A new CIES Football Observatory report has revealed that Nigeria and Ghana are the dominant forces in African football exports between 2020 and 2025, supplying hundreds of professional players to leagues across the world.

The study—covering players registered in club squads across 135 leagues as of May 1 each year—defines expatriate footballers as those who grew up in one national association but left to pursue careers directly linked to football.

Globally, Brazil tops the list with an astonishing 3,020 exported players, followed by France (2,293) and Argentina (2,171). England (1,510) and Spain (1,106) round out the top five.

Nigeria sits eighth worldwide and first in Africa, having sent 926 players abroad in the last six years. Ghana ranks 13th globally and second in Africa, producing 522 expatriate players, and is notably the leading African exporter to the Americas with 59 players.

Senegal follows with 511 players, placing 18th globally, while Ivory Coast ranks fourth in Africa with 484. Cameroon is next with 327, and Mali completes the top six with 202 exported professionals.

Regional Highlights (2020–2025):

To Europe: Nigeria (774), Ghana (522), Senegal (413), Ivory Coast (382), Cameroon (242), Mali (155), The Gambia (129).

To the Americas: Ghana (59), Nigeria (44), Cameroon (29), Senegal (19), Ivory Coast (17), South Africa (13).

To Asia: Nigeria (123), Ghana (120), Senegal (66), Cameroon (55), Ivory Coast (52), Morocco (52), Egypt (32), Tunisia (32), Algeria (30), Mali (29).

These figures underline West Africa’s growing influence on global football, with Nigerian and Ghanaian talents continuing to make their mark from Europe to the Americas and Asia.