FIFA World Rankings: Top Nations’ League Participation
A common argument that crops up everywhere these days is regarding the leagues which have the best players in the world. The “best players in the world” phrase has a diverse range of definitions, but no one can actually deny the fact that top-nations in FIFA World Rankings are there because of their players. Curiously enough, I decided to compile a list of recent squads of these top-nations to compare their participation in various leagues around the world. This comparison in no way is a stand-alone method to judge these leagues’ quality; as there are top-players who don’t play international Football anymore (read: Franseco Totti), and some whose countries are nowhere near the top 10 rankings (e.g. that Drogba guy). This comparison is just what it is: an estimation of the top nations’ league participation.
To compare the squads, I have first used the most recent call-ups’ list from Wikipedia and then filtered out players with the least caps in order to limit the numbers to 20 players per nation. This way, most of the players who actually affected those ratings are used in the comparison while those who have just made their debut are left out. The World Rankings themselves currently look like this:
England is higher only than Croatia and that somehow brings up a smug smile on my face. The top 5 position fluctuate as much as a stock market these days, but overall it’s usually the same ones changing a spot or two. Let’s start:
| Italy National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Gianluigi Buffon | Italy | Juventus F.C. |
| Christian Panucci | Italy | A.S. Roma |
| Fabio Grosso | France | Lyon |
| Fabio Cannavaro | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Andrea Barzagli | Italy | Palermo |
| Alessandro Del Piero | Italy | Juventus F.C. |
| Gennaro Gattuso | Italy | Milan |
| Luca Toni | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Daniele De Rossi | Italy | A.S. Roma |
| Antonio Di Natale | Italy | Udinese |
| Gianluca Curci | Italy | A.S. Roma |
| Massimo Ambrosini | Italy | Milan |
| Vincenzo Iaquinta | Italy | Juventus |
| Mauro Camoranesi | Italy | Juventus |
| Filippo Inzaghi | Italy | Milan |
| Gianluca Zambrotta | Spain | Barcelona |
| Simone Perrotta | Italy | A.S. Roma |
| Andrea Pirlo | Italy | Milan |
| Massimo Oddo | Italy | Milan |
| Fabio Quagliarella | Italy | Udinese |
| Argentina National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Roberto Abbondanzieri | Spain | Getafe |
| Oscar Ustari | Spain | Getafe |
| Sergio Romero | Netherlands | Alkmaar Zaanstreek |
| Fabricio Coloccini | Spain | Deportivo |
| Gabriel Milito | Spain | Barcelona |
| Gabriel Heinze | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Javier Zanetti | Italy | Inter Milan |
| Nicolás Burdisso | Italy | Inter Milan |
| Martin Demichelis | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Fernando Gago | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Javier Mascherano | England | Liverpool |
| Cristian Raúl Ledesma | Greece | Olympiacos |
| Jonás Gutiérrez | Spain | Mallorca |
| Federico Insúa | Mexico | America |
| Sergio Agüero | Spain | Atletico Madrid |
| Lionel Messi | Spain | Barcelona |
| Javier Saviola | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Carlos Tevez | England | Manchester United |
| Lucho Gonza¡lez | Portugal | Porto |
| Maxi Rodriguez | Spain | Atletico Madrid |
| Brazil National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Doni | Italy | Roma |
| Júlio César | Italy | Internazionale |
| Daniel Alves | Spain | Sevilla |
| Maicon | Italy | Internazionale |
| Lucio | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Juan | Italy | Roma |
| Alex | England | Chelsea |
| Gilberto | Germany | Hertha Berlin |
| Kluber | Brazil | Santos |
| Gilberto Silva | England | Arsenal |
| Mineiro | Germany | Hertha Berlin |
| Elano | England | Manchester City |
| Josua | Germany | Wolfsburg |
| Diego | Germany | Werder Bremen |
| Julio Baptista | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Kaka | Italy | AC Milan |
| Ronaldinho | Spain | Barcelona |
| Robinho | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Va¡gner Love | Russia | CSKA Moscow |
| Afonso Alves | Netherlands | Heerenveen |
| Germany National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Jens Lehmann | England | Arsenal F.C. |
| Timo Hildebrand | Spain | Valencia CF |
| Robert Enke | Germany | Hannover 96 |
| Marcell Jansen | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Arne Friedrich | Germany | Hertha BSC Berlin |
| Christian Pander | Germany | FC Schalke 04 |
| Per Mertesacker | Germany | Werder Bremen |
| Christoph Metzelder | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Manuel Friedrich | Germany | Bayer Leverkusen |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Thomas Hitzlsperger | Germany | VfB Stuttgart |
| Bernd Schneider | Germany | Bayer Leverkusen |
| David Odonkor | Spain | Real Betis |
| Piotr Trochowski | Germany | Hamburger SV |
| Roberto Hilbert | Germany | VfB Stuttgart |
| Gonzalo Castro | Germany | Bayer Leverkusen |
| Simon Rolfes | Germany | Bayer Leverkusen |
| Miroslav Klose | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Lukas Podolski | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Kevin Kurányi | Germany | FC Schalke 04 |
| Netherlands National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Maarten Stekelenburg | Netherlands | Ajax |
| Edwin van der Sar | England | Man United |
| Kew Jaliens | Netherlands | Alkmaar Zaanstreek |
| John Heitinga | Netherlands | Ajax |
| Wilfred Bouma | England | Aston Villa |
| Urby Emanuelson | Netherlands | Ajax |
| Giovanni van Bronckhorst | Netherlands | Feyenoord |
| Rafael van der Vaart | Germany | Hamburger SV |
| Demy de Zeeuw | Netherlands | Alkmaar Zaanstreek |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Wesley Sneijder | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Robin van Persie | England | Arsenal |
| Mario Melchiot | England | Wigan Athletic |
| Khalid Boulahrouz | Spain | Sevilla FC |
| Denny Landzaat | England | Wigan Athletic |
| Clarence Seedorf | Italy | AC Milan |
| Henk Timmer | Netherlands | Feyenoord |
| Dirk Kuyt | England | Liverpool |
| Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink | Scotland | Celtic |
| Ryan Babel | England | Liverpool |
| France National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Mickael Landreau | France | Paris SG |
| Patrice Evra | England | Manchester United |
| Eric Abidal | Spain | Barcelona |
| William Gallas | England | Arsenal |
| Claude Makélélé | England | Chelsea |
| Florent Malouda | England | Chelsea |
| Jérémy Toulalan | France | Lyon |
| Karim Benzema | France | Lyon |
| Sidney Govou | France | Lyon |
| Thierry Henry | Spain | Barcelona |
| Philippe Mexès | Italy | Roma |
| Lilian Thuram | Spain | Barcelona |
| Julien Escudé | Spain | Sevilla |
| Bacary Sagna | England | Arsenal |
| Lassana Diarra | England | Arsenal |
| Franck Ribéry | Germany | Bayern Munich |
| Ulrich Rame | France | Bordeaux |
| Nicolas Anelka | England | Bolton Wanderers |
| Jereme Rothen | France | Paris SG |
| Louis Saha | England | Manchester United |
| Spain National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Iker Casillas | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Javi Navarro | Spain | Sevilla |
| Antonio López | Spain | Atletico |
| Carlos Marchena | Spain | Valencia |
| Carles Puyol | Spain | Barcelona |
| David Albelda | Spain | Valencia |
| David Villa | Spain | Valencia |
| Xavi Hernandez | Spain | Barcelona |
| Luis Garcia Ferna¡ndez | Spain | Espanyol |
| Roberto Soldado | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Miguel Angel Angulo | Spain | Valencia |
| Xabi Alonso | England | Liverpool |
| Sergio Ramos | Spain | Real Madrid |
| Andras Iniesta | Spain | Barcelona |
| Joaquan Sa¡nchez | Spain | Valencia |
| Cesc Fabregas | England | Arsenal |
| Angel Lopez | Spain | Villarreal |
| Joan Capdevila | Spain | Villarreal |
| David Silva | Spain | Valencia |
| Jose Reina | England | Liverpool |
| Portugal National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Ricardo | Spain | Real Betis |
| Paulo Ferreira | England | Chelsea |
| Marco Caneira | Spain | Valencia |
| Jorge Andrade | Italy | Juventus |
| Fernando Meira | Germany | Stuttgart |
| Petit | Portugal | Benfica |
| Simão | Spain | Atlético |
| Quim | Portugal | Benfica |
| Miguel | Spain | Valencia |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | England | Manchester United |
| Maniche | Spain | Atlético |
| Tiago | Italy | Juventus |
| Deco | Spain | Barcelona |
| Nuno Gomes | Portugal | Benfica |
| Helder Postiga | Portugal | Porto |
| Rael Meireles | Portugal | Porto |
| Hugo Almeida | Germany | Werder Bremen |
| Ricardo Quaresma | Portugal | Porto |
| Joeo Moutinho | Portugal | Sporting |
| Nani | England | Manchester United |
| England National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Paul Robinson | England | Tottenham Hotspur |
| David James | England | Portsmouth |
| Sol Campbell | England | Portsmouth |
| Rio Ferdinand | England | Manchester United |
| Ashley Cole | England | Chelsea |
| Phil Neville | England | Everton |
| John Terry | England | Chelsea |
| Wes Brown | England | Manchester United |
| Nicky Shorey | England | Reading |
| Steven Gerrard | England | Liverpool |
| Frank Lampard | England | Chelsea |
| Joe Cole | England | Chelsea |
| Stewart Downing | England | Middlesbrough |
| Shaun Wright-Phillips | England | Chelsea |
| Michael Owen | England | Newcastle United |
| Wayne Rooney | England | Manchester United |
| Jermain Defoe | England | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Peter Crouch | England | Liverpool |
| Alan Smith | England | Newcastle United |
| Andrew Johnson | England | Everton |
| Croatia National Team’s League Participation | ||
| Stipe Pletikosa | Russia | FC Spartak Moscow |
| Dario Aimie | Italy | A.C. Milan |
| Josip Almunia | Germany | Hertha BSC Berlin |
| Robert Kovaa | Germany | Borussia Dortmund |
| Vedran Aorluka | England | Manchester City F.C. |
| Dino Drpie | Croatia | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Dario Kneevia | Italy | A.S. Livorno Calcio |
| Ivan Rakitia | Germany | FC Schalke 04 |
| Marko Babia | Spain | Real Betis |
| Darijo Srna | Ukraine | FC Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Luka Modric | Croatia | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Jurica Vranjei | Germany | SV Werder Bremen |
| Jerko Leko | France | AS Monaco FC |
| Niko Kranjar | England | Portsmouth F.C. |
| Ognjen Vukojevia | Croatia | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Danijel Pranjia | Netherlands | SC Heerenveen |
| Boa¡ko Balaban | Croatia | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Ivica Olic | Germany | Hamburger SV |
| Mladen Petric | Germany | Borussia Dortmund |
| Eduardo | England | Arsenal F.C. |
[…] FIFA World Rankings: Top Nations’ League P… A common argument that crops up everywhere these days is regarding the leagues which have the best players in the world … like this: Italy Argentina Brazil Top 3 Germany Netherlands Top 5 France Spain Portugal England Croatia […]
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