Lillini claims all Argentineans want to play in the Liga MX
The FMF youth teams director believes that the Mexican league is attractive to Argentina footballers. Do the stats back him up?
Andrés Lillini director of the youth teams at the Mexican Football Federation has boldly claimed that Argentinean soccer players aspire to play in the Liga MX - comments that have had a repercussion in the South American country.
The former Pumas UNAM and Necaxa coach commented: “The Mexican league is very strong and competitive. In Argentina, everyone wants to play here. In Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, everyone wants to come and play here. Even the Brazilian champions with Palmeiras”.
Those statements were noted and commented on by Argentine sports newspaper Olé, while the opinions of many Argentine fans indicated that some players might be attracted to the Liga MX for the money and because they would be paid in dollars.
What do the hard figures indicate?
According to the CIES Football Observatory report, Mexico is positioned as the fourth favorite destination to host Argentine soccer players, accounting for a considerable total of 56 players throughout the period elapsed in 2023.
The country that attracts the most Argentine players is Chile, which surpasses the second most prominent destination, Spain. In numerical terms, Chile is home to almost double the number of Argentine players compared to Spain, accounting for 138 footballers as opposed to Spain’s 70.
Regarding the distribution of Argentineans who have emigrated based on their age and position with that of expatriates from various origins, it is evident that Argentines are on average, older - highlighted by a marked number in the group of thirty-somethings.