadierdivision Nordland'' and others), organized in several divisions. Later on, recruitment was gradually opened to volunteers from other Axis countries - Hungarians, Romanians, Italians, as well as "ideological brethren" regarding anti-Semitism such as extremist Muslims from the Balkans (mountain division ''Handschar''). And finally, when the Allies started gaining the upper hand and German casualties were mounting, it was, paradoxically, the Waffen-SS (the very embodiment of the regime's murderous ideology itself) that opened recruitment to just about anyone who could fight and, for some reason, wanted to fight for the Germans, including people classified as "racially inferior" - Western and Eastern Slavs (a lot of Russians and Ukrainians, specifically), Central Asian peoples, Georgians etc, turning the Waffen-SS into quite a multinational force (which was exploited by official propaganda presenting it as a "European defense against Judeobolshevism"). However, EqualOpportunityEvil certainly did not apply, neither in theory nor in practice, as the entire officer corps was predominantly German and the foreign volunteers were nearly exclusively enlisted -seen as cheap cannon fodder-, and as there was certainly no German plan of multinational pan-European unity after the ''Endsieg'', but one of German hegemony.

** The Axis, specifically NaziGermany itself, had an EvilCounterpart in the Waffen-SS foreign volunteer divisions. At first joining was limited to ethnicities classified as "Aryan" and thus "worthy" in the racist ideology of the Nazis, such as Scandinavians (''Panzerdivision Wiking''), Dutch, Belgians and French (''Panzergrenadierdivision Nordland'' and others), organized in several divisions. Later on, recruitment was gradually opened to volunteers from other Axis countries - Hungarians, Romanians, Italians, as well as "ideological brethren" regarding anti-Semitism such as extremist Muslims from the Balkans (mountain division ''Handschar''). And finally, when the Allies started gaining the upper hand and German casualties were mounting, it was, paradoxically, the Waffen-SS (the very embodiment of the regime's murderous ideology itself) that opened recruitment to just about anyone who could fight and, for some reason, wanted to fight for the Germans, including people classified as "racially inferior" - Western and Eastern Slavs (a lot of Russians and Ukrainians, specifically), Central Asian peoples, Georgians etc, turning the Waffen-SS into quite a multinational force (which was exploited by official propaganda presenting it as a "European defense against Judeobolshevism"). However, EqualOpportunityEvil certainly did not apply, neither in theory nor in practice, as the entire officer corps was predominantly German and the foreign volunteers were nearly exclusively enlisted -seen as cheap cannon fodder-, and as there was certainly no German plan of multinational pan-European unity after the ''Endsieg'', but one of German hegemony.

* In the SevenYearsWar the Prussian army and its allies (Great Britain and a few small German states) faced the armies of Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, Saxony, several smaller German states and of the HolyRomanEmpire. That last one was in itself a microcosm of contingents supplied by the middling-to-minute principalities etc. of the Empire, each of which was a sovereign nation at the time.

* Many space missions, especially after the Cold War ended. Personnel from dozens of different countries have crewed Russian and American vessels side by side, not to mention the ISS, which is owned and operated by fifteen nations, and also the European Space Agency (18 nations). Major future missions, such as human travel to Mars, are likely to be international as they would be so expensive, and the need for ColdWar one-upmanship has vanished.

** The British Eighth Army had British, Scottish, South African, Australian, Indian and New Zealand divisions, and smaller units of Free French, Czechs and Poles.

** Bill Slim's Fourteenth Army in World War Two, "a huge foreign legion of what Attlee called 'the scrapings of the barrel' from half the nations under the sun," as Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser put it. At the time, India was not a unified country, but a conglomerate of different princely states and tribes - [[KiplingsFinest Sikhs, Baluchis, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis, Dogras, and many others]], all of which had their own regiments. The Indian Army also included units from all four countries of the [[BritsWithBattleships UK]], [[NepaliWithNastyKnives Gurkhas]] and Afghans. Fourteenth Army drew primarily from the Indian Army, but also included Burmese, more troops from Nepal, drafted white civilians in supply and scout units, two West African divisions with troops from Nigeria, Gambia, the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone, and an East African division with troops from Kenya, Tanganyika, Nyasaland, Uganda, and Rhodesia. Not to mention significant external support from Nationalist China and the United States, which provided most of the air power and a Chindit-trained infantry regiment, Merrill's Marauders.

** Bill Slim's Fourteenth Army in World War Two, "a huge foreign legion of what Attlee called 'the scrapings of the barrel' from half the nations under the sun," as Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser put it. At the time, India was not a unified country, but a conglomerate of different princely states and tribes - [[KiplingsFinest Sikhs, Baluchis, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis, Dogras, and many others]], all of which had their own regiments. The Indian Army also included units from all four countries of the [[BritsWithBattleships UK]], [[NepaliWithNastyKnives Gurkhas]] and several ethnicities of Afghans. Fourteenth Army drew primarily from the Indian Army, but also included Burmese of several ethnicities, drafted white civilians in supply and scout units, two West African divisions with troops from Nigeria, Gambia, the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone, and an East African division with troops from Kenya, Tanganyika, Nyasaland, Uganda, and Rhodesia. Not to mention significant external support from Nationalist China and the United States, which provided most of the air power and a Chindit-trained infantry regiment, Merrill's Marauders.

* Professional sports teams can end up this way, especially in high-profile leagues whose sports have wide international following (notable examples include the UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague, the UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation, and the UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague). Such teams are often the most well-known and richest in their leagues, as they can find and attract both overseas talent and fans.

* Professional sports teams can end up this way, especially in high-profile leagues whose sports have wide international following. Such teams are often the most well-known and richest in their leagues, as they can find and attract both overseas talent and fans.

** BurCorps, the predecessor of Fourteenth Army -- The newbie and ill-equipped 17th Division, the even ''more'' newbie and worse-equipped 1st Burma Division, the totally unreliable and completely ''un''equipped Chinese, the 7th Armoured Brigade of the [[FishOutOfWater Desert Rats]], and the mercenary American Flying Tigers. It was to Slim's credit that he got the survivors out of Burma intact.

** Bill Slim's Fourteenth Army in World War Two, "a huge foreign legion of what Attlee called 'the scrapings of the barrel' from half the nations under the sun," as Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser put it. At the time, India was not a unified country, but a conglomerate of different princely states and tribes - Sikhs, Baluchis, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis, Dogras, and many others, all of which had their own regiments. The Indian Army also included units from all four countries of the UK, Gurkhas and several ethnicities of Afghans. Fourteenth Army drew primarily from the Indian Army, but also included Burmese of several ethnicities, drafted white civilians in supply and scout units, two West African divisions with troops from Nigeria, Gambia, the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone, and an East African division with troops from Kenya, Tanganyika, Nyasaland, Uganda, and Rhodesia. Not to mention significant external support from Nationalist China and the United States, which provided most of the air power and a Chindit-trained infantry regiment, Merrill's Marauders.

** Bill Slim's Fourteenth Army in World War Two, "a huge foreign legion of what Attlee called 'the scrapings of the barrel' from half the nations under the sun," as Creator/GeorgeMacDonaldFraser put it. At the time, India was not a unified country, but a conglomerate of different princely states and tribes - Sikhs, Baluchis, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis, Dogras, and many others, all of which had their own regiments. The Indian Army also included units from all four countries of the UK, Gurkhas and several ethnicities of Afghans. Fourteenth Army drew primarily from the Indian Army, but also included Burmese of several ethnicities, drafted white civilians in supply and scout units, and two West African divisions with troops from Nigeria, Gambia, the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone. Not to mention significant external support from Nationalist China and the United States, which provided most of the air power (including the Flying Tigers) as well as a Chindit-trained infantry regiment, Merrill's Marauders.

** Bill Slim's Fourteenth Army in World War Two, "a huge foreign legion of what Attlee called 'the scrapings of the barrel' from half the nations under the sun," as GeorgeMacDonaldFraser put it. At the time, India was not a unified country, but a conglomerate of different princely states and tribes - Sikhs, Baluchis, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis, Dogras, and many others, all of which had their own regiments. The Indian Army also included units from all four countries of the UK, Gurkhas and several ethnicities of Afghans. Fourteenth Army drew primarily from the Indian Army, but also included Burmese of several ethnicities, drafted white civilians in supply and scout units, and two West African divisions with troops from Nigeria, Gambia, the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone. Not to mention significant external support from Nationalist China and the United States, which provided most of the air power (including the Flying Tigers) as well as a Chindit-trained infantry regiment, Merrill's Marauders.

** Bill Slim's Fourteenth Army in World War Two, "a huge foreign legion of what Attlee called 'the scrapings of the barrel' from half the nations under the sun," as GeorgeMacDonaldFraser put it. At the time, India was not a unified country, but a conglomerate of different princely states and tribes - Sikhs, Baluchis, Jats, Rajputs, Punjabis, Dogras, and many others, all of which had their own regiments. The Indian Army also included units from all four countries of the UK, Gurkhas and several ethnicities of Afghans. Fourteenth Army drew primarily from the Indian Army, but also included Burmese of several ethnicities, drafted white civilians in supply and scout units, and two West African divisions with troops from Nigeria, Gambia, the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone.

** The Empire forces in World War Two, especially Slim's Fourteenth Army, which included units not just from every part of Britain and India (including what are now Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal), but also East and West Africa (Nigeria and Kenya), with direct support from Nationalist China and the United States Army Air Force (plus one commando regiment, Merrill's Marauders).

** The British Empire forces in World War One. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, India and South Africa.

* Even more pronounced in the case of military alliances composed of several independent nations. In the SevenYearsWar for instance, the Prussian army and its allies (Great Britain and a few small German states) faced the armies of Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, Saxony, several smaller German states and of the HolyRomanEmpire. That last one was in itself a microcosm of contingents supplied by the middling-to-minute principalities etc. of the Empire, each of which was a sovereign nation at the time.
* The British Empire forces in World War One. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, India and South Africa.

* The 1991 Gulf War coalition, besides the US, Saudi Arabia and the UK, included over 20 other countries. Likewise, the 2003-2009 US/British-led Multinational Force in Iraq included around 40 countries during it's existence.
* The Allied Powers of WorldWarTwo, which became the [[CaptainObvious United Nations]]. They even form a FiveManBand of sorts; conversely, the Axis Powers form a FiveBadBand.

* [[TheSoundOfMartialMusic The Austrian/Austro-Hungarian Empire]] was ''very'' much this trope. Although there was a predominant German (and Hungarian) veneer, the Habsburg domains were home to various peoples, cultures and beliefs, all more or less united by their loyalty to the clan. By WorldWarI, its military forces spoke multiple languages that part of an officer's job was to learn ''most if not all'' of them. Though at the time, this also gave the impression that, compared to ImperialGermany, Austrians [[ValuesDissonance weren't exactly "pure" Germans]].

* The British Empire forces in World War One. Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, India and South Africa. And that's on the Western Front alone.