Which country has the most soccer players in the world?

FIFA has published its professional football report for 2023. The report which was carried out based on all its federations and registered bodies around the world, shows that Mexico leads in two important areas for the development of the sport worldwide.

This report was based on surveys that the world governing body of football made around the world and was published with the data collected last year based on four areas of paramount importance: players, clubs, competitions and transfers, of which Mexico dominates in two.

The first of these are players, as the total number of players registered with FIFA is 128,694, of which Mexico has a total of 9,464, placing it in first place among the countries with the largest number of footballers. This is followed by Spain with 8,560 and England with 5,582 players in all its leagues.

In terms of clubs, Mexico also leads in this area with 244 teams registered with FIFA, followed by Turkey with 136 and Argentina with 118. Worldwide, there are 3,986 professional teams, of which 973 belong to the private sector, 979 to an association, and 94 to the government.

“The Professional Football Report 2023 and our website, the Professional Football Platform, will be a reference for professional clubs, leagues and federations around the world,” said Ornella Bellia, Head of FIFA’s Professional Football Relations and Development Branch.