Top 10 Countries That Produce The Best Football Players In The World
In this article, we will be taking a look at the top 10 countries that produce the best football players in the world.
Currently, the FIFA World Cup is being held in Qatar, a controversial decision to say the least. While many thought the World Cup would be a bust because of the controversy surrounding the country hosting the tournament, viewership records have been broken across most countries in the world with a drop in just some of them.
Qatar have spent around $220 billion on the World Cup according to Forbes, and while the recoupment will be nowhere near that level, it serves ulterior purposes and allows Qatar to use the opportunity of being hosts as an opportunity of sportswashing, which it has done successfully so far, and also exposed the hypocrisy of the selective outrage by many European nations.
While oppression of migrants should always be called out, the Western nations should also mention that several times more civilians have been killed by U.S. drone attacks authorized by its government, incidentally the next hosts as well.
Top 10 Countries That Produce The Best Football Players In The World
10. Portugal
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 7
Total number of World Cups: 0
Total number of Euros : 1
Portugal is home to one of the greatest footballers of all-time in Cristiano Ronaldo. While it has producer amazing players throughout history, Portugal only won its first major international trophy in 2016, when it won the Euros.
9. Uruguay
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 0
Total number of World Cups: 2
Total number of Copa Americas: 15
Uruguay won the inaugural World Cup in 1930, which they hosted. The country has also won the most number of Copa Americas in history.
8. Netherlands
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 7
Total number of World Cups: 0
Total number of Euros : 1
The Netherlands have one Euros to their name and the best they’ve achieved in the World Cup was a final, but players from the nation have been revolutionary, with perhaps none more so than Johan Cruyff, who was a proponent of the revolutionary football philosophy known as “Total Football” and won the Balon D’or three times in four years.
7. England
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 5
Total number of World Cups: 1
Total number of Euros : 0
England is home to the richest, most popular football league in the world. It attracts talents from all across the world, though it is rare for English players to move abroad generally. While England hasn’t won a major trophy since 1966, its massive investment in football means that it continues to churn out great players across years and decades.
6. Spain
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 3
Total number of World Cups: 1
Total number of Euros : 3
From 2008 to 2012, Spain dominated world football in a fashion rarely seen before or after, winning two Euros and a World Cup in the process.
5. France
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 7
Total number of World Cups: 2
Total number of Euros : 2
France is currently dominating world football and is the reigning World Champion, achieving its second triumph in 2018. It is currently in the running for becoming the first country since 1962 to retain the World Cup. It is also home to perhaps the best talent in the world right now in Kylian Mbappe who is breaking records left and right, and is already at the age of 23, among the highest scorers in World Cup history. Of course, France has a history of producing class footballers such as Zinedine Zidane, one of the best midfielders in history, and Michael Platini, who won three Balon D’ors consecutively.
4. Italy
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 5
Total number of World Cups: 4
Total number of Euros : 2
Italy has long been classed among the countries that produce the best soccer players in the world and is home to some amazing legends including Maldini, Roberto Baggio and Andrea Pirlo among others. Italy has been facing a turbulent time since its World Cup triumph in 2006 with its most recent triumph being the Euros in 2021 while its biggest low has been that it failed to even qualify for the World Cup 2022. It will be interesting to see how the country rebounds from this disappointment as it still has a quality squad.
3. Germany
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 3
Total number of World Cups: 1
Total number of Euros : 3
Germany is the most successful European nation ever with 7 World Cup / Euros triumph, more than any other nation. Germany is well-known for its success in producing incredible players across the decades, from Gerd Muller to Thomas Muller, from Franz Beckenbauer to Lothar Matthaus. However, the nation has struggled since its 2014 World Cup triumph, failing to reach even the knock-out stage in the next two editions. However, it is still home to incredible footballers.
2. Argentina
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 7
Total number of World Cups: 2
Total number of Copa Americas: 15
Argentina is home to arguably the two greatest footballers in history, Maradona and Lionel Messi, with the latter alone being responsible for 6 of the 7 Balon D’or wins for Argentina. Currently, Argentina is now in the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup and winning the tournament would be its third such triumph and the first in more than thirty years. Another legend of Argentina is Sergio Aguero, even though he was unable to achieve much international success with the nation.
1. Brazil
Total number of Balon D’or winners from the country: 5
Total number of World Cups: 5
Total number of Copa Americas: 9
Was there anyone at all who doubted that Brazil would top the list of the 12 countries that produce the best soccer players in the world? As the saying goes, the English may have invented football but the Brazilians perfected it. Brazil has long been known for its dazzling, flamboyant football which has earned it admirers across the world.
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It is home to some of the most gifted and technical footballers of all time including Zico, Socrates, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romario and of course the legend himself with more than 1,000 goals and three World Cups, Pele. It is the country with the most World Cups in history. While the nation has been struggling in World Cups over the past two decades since its triumph in 2002, it still boasts some incredible footballers right now, none more so than Neymar Jr.
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