A tournament that crossed borders: crunching the numbers on the diaspora World Cup

Nationality in football has never been so complex and the influence of players from the diaspora has never been higher at a World Cup

“Nationality says where you come from. And I actually come from four countries: France, Algeria, Nigeria and Great Britain. I consider myself very lucky to possess these four parts, which all enrich me.” This view was given by Michael Olise. He set up seven goals at the World Cup, breaking Pelé’s record for the most assists at a single edition of the tournament. And he did so for France, one of four countries he was eligible to represent, but not the one in which he was born.

The influence of players from the diaspora has never been higher at the World Cup. Four years ago, 16.5% of the players at the tournament were born in different nations from those for whom they played. That represented a 5.1% increase on 2018 and was the previous high for the tournament. No longer. Almost a quarter (23.6%) of the 1,248 players named in squads this year were selected by countries other than their birthplace. This proportion remained broadly consistent for the contribution these players made towards the minutes played, assists provided and goals scored. In a 48-team, 104-match tournament, these are big numbers.

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