By Toby Prince
A study by research outfit, CIES Football Observatory, has revealed that Nigeria is the fifth highest exporter of football talents in the world and the biggest in Africa.
This report provides an overview of migration of footballer’s around the world.
According to the report, the eight in the CIES Football Observatory’s monthly report, which focuses on international migration in football, Nigeria’s figure of 596 players scattered in leagues across the world, is only lower to Brazil (1,784), Argentina (929), France (758) and Serbia (607).
The analysis includes a record number of 6,135 clubs and 458 leagues of 183 countries worldwide.
While Brazil is the most represented origin among foreigners both in Europe (1,137 players) and in Asia (437 players), Argentina is the main exporting country at Latin American level (511 players compared to only 124 Brazilians).
It said the data-set was not precisely defined but included 6,135 clubs and 458 leagues of 183 countries.
About 18,660 foreign players of 194 origins, representing 13 per cent of the total number of players included in the analysis, have been identified.
No South American country is among the top five destinations of Brazilians. Conversely, three of the five main destinations of Argentineans are to be found in South America. Similarly, the main countries to which French players migrate are geographically close to the home country.
The last chapter of the study analyses four leagues in the United States, where football is undergoing considerable development. The Report shows the marked diversification of international recruitment of US clubs. It also predicts that American teams will increasingly challenge European, Asian and South American clubs in the race for new talent.
