Brazil has always been a soccer nation and some of the country's greatest exports such as Ronaldo, Romário, and Neymar have all plied their trade in some of the best professional leagues in the world. As of May 2021, there were 1,287 Brazilian soccer players active across 145 leagues worldwide.
Number of soccer players playing in professional leagues worldwide as of May 2021, by nation of origin
Characteristic
Numer of players
Brazil
1,287
France
946
Argentina
780
England
494
Germany
442
Serbia
440
Spain
432
Nigeria
394
Colombia
379
Croatia
375
Netherlands
336
Ghana
311
Portugal
306
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Numer of players1,2871,287946946780780494494442442440440432432394394379379375375336336311311306306299299276276213213211211202202192192185185BrazilFranceArgentinaEnglandGermanySerbiaSpainNigeriaColombiaCroatiaNetherlandsGhanaPortugalUruguayBelgiumIvory CoastSenegalUkraineRussiaSweden
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CIES Football Observatory. (May 31, 2021). Number of soccer players playing in professional leagues worldwide as of May 2021, by nation of origin [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 11, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1080755/foreign-players-european-soccer-nation/
CIES Football Observatory. "Number of soccer players playing in professional leagues worldwide as of May 2021, by nation of origin." Chart. May 31, 2021. Statista. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1080755/foreign-players-european-soccer-nation/
CIES Football Observatory. (2021). Number of soccer players playing in professional leagues worldwide as of May 2021, by nation of origin. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1080755/foreign-players-european-soccer-nation/
CIES Football Observatory. "Number of Soccer Players Playing in Professional Leagues Worldwide as of May 2021, by Nation of Origin." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 May 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1080755/foreign-players-european-soccer-nation/
CIES Football Observatory, Number of soccer players playing in professional leagues worldwide as of May 2021, by nation of origin Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1080755/foreign-players-european-soccer-nation/ (last visited January 11, 2025)
Number of soccer players playing in professional leagues worldwide as of May 2021, by nation of origin [Graph], CIES Football Observatory, May 31, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1080755/foreign-players-european-soccer-nation/
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