The first CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post for what promises to be an exciting new season ranks teams from 50 top division leagues around the world according to the percentage of domestic league minutes in 2026 by players who had not yet turned 21 at the time of the matches.

Topping the table with 48.1% of minutes by U21s are Danish side FC Nordsjælland. This is a unique team and project, bringing together players trained locally or at the Right to Dream partner academy in Ghana, as well as other talents spotted at a very young age, and also standing out for its highly technical style of play, its ability to generate great transfer fees and its proven results.

RC Strasbourg ranks second (37.9% of minutes by U21s), whilst the Serbian side FK Partizan rounds up the podium (37.0%). Australia’s Melbourne City is the top-ranked team outside of Europe (5th, 32.9%). The City Group’s side are ahead of the Americans of San Diego FC (30.6%), a club also controlled by the owners of FC Nordsjælland, following a similar strategy both technically and demographically.

>>> Full data

>>> Other exclusive demographic data

>>> Last Prospect Sheet with Impect : Givairo Zechiël / Eredivisie

As the transfer window draws to a close – with spending likely to reach record levels – and with most leagues resuming their fixtures following the World Cup, the CIES Football Observatory wishes you a fantastic new football season, with a Prospect Sheet as a gift.

Compiled by combining data generated by us with that collected by our partners at Impect, the analysis focuses on Feyenoord’s Dutchman Gjivai Zechiël, who stands out for his finishing ability. With a contract valid for just two years and an offer approaching his estimated value (€20m), a last-minute transfer is likely.

>>> All Prospect Sheets

We also invite you to make the most of the many other analyses available free of charge on our website, including our tools on demographics, migration, value and performance, and to follow us on social media. Our weekly posts will resume next week. If you wish to unsubscribe or update your subscription details, you can do so via the link below.

Yours in football, the CIES Football Observatory team

With another record-breaking transfer window in full swing, footballers are getting ready to pack their bags. Many of them are already playing outside the countries where they grew up, or are preparing for their first experience abroad. Where do these migrant footballers come from? Where are they going? Covering 135 leagues in 88 countries, this video explores the global geography of migration in football.

The analysis highlights the main exporting countries and migration patterns. From the global presence of Brazilian players to the more regional career paths of French and Argentine footballers, the study sheds light on the structure of the international labour market for professional footballers. The Atlas of Migration provides access to even more data.

The CIES Football Observatory website also provides all football fans with other tools enabling them to access exclusive data on team and player demographics, their performance (in collaboration with Impect) and transfer values (in this regard, a paid platform has been developed for industry professionals).

Make the most of these tools and do spread the word!

>>> Access the video

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in full swing, the CIES Football Observatory is proud to present a new tool, available free of charge, for analysing the characteristics of participating teams and players from the perspective of their technical performance.

For each outfield player fielded for at least 60 minutes, the tool provides an overall performance score out of 100, as well as scores across eight areas of play, based on match data exclusively produced by our partners at Impect, through which comparing players. Detailed explanations can be found in this note.

At team level, we present indices on a scale of 100 relating to teams’ propensity to press opponents, control the game or dominate offensively. The scores for each of these three aspects are constructed from nine indicators, making a total of 27, as explained in this document.

Further information on the outstanding work carried out by Impect is accessible here. We are also available to provide further details on the approach developed.

>>> Access the tool

The CIES Football Observatory’s research team is pleased to present the results of a survey conducted among our newsletter subscribers on the actions considered necessary in terms of the governance of men’s club soccer. In total, we received 1,424 responses.

For each question asked, we present the proportion of respondents who rated the urgency of taking further action in the relevant area as at least four on a scale of five. The percentages range from 84.9% of respondents calling for measures to combat money laundering through football to just 16.4% who consider it urgent to adopt new rules to deal with excessive goal celebrations.

More information is available upon request.

>>> Survey findings

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect : Ayyoub Bouaddi

The CIES Football Observatory is pleased to present a video analysing the relationship between the distance covered by players during a match and the ambient temperature. Data collected in partnership with SkillCorner from 35 leagues around the world indicates a significant decrease in the distance covered as temperatures rise.

On average, a player covers 10.1 km during 90 minutes of play if the temperature does not exceed 15°C ; this distance decreases by about one kilometre when the temperature rises to 30°C or higher.

Leagues located in the hottest regions are particularly affected by this heat stress, including the Pro League in the United Arab Emirates, the K League in South Korea, the Chinese Super League, La Liga in Spain, and the Brazilian Serie A. With the World Cup underway, MLS data also shows the negative impact of high temperatures on the distances covered.

>>> More about SkillCorner

>>> Full video

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Yan Diomandé