The 523rd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the world’s smartest clubs on the transfer market since January 2021 in terms of the financial balance sheets of players recruited as professionals (i.e. excluding youth academy signings) and already permanently transferred to other teams. Eintracht Frankfurt tops the list with a positive balance of +€286m : €364m in revenue and €78m in expenditure.

The Germans are ahead of Brighton & Hove (+€221m) and Stuttgart (+€178m). Atalanta (+€150 million) and Benfica (+€147 million) round out the top five. In contrast, the most negative trading balances for players signed and transferred over the last five years were recorded for two Saudi clubs, Al-Hilal (-€197m) and Al-Nassr (-€104m), followed by three English teams : West Ham (-€99m), Aston Villa (-€85m) and Manchester United (-€74m).

If we add fist team squad recruits since 2021 who are still under contract with their signing clubs, and subtract their acquisition price from the current estimated value according to our statistical model, Eintracht Frankfurt is once again the best club with a balance of +€670m (+€286m for players recruited and already sold ; +€384m for those recruited and still owned), ahead of Real Madrid (+€591m), with Manchester United at the opposite end (-€482m).

* The rankings only include clubs whose total transfer spending and income since 2021 exceeds €10 million. The balance sheets take into account add-ons regardless of whether they have actually been paid or received, as well as sums earned through sell-ons.

>>> Full data

The 522nd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks 50 top divisions worldwide according to the percentage of minutes played by U21 footballers eligible for the national team of the league’s country over the 2025 calendar year. The Australian A-League Men’s leads the rankings (17.7% of minutes).

Serbia’s Super Liga (15.8%) and Danmark’s Superliga (11.7%) round up the podium of the leagues where U21 eligible footballers played the greatest proportion of minutes in 2025. Among the five major European leagues, the figures range from 7.8% for France’s Ligue 1 (17th overall) to 1.9% for Italy’s Serie A (second lowest figure), with a particularly low rate also in the English Premier League (2.4%).

The Post also presents the number of U21 players eligible for the countries of the 50 leagues analysed who played in one of these championships in 2025. In this case, Argentina (213 U21 eligible players for a total of 112,455 minutes and a cumulative experience* of 74,236) is ahead of Colombia (185, 88,706 minutes, 50,047) and Brazil (173, 73,325 minutes, 44,558). France is fourth in terms of number of players and minutes and third in terms of cumulative experience.

* The cumulative experience was calculated by weighting the total number of minutes by the average sporting level of the matches played according to this method.

>>> Full study

>>> Video resuming the eight first Prospect Sheets with Impect on the best talents worldwide (all Sheets)

The 521st CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 100 players in the world who should earn the highest salaries according to a statistical model* taking into account sporting variables over the last year (playing time, sporting level of matches and rate of games in the starting 11), as well as the primary position played. Kylian Mbappé tops the list with an estimated deserved gross annual salary of €22.8 million (fixed part only).

This amount is 40% lower than that received, thanks to the fact that Real Madrid did not have to pay a transfer fee when he was signed in the summer of 2024, as well as the superstar effect allowing star players to monetise their status beyond their sporting performances. Mohamed Salah and Jude Bellingham complete the podium of the players deserving the highest salaries with respect to the variables included in our model.

Offensive players earning generally more than players in other positions, centre forwards and wingers are overrepresented at the top of the rankings. For other positions, Thibaut Courtois ranks first among goalkeepers, Virgil van Dijk among centre backs, Achraf Hakimi among full backs, João Neves among central or defensive midfielders, while Dominik Szoboszlai is second only to Jude Bellingham among attacking midfielders.

*Built on almost 2,000 salaries negotiated by players for permanent transfers or contract extensions, the CIES Football Observatory proprietary statistical model used in this study explains 83% of the differences in the amounts observed.

>>> Top 100

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect : Kader Meïté (Stade Rennais)

The 520th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the players who have not yet celebrated their 20th birthday with the highest transfer value according to our statistical model. In four cases, the estimate exceeds €100 million (with add-ons and for 100% of rights) : Lamine Yamal (€350 million), Estêvão Willian (€118 million), Pau Cubarsí (€113 million) and Franco Mastantuono (€102 million).

The top ten also includes Frenchman Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain), Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly from England, Portugal’s Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP, already signed by Chelsea), another Brazilian, Endrick Felipe (Real Madrid), and Sweden’s Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham).

In total, 113 teenagers playing in 25 leagues and 80 clubs around the world are estimated to be worth at least €10 million. The English Premier League is the best represented (23 players), ahead of the German Bundesliga (16) and the French Ligue 1 (11). This exclusive tool presents the most valuable player per team in 67 leagues.

<<< full list

Issue number 519 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 50 nations in the world whose clubs have generated the most revenue over the last ten years from the international transfer of players trained in the country (including add-ons and sell-ons). France is clearly in the lead with €3.98 billion, an average of almost €400 million per year.

Clubs in two other countries have generated more than €2 billion from the international transfer of locally trained players over the last decade : Brazil (€2.60 billion) and Spain (€2.24 billion). Revenues exceeded €1 billion in six other countries : five European (Portugal, the Netherlands, England, Germany and Italy) and Argentina.

Transfers of players aged 20 or under account for almost one third of total revenue. Among the top 20 nations, this percentage is particularly high for Serbia (64.7%), Brazil (50.1%), Denmark (48.4%), Sweden (47.9%) and Belgium (43.8%). These figures reflect the early international transfer of players trained in these countries.

>>> Full data

The CIES Football Observatory is also happy to disclose its 7th Prospect Sheet in collaboration with Impect highlighting the great KRC Genk’s talent Konstantinos Karetsas.

As every year, the CIES Football Observatory has identified the clubs having trained* the players currently active in 49 leagues around the world to establish a ranking of the clubs with the best academies. The 518th Weekly Post presents the top 100 according to a training index taking into account the number of players trained, the level of the clubs they played for last year and the official game minutes played over the same period.

As last year, Benfica ranks first with 93 players trained active in the 49 leagues analysed, an average level of employment clubs of 0.81 and 2,582 minutes played on average in official matches over the last year. Barcelona (76 players, average club level of 0.87 and 2,773 minutes) and River Plate (97 players, average level of 0.81 and 2,305 minutes) complete the podium of the clubs with the best academies.

The top 10 includes a further Portuguese team (Sporting CP), another Spanish one (Real Madrid), two other Argentine clubs (Boca Juniors and Vélez Sarsfield), as well as Ajax from the Netherlands, Dinamo Zagreb from Croatia, and Defensor from Uruguay. Thirty countries are represented by at least one team in the top 100, the most represented nations being Argentina (15 clubs) and Brazil (11 clubs).

*Training clubs are defined as the first teams in which footballers have played for at least three years between the seasons of their 15th and 21st birthdays (inclusive).

>>> Top 100

This video illustrates the main changes that have taken place since 2010 in the composition of teams in thirty European top divisions in terms of squad size (increase), player height (also increasing), the proportion of club-trained footballers (decrease), that of expatriates (increase), the average age of first international migration (decrease), and the presence of newly recruited players (increase).

Thanks to the collaboration with Impect, the CIES Football Observatory has developed performance indices on a 100 basis in eight areas of play. This Weekly Post presents the 50 outfield footballers with the highest values in each domain for the last six-month domestic league games, with each player appearing only in the ranking for the area in which they scored highest.

The following players head the tables in the different areas : Virgil van Dijk (air defence), Moisés Caicedo (ground defence), Rúben Dias (defensive build-up), Pedri González (orchestration), Michael Olise (take on), Lamine Yamal (chance creation), Kylian Mbappé (finishing) and Erling Haaland (air attack).

The youngest players in the top 50 of each category are as follows : Eivind Helland (air defence), Agustín Medina (ground defence), Pau Cubarsí (defensive build-up), Warren Zaïre-Emery (orchestration), Estêvão Willian (take on), Lamine Yamal (chance creation), Franco Mastantuono (finishing) and Thierno Barry (air attack).

>>> Top 50s for the eight domains

>>> More about Impect

>>> More about the indices

The 516th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post highlights the clubs whose estimated transfer value of players owned has changed the most, positively or negatively, over the past year. We present both the change in absolute terms (‘gross’ evolution) and the change considering the financial balance of transfer operations (with sell-ons, not including add-ons) completed during the last two transfer windows (‘net’ evolution).

In terms of net evolution, Chelsea tops the list (+€364 million) with player valuations up €372m and a balanced net spending for the last two transfer windows : -€8m. The reigning world champions are ahead of the European ones, Paris St-Germain (+€303 million). German side Eintracht Francfort (+€294m) rounds up the podium. Manchester United (-€377 million) and Manchester City (-€315m) are at the opposite end of the table.

The Post also presents the estimated transfer value of all players owned by clubs (not including any sell-on related sums). In this case, the top three are Chelsea (€1.81 billion spread across 50 players), Real Madrid (€1.68 billion, 32 players) and Manchester City (€1.47 billion,46 players). Five other clubs have a total estimated value in excess of one billion : Arsenal, Paris St-Germain, Liverpool, Barcelona and Tottenham.

>>> Full data

>>> Top valued players per club in this tool

>>> More information on the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model for estimating transfer values in this scientific article

The 515th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks teams from 69 leagues around the world according to the average age of line-ups fielded in the current domestic league season. Not including B-teams, the lowest value overall was recorded for Latvian side FK Metta (20.96 years), while the highest was measured for Saudi Arabia’s Khaleej FC (31.62 years).

In the five major European leagues, the following teams fielded, so far, the youngest line-ups : Chelsea (Premier League, 24.36 years), Barcelona (La Liga, 25.22 years, ahead of Real Madrid, 25.67 years), RC Strasbourg (Ligue 1, 21.45 years, 2nd lowest value overall, ahead of Paris St-Germain, 24.09 years), Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga, 24.48 years) and Parma Calcio (Serie A, 24.26 years).

The Post also presents the percentage of minutes per age category (≤21, 22-25, 26-29, ≥30). Italian champions Napoli are the Champions League big-5 participant with the highest percentage of minutes by players aged 30 or over (46.8%, up to 84.5% for over 26-year-old players), ahead of Bayern Munich (36.0%, and 70.3% respectively). These proportions are much lower for Champions League title holders Paris St-Germain : 3.0% and 23.4%.

>>> Data for all teams

>>> More details about BlueCo’s policy in this video

>>> More exclusive demographic data in this Atlas

With the real Ballon d’Or to be awarded today by France Football, the CIES Football Observatory has had fun ranking the 100 best players in the world over the past year using a purely statistical method. The latter takes into account the performances of outfield footballers during the last year in six game areas (see here, data from Impect), as well their employment, matches’ sporting level and results (see here).

FC Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal ranks first ahead of Kylian Mbappé and his teammate Pedri González. The best centre back is Virgil van Dijk (4th), while Achraf Hakimi has the highest score among full/wing backs (9th overall). One of the favourites to win the real Ballon d’Or, Ousmane Dembélé, ranks seventh in this case, also behind Michael Olise and Mohamed Salah.

The three oldest players in the top 100 are Luka Modrić, Lionel Messi, and Nicolás Otamendi, while the youngest are Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Désiré Doué. Virgil van Dijk tops the rankings in terms of experience, while the top three in terms of pure performance are Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.

>>> Top 100

Issue number 513 of the CIES Football Observatory’s Weekly Post presents the 100 clubs worldwide having committed the most money in transfer fees (including add-ons regardless of actual payment) to recruit their current first team squad players. Chelsea tops the list with a total investment of €1,314 million, of which €134 million for the most expensive signing (Moisés Caicedo, 10%).

Manchester City (€1,128 million) and Manchester United (€1,071m) round up the podium, followed by two other English clubs : Liverpool (€1,065m) and Arsenal (€1,001m). No club outside England has invested more than one billion to assemble its squad, with a maximum of €873 million for Champions League title holders Paris St-Germain (7th, just ahead of Real Madrid). Al-Hilal tops the rankings for non-European clubs (€451m, 19th).

Compared to the same date last year, the amounts committed by the ten clubs having invested the most in transfer fees to build their current first team squads increased by 15% (from 8.44 to 9.67 billion) and those of the top 100 by 12% (from 26.23 to 29.42 billion). This evolution is directly linked to the record transfer spending registered in 2025, as illustrated in this video.

>>> Top 100 of costliest squads

>>> Top valued players per club in 67 leagues as per CIES Football Observatory statistical model

>>> New Prospect Sheet with Impect: Alvaro Montoro

The 512th Weekly Post of the CIES Football Observatory presents the results of a statistical model forecasting the probability of winning the title for clubs in 29 leagues. The model combines sporting variables (Impect data on passes in the opponent’s half), economic variables (transfer fees invested to recruit players fielded) and demographic variables (players’ last year minutes and their matches’ sporting level).

The highest likelihood in absolute terms was recorded for Serbia’s side Crvena Zvezda (76.2%), followed by France’s Paris St-Germain (73.0%) and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns (70.6%). Conversely, among the 30 leagues analysed, the most open are the UAE Pro League (at most 23.5% chance of success for Shabab Al Ahli), the Italian Serie A (25.6% for Inter), and the Dutch Eredivisie (28.6% for Feyenoord).

In the Premier League, Liverpool has the highest probability of being crowned champions again (28.9%), ahead of Arsenal (18.8%) and Chelsea (16.2%). In La Liga, Real Madrid are the favourites (40.6% chance of winning the league), ahead of Barcelona (29.6%) and Atlético Madrid (22.1%). In Serie A, the top three are Inter (25.6%), Juventus (18.2%), and Napoli (17.4%). In Bundesliga, Bayern Munich stands out with 61.4%, ahead of Borussia Dortmund (8.8%).

>>> Full study

The 511th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post analyses the financial results of transfer operations carried out in 2025. In total, clubs around the world invested approximately €14.2 billion, 14% more than the previous record set in 2023. This Post presents the balance sheets for the 121 teams worldwide involved in incoming or outgoing transactions totalling more than €50 million overall.

With around €500 million invested and €255 million received (including add-ons and sell-ons), Liverpool tops the rankings in terms of fees generated (€755m). Two other English teams complete the podium: Chelsea (€754m) and, further behind, Manchester City (€556m). In terms of net spending, the most negative balances were also recorded for English clubs : Manchester City (-€369 million), Arsenal (-€366m) and Liverpool (-€245m).

In contrast, three French Ligue 1 teams totalled the most positive net spending for transactions completed in 2025 : RC Lens (+€113m), Olympique Lyonnais (+€108m) and Monaco (+€95m). In terms of the number of fee-paying transfers, whether for revenue or expenditure, the most active clubs were AC Milan (37 deals), Juventus (33) and Chelsea (32).

>>> Full data analysis

The 510th Football Observatory’s Weekly Post presents the 200 footballers worldwide who have not yet turned 20 with the best CIES ratings for matches played in 2025. The score is the average of two values : a performance index calculated from the data exclusively collected by our partners Impect, and an experience index taking into account minutes played, weighted by the sporting level of the matches.

FC Barcelona’s prodigy Lamine Yamal tops the rankings with a CIES ratings of 97.7. The Spaniard has the highest value in terms of both performance and experience indices. He outranks his compatriot and teammate Pau Cubarsí, while PSG’s French international Warren Zaïre-Emery completes the podium. Roger Fernandes (SC Braga) is the highest-ranked footballer not playing in the big-5, just ahead of Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP, already signed by Chelsea).

The highest value for a footballer playing outside Europe was recorded for Elías Montiel (CF Pachuca). The Mexican ranks ahead of Brazilian Rayan Vitor (Vasco da Gama) and Argentine Santino Andino (Godoy Cruz). No fewer than 48 leagues are represented in the top 200. The three youngest players listed are Mexico’s Gilberto Mora (Club Tijuana), Poland’s Oskar Pietuszewski (Jagiellonia Bialystok) and Serbia’s Vasilije Novičić (IMT Belgrade).

>>> Top 200

More information on the performance index.

More information on the experience index.

The fourth Prospect Sheet from the CIES Football Observatory, in partnership with Impect, presents Brazilian striker Rayan Vitor, a product of Vasco da Gama, the club where he has played since the age of six. At just 19 years old, he is already in his third season at professional level, with a record nine goals in all competitions in 2025.

A technically skilled left-footed player who is fast, powerful, and elegant, Rayan primarily plays as a right winger, but can perform well in any attacking position. He is particularly active at finishing level, but also makes significant contributions in terms of creating chances and aerial play (he is 185cm tall).

Despite a contract expiring at the end of 2026, his transfer value estimated by the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model is between €19.6 and €25.3 million, depending on the financial strength of the potential buyer club. A possible extension would significantly increase this amount. Without renewal, however, his value is likely to decrease, even if he continues to perform well.

>>> Full Rayan’s profile

>>> The other profiles published

The third Prospect Sheet compiled by the CIES Football Observatory in collaboration with Impect highlights a young centre back with a great future: Luka Vušković. Aged just 18.4, the Croatian has already played two full seasons as a professional between his training club Hajduk Split, Polish side Radomiak Radom and Belgian side Westerlo.

His last season in Belgium was particularly successful, with 36 Pro League games and no fewer than 7 goals. His performances earned him a move to his parent club Tottenham Hotspur. Already estimated at €40 million by the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model, his transfer value is destined to rise with every game played in the Premier League.

From a technical point of view, Luka Vušković has the profile of an aerial center back with attacking ability, his power being combined with outstanding technical quality. Players with similar characteristics quoted in the report include Germany’s Yann Aurel Bisseck, Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié and England’s Trevoh Chalobah.

>>> Full report

The second issue of the CIES Football Observatory Prospect Sheet, developed in collaboration with Impect, features Portuguese talent Rodrigo Mora. Born in 2007 like Lamine Yamal, the FC Porto’s attacking midfielder achieved an impressive professional career start, scoring ten goals in the Primeira Liga and earning his first call-up to the senior national team, where he should soon make his official debut.

With a contract valid until 2030, Rodrigo Mora’s transfer value, as estimated by the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model, has already reached €53.4m for a top-flight club. This value is set to increase with his future performances, and could quickly exceed the €70m buy-out clause negotiated at the time of his recent contract extension.

From a technical profile standpoint, Rodrigo Mora is particularly active in terms of finishing and take on, making him a shooting attacking midfielder with take on ability. Among the footballers with similar characteristics mentioned in the report, notably are another highly coveted player in the ongoing transfer window, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, and Brazil’s Philippe Coutinho.

>>> Full report

>>> Report glossary

The CIES Football Observatory is breaking new ground by launching a new publication format entitled Prospect Sheet, which provides a broad but synthetic overview of the characteristics of the world football’s most promising players in biographical (career trajectory), economic (transfer value) and technical terms (playing profile based on the data exclusively supplied by our partners Impect).

Germany striker Nick Woltemade, recent top scorer and finalist of UEFA European U21 Championship, was chosen as the first young talent to be highlighted. The VfB Stuttgart player stands out for his great skills not only in terms of finishing, but also of aerial play - thanks in particular to his height (198 cm) - and chance creation, making him a very complete and modern centre forward.

His transfer value, estimated by the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model at €56.9 million for a top European club, is in line with the fee offered by Bayern Munich according to press rumours. However, as his contract does not expire until 2028, another top-class season would allow Stuttgart to cash in on a sum equivalent to or even greater than that in a year’s time, while helping this outstanding talent to blossom once and for all.

As often, the player’s wishes will be decisive, with pros and cons both in the choice to stay at Stuttgart and in that of eventually joining an even more competitive club. In either case, Nick Woltemade can certainly dream of taking part in the 2026 World Cup, and not just as a substitute, by competing in particular with one of the five players with a similar profile listed in the document : his compatriot Kai Havertz.

>>> Prospect Sheet

>>> Metrics explanation

Issue number 509 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks the agencies representing Europe’s big-5 league players according to the aggregate transfer value of their clients as per our exclusive statistical model. According to publicly available information, one agency manages the careers of players worth more than two billion euros : the CAA Stellar/Base group, the result of a consolidation process led by the Americans of Creative Artists Agency.

Two other agencies represent players with a combined transfer value in excess of €1 billion : the Portuguese of Gestifute and another American company, also based in Los Angeles, Wasserman Group. Like CAA, Wasserman Group has acquired a dominant position in the player representation market through the purchase of a number of smaller but influential agent companies, both in Europe and beyond.

Both CAA Stellar/Base and the Wasserman Group represent the interests of more than 100 players from the five major European leagues, making them essential companies for clubs. Gestifute, on the other hand, focuses on a smaller elite of players. Only agencies representing at least two players from the big-5 have been included in the rankings. Agents who only represent members of their family have not been taken into account either.

>>> Top 100

The 508th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the 100 teams in the world with the most subscriptions on the following social networks : X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. The Spanish side of Real Madrid tops the list with over 470 million subscriptions, just ahead of their great rivals Barcelona (424 million).

All the other clubs are much further behind. Manchester United completes the podium with 234 million, while Paris St-Germain is fourth with 199 million. In the top 10 are four other English teams (Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal), one German (Bayern Munich) and one Italian (Juventus).

The podium for non-European clubs is made up of Brazil’s Flamengo, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr and Egypt’s Al-Ahly. The Post also presents the trends recorded since June 2024 (without YouTube). In relative terms, the biggest increase among the top 100 clubs was registered for Santos (+82%), certainly thanks to the recruitment of star player Neymar.

>>> All the data

Following the extension of his contract until 2031, FC Barcelona’s prodigy Lamine Yamal has become the player with the highest value on the transfer market according to the CIES Football Observatory statistical model: €402.3 million. This extraordinary figure is linked to equally extraordinary performances achieved at an age - 18 in July - when most players, even the best, are just starting out at professional level. Top 100 here.

Norway’s Erling Haaland (€239.6m) and England’s former leader Jude Bellingham (€233.8m) complete the podium of the best-valued players, ahead of Frenchman Kylian Mbappé (€192.5m), who also is the oldest player in the top 10 (26.5 years). The English Premier League is by far the most represented in the top 100 (42 players), followed by the Spanish Liga (19). Paris St-Germain, on the other hand, is the most represented club (11 players).

The highest values for defensive positions were recorded for Bart Verbruggen (€64.3m) among goalkeepers, Pau Cubarsí (€118.0m) for centre backs and Joško Gvardiol for full/wing backs (€100.7m). Only four of the top 100 footballers play outside the five major European leagues : two in Portugal (Samu Aghehowa and Viktor Gyökeres), one in Brazil (Estêvão Willian, already contracted by Chelsea) and one in Saudi Arabia (Jhon Durán).

>>> Top 100

The 506th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the most influential footballers of the season in 60 leagues around the world. The index used to rank the players is calculated on the basis of their performances in six areas of the game thanks to the data exclusively produced by our partners Impect, the minutes played and the results obtained.

The highest score overall was recorded for Mohamed Salah, ahead of two Barcelona players: Lamine Yamal and Pedri González. Two other Liverpool footballers top the list for defensive positions: Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) heads the rankings for attacking midfielders, while Kylian Mbappé is ahead of Viktor Gyökeres for centre forwards.

The six areas of the game considered are aerial play (with Alexander Sörloth at the top of the list), ground defence (Moisés Caicedo), distribution (Nico Schlotterbeck), take on (Vinícius Júnior), chance creation (Lamine Yamal) and finishing (Ousmane Dembélé). Yamal aside, three other U20s feature among the 300 players listed (50 per position): Estêvão Willian (Palmeiras, on loan from Chelsea), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona) and Jorrel Hato (Ajax).

>>> Top 50s per position

>>> More on demand

Issue number 505 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post presents the top 100 of associations having exported the greatest number of footballers to 135 leagues around the world between 2020 and 2025. With no fewer than 3,020 distinct expatriates, Brazil is ahead of the last two World Cup winners : France (2,293) and Argentina (2,171).

In the top ten is a third South American country, Colombia, an African nation, Nigeria, and five additional European ones : England (notably due to the strong presence of English players in other British associations), Spain, Germany, Serbia and Croatia. The biggest increase between 2020 and 2025 in absolute terms was recorded for France (+372 expatriates), followed by Argentina (+216) and Nigeria (+181).

The 100th Monthly Report presents in greater detail the trends in the number of expatriates for the main exporting nations, as well as the main destinations and changes observed. Also available free of charge, the Migration Atlas is a valuable tool for understanding the global geography of footballer flows. For all these studies, the origin of the players was established on the basis of the association where they grew up.

>>> Post

>>> Report

The 504th edition of the Weekly Post presents the 100 players who changed clubs permanently during the last two transfer windows and whose current value would enable the teams owning them to make the biggest capital gains. Top of the list is Kylian Mbappé, who was signed for no transfer fee by Real Madrid last summer and is now valued at €182.5 million by the CIES Football Observatory statistical model.

Bournemouth centre back and new Spanish full international Dean Huijsen comes second with a potential capital gain of €68.5 million, although this does not take into account any eventual buy-out clauses negotiated last summer when he signed his contract with the English side. Manchester City’s Brazilian winger Savinho, also recruited a year ago at an affordable price, rounds off the podium with a potential capital gain of €59.9 million.

In the top five also are Frenchman Michael Olise (+€47.8 million) and Italy’s Moise Kean (+€41.7 m). To the extent of the information available, the sums mentioned take into account all add-ons regardless of their effective payment, as well as the eventual sell-on fees negotiated by previous clubs. All the details on the CIES Football Observatory’s statistical model to asses players’ transfer values can be found in this scientific article.

>>> Top 100

The 503rd CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks teams from 65 leagues around the world according to the percentage of domestic league minutes in the current season played by footballers aged 21 or under at the time of the matches. Among the seven teams having fielded U21 players for a majority of minutes notably are RC Strasbourg (4th, 59.4%) and RB Salzburg (5th, 55.3%).

Across all leagues, not including B-teams, the highest value was recorded for the Belgian side Lommel SK (69.4%), a club owned by City Group. The top three in the European big-5 are RC Strasbourg, FC Barcelona and Stade de Reims. Outside Europe, the three teams putting the most faith in young players are Uruguay’s River Plate, Colombia’s Envigado and Uzbekistan’s Sogdiana.

The Post also presents the percentage of minutes for the 22-25, 26-29 and 30 or over age categories. With 98.8% of league minutes played by footballers aged 25 or under at the time of the matches, BlueCo’s RC Strasbourg holds the world record for youth. The Demographic Atlas presents more data exclusively developed by the CIES Football Observatory for clubs from 50 leagues around the world.

>>> Full data

The CIES Football Observatory is delighted to announce a new partnership with the German data company Impect, a leader in the field of football analytics. This partnership will enable us to develop exclusive content for our website and social media, providing football fans with free analysis of an unrivalled level of sophistication on the performance of clubs and players around the world.

A first example is already available in the 502nd Weekly Post, which presents the 100 outfield players who have not yet turned 20 from 45 leagues outside the big-5 with the best values in terms of Impect PxT (Packing Expected Threat model), weighted by the sporting level of the matches played according to this method. The PxT measures the value of players’ actions in terms of increasing or decreasing the probability of scoring or conceding a goal.

Attacking midfielder Rodrigo Mora (Porto), who turns 18 in a few days’ time, is top of the table. The Portuguese is ahead of Argentinian Franco Mastantuono (River Plate) and his teammate Martim Fernandes. The Post also presents the estimated transfer values of the players in the top 100, with a maximum of €52.7 million for Jorrel Hato (Ajax). Only footballers who have played at least 450 minutes and 25% of domestic league playing time in the current season have been taken into account.

>>> Top 100

The 501st CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post compares 65 leagues around the world in terms of the tenure of coaches at the head of the teams currently managed. On average, three quarters of coaches have been in place for less than a year (75.3%). This percentage rises to 100% in the top divisions of Costa Rica, Ecuador and Mexico.

With 19 coaches in place for less than a year out of 20, Italian Serie A has the lowest rate of any of the European competitions analysed. The only exception is Inter coach Simone Inzaghi. In contrast, in the Dutch Eredivisie, 7 out of 18 coaches have been in charge of their team for a year or more, a record for Europe’s top divisions.

In terms of the average tenure at the head of the clubs managed, the figures range from 2 years and 67 days in the German Bundesliga to just 88 days in Costa Rica’s Primera División. The German record is partly due to the exceptional case of Frank Schmidt, who has been in charge of Heidenheim’s first team for almost 18 years. Diego Simeone (Atlético Madrid) and Brian Schmetzer (Seattle Sounders) round out the podium of longest-serving coaches.

>>> Full data

Thirteen years after the first issue, the CIES Football Observatory research team is very proud to present its 500th Weekly Post ! For the occasion, we highlight the footballers born in 2001 or later who have played the most official matches in senior competitions since the start of their careers, by year of birth.

With no fewer than 379 official matches at senior competition level, Rodrygo (Real Madrid) ranks first among players born in 2001. The following footballers have accumulated the most appearances for the other years of birth : Eduardo Camavinga (2002), Jude Bellingham (2003), Ângelo Gabriel (2004), Vitor Roque (2005), Endrick Felipe (2006), as well as Lamine Yamal (2007 onwards).

The Post also presents the average number of games per year since the start of the player’s career. With an average of 59.7 games per year since his debut, Lamine Yamal leads all years of birth combined. The Barcelona prodigy is ahead of Pau Cubarsì (59.0) and João Neves (55.0). By year of birth, the leaders are Jason Knight (2001), Joško Gvardiol (2002), Jude Bellingham (2003), João Neves (2004), Malick Fofana (2005), Jorrel Hato (2006) and Lamine Yamal (2007 onwards).

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The 499th Weekly Post presents the 100 best performing goalkeepers in the world over the past year, according to an index on a scale of 100 specifically devised by the CIES Football Observatory*. The top three are Paris St-Germain’s Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma, Inter’s Swiss Yann Sommer and Real Madrid’s Belgian Thibaut Courtois.

Two players from outside the big-5 European leagues feature in the top ten : 23-year-old Russian Stanislav Agkatsev (FK Krasnodar) and Brazilian veteran João Ricardo (Fortaleza EC). They also are the two goalkeepers in the top 10 whose percentage of saves as per Wyscout data most exceeded expectations with respect to the goals conceded by their teams.

On average, the goalkeepers in the top 100 are 29.9 years old, with a high of 41.4 years for Remko Pasveer (AFC Ajax) and lows of 20.1 years for Ármin Pécsi (Puskás Akadémia) and 20.8 years for Slawomir Abramowicz (Jagiellonia Bialystok). Agkatsev aside, only one player who has not yet turned 26 ranks in the top twenty : Djordje Petrović (RC Strasbourg, on loan from Chelsea).

* The index is based on the sporting level of matches played according to this methodology, the results of the games, as well as the deviation in the percentage of saves at domestic league level compared to the expected value given the defensive strength of employer teams. Only goalkeepers with a positive gap on this last criterion feature in the ranking (minimum 20 league matches over the last 365 days).

>>> Top 100

The 498th CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks more than 900 clubs in 55 leagues worldwide according to a territorial anchorage index calculated from the proportion of national players and club-trained nationals among those fielded in the domestic league over the last year*. The Colombians of Envigado lead the way with 93.8% nationals and 54.2% club-trained nationals.

The Basques of Athletic Club and the Ukrainians of Dynamo Kyiv complete the podium, while the third highest-ranked European team, CA Osasuna, is only seventeenth. Latin American teams are over-represented among the most locally anchored ones. Paraguay’s Club Libertad are fourth, ahead of Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara and Colombia’s Millonarios Bogota.

Another Colombian club (Atlético Nacional), two Argentinians (CA Belgrano and Vélez Sarsfield) and one Venezuelan (Caracas FC) also are in the top ten. For Asian clubs, the podium is made up of Sanfrecce Hiroshima (23rd), Uzbekistan’s FC Nasaf (24th) and another Japanese team : Kashiwa Reysol (28th). Adelaide United tops the table for Australia and Seattle Sounders for the MLS.

* Nationals are players who have grown up in the association of their home club, while club-trained nationals are those who have played for at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21 in their club of employment. The index is calculated on the basis of the gap from the general average for these two variables. Data refer to the last year or, for a few newly-promoted clubs, to the current season.

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