NIGERIA has been ranked as the world's fifth biggest exporter of footballers to the rest of the world according to a new Centre International D'étude du Sport (Cies) Football Observatory monthly report.  

According to the first ever such review, Nigeria comes fifth in the world, just behind Brazil, Argentina, France and Serbia. Nigeria is also the biggest supplier of football talent in Africa as the country has a total of 596 players scattered across the world, way ahead of Senegal who comes second with 377 footballers.

 Other African countries mentioned in this report are Senegal who came 10th, Ivory Coast who came 11th with 370 players, Cameroon who came 12th with 366 footballers and Ghana who came 13th with 365 players. In total, 18,660 foreign players of 194 origins were recorded in the leagues taken into account in the analysis.

Five-time world champions Brazil remain the biggest exporters of footballers in the world as the report say they have 1,784 players plying their trade outside the country. In second place is Argentina with 929 players, while the French come in third with 758 players.

These three nationalities alone account for almost 20% of foreigners present on a global level. Among the 15 countries exporting the most players are six European, five African and four South American nations.

 Brazilians are present in almost all of the countries studied, making them the only truly global footballing workforce. However, no South American country is among the top five destinations of Brazilians, although three of the five main destinations of Argentines are to be found in South America.

Similarly, the main countries to which French players migrate are geographically close to the home country. Footballers playing outside their country of origin make up about 13% of all squads worldwide.

 Top 15 exporters of footballers

[1] Brazil - 1,784

[2] Argentina - 929

[3] France - 758

[4] Serbia - 607

[5] Nigeria - 596

[6] Spain - 497

[7] Croatia - 477

[8] Colombia - 440

[9] Portugal - 392

[10] Senegal - 377

[11] Ivory Coast - 370

[12] Cameroon - 366

[13] Ghana - 365

[14] Bosnia-Herzegovina- 363

[15] Uruguay - 354