The 547th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the Team of the Season (4-2-1-3) for 34 leagues reaching their conclusion. The selection was made by taking into account players’ performances (eight game areas for outfield players and the difference between goals expected goals and conceded for goalkeepers ; Impect data), the results of matches in which players’ participated, and playing time.

At big-5 league level, the following goalkeepers are part of the Best XIs : David Raya (Arsenal), Joan García (Barcelona), Hervé Koffi (Angers), Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart), and Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta). At the forefront of the attack are the top scorers : Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Estéban Lepaul (Stade Rennais), Harry Kane (Bayern), and Lautaro Martínez (Inter).

The CIES Football Observatory Team of the Season in the Premier League is made up of five Arsenal players (Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Rice), three from Manchester City (Cherki, Haaland and Doku), two from Manchester United (Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes), as well as Adrien Truffert from Bournemouth. More information about the method used is available here.

>>> All Best XIs

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Pedro Zarza

The 546th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 50 nations worldwide with the highest number of expatriates* currently playing in 135 professional leagues across the globe. As last year, Brazil remains the leading exporter (1,455 players abroad, +37), but is being hotly pursued by France (1,275, +86), with reigning world champions Argentina in third place (1,016, +27).

Since 2021, the largest increase in absolute terms has been recorded for France (+332 expatriates), with a steady rise (+35% in five years). In relative terms, the sharpest growth among the top 10 exporting nations was observed for Portugal (+198 players abroad, +66%), Spain (+255, +60%) and Nigeria (+211, also +60%).

Only 9 of the top 50 exporting countries have seen a decline in the number of their nationals abroad since 2021, reflecting the general increase in international migration flows. The sharpest decline was recorded for Serbia (-53 expatriates, -12%). To find out the main foreign destinations for each country of origin, please consult our Migration Atlas.

* Origin is defined as the association where the player grew up and which he left following recruitment by a foreign club.

>>> Full data

>>> Video analysis of the evolution of origins in Europe’s big-5 over the past 20 years

The 545th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post shows that 65.2% of teams across 55 leagues worldwide have changed their head coach at least once over the past year. This proportion is close to that recorded on the same date last year (see here). This finding reflects chronic instability in most clubs.

By league, the figures range from 100% of clubs having changed their manager over the past 365 days in the Cyprus top division (14 out of 14) to just 18.8% in Norway’s top tier (3 clubs out of 16). These disparities reflect the existence of considerable differences in the way clubs are managed, which are also visible at player level in terms of squad stability (see our Demographic Atlas).

The Post also presents data on the age of coaches (in this case, excluding those currently serving in an interim capacity). The overall average is 49.5 years, with the highest average age in Bulgaria (55.6 years ; no coach under the age of 40) and the lowest in Sweden (43.5 years). With respect to age too, the geographical differences are striking.

>>> Full study

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect : Thomas Jörgensen

Dear subscribers,

Many of you have already taken part in our survey to share your views on various topics relating to men’s professional football. Thank you very much!

However, we would still like to expand the sample of respondents. That is why we are writing to you one last time to invite those who have not yet taken part to do so.

The results of the survey, which is completely anonymous, will be published ahead of the next World Cup. Please take three minutes at most to complete this questionnaire, thank you!

>>> TAKE PART

The CIES Football Observatory team

The 544th Weekly Post lists the 100 goalkeepers who did not yet turn 23 with the highest estimated transfer value, as calculated using the CIES Football Observatory statistical model. Topping the list with a value of €47 million is Mike Penders, the Belgian goalkeeper on loan from Chelsea to RC Strasbourg.

Two other big-5 league goalkeepers round off the top three : Jonas Urbig of Bayern Munich (€41 million) and Robin Risser of RC Lens (€35 million). In fourth place, AZ Alkmaar’s Dutchman Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro (€19m) is the highest-ranked player outside the big-5, whilst Chris Brady (Chicago Fire) outranks Jordan García (Club León) among U23 goalkeepers outside Europe.

Five underage goalkeepers feature in the top 100 : Dan Lauri (TPS Turku), Savo Radanović (Crvena Zvezda), Deniz Dönmezer (Kayserispor), Einar Fauskanger (FK Haugesund) and Lucca Brughmans (KRC Genk). The Post also presents the goalkeepers’ experience capital over the past year, a metric combining the number of minutes played in official senior matches, the games’ sporting level and results, according to this method.

>>> Top 100

>>> Top valued player per club in 70 leagues

>>> New video analysis Global mapping of big-5 league players (2005-2025)

The 543rd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the world’s most powerful football agencies. The ranking is based on the aggregate transfer value of the players represented by the companies or for whom the latter hold transfer negotiation rights, according to publicly available information*.

At the top of the list is an agency formed from the merger of several entities : CAA Stellar / Base. This US-controlled group represents the interests of no fewer than 84 players whose transfer value, according to the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model, exceeds €10 million, amounting to a total of €2.56 billion (up 14.5% on last year).

Gestifute (€1.86 billion, +12.6%) and The.Team (formerly Wasserman, €1.27 billion, -4.1%) round off the top three most influential agencies. Other international firms resulting from mergers rank from fourth to eighth place, whilst two entities linked to individuals also feature in the top 10 : Bertolucci Assessoria (Giuliano Bertolucci) and MS Foot (Moussa Sissoko).

* The analysis covers the 1,300 players worldwide whose transfer value currently exceeds €10 million, according to the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model.

>>> Full data

>>> New Prospect Sheet: Tarik Muharemovic