CIES: Brazil (1,330 players) and France (867) are the countries exporting the most football players

With 1,330 expatriate players in the 147 leagues (in 98 different countries) used for the study, Brazil is at the top of the list of countries exporting football players, according to the CIES Football Observatory's monthly report, published on 15/05/2019.

"In total, 1,330 players having grown up in Brazil play in the 147 leagues covered in this report. Brazilians are present in 85 associations out of 98. This reflects the unique role played by Brazil in supplying professional footballers worldwide," said the CIES. France is second in the rankings with 867 expatriate players, ahead of Argentina (820 players). Between them, Brazil, France and Argentina represent 22.5% of the total expatriate players worldwide.

"The international mobility of footballers has risen steadily over the years. The total amount of expatriate players has increased by 5% in comparison to 2018. Expatriates represent about a fifth of the total number of active players in the leagues analysed. This percentage is to 26% at the level of the championships from UEFA member countries," added the Football Observatory.