This statistic displays the share of football players with a migration background on FIFA World Cups from 1930 to 2018. As of 2018, approximately ** percent of the football players were not born in the country where they are currently playing for. This is the highest percentage in the given time period, with the lowest in 1958 and 1974 when only roughly *** percent of the players that were active during the World Cup had a migration background. When looking for more in depth information on migration in Europe, please see the following topic page.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ can support your business.
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Sport and Nation research project). (June 14, 2018). Share of football players with a migration background on FIFA World Cups from 1930 to 2018 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved August 04, 2026, from /statistics/870936/share-of-football-players-with-a-migration-background-fifa-world-cups/
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Sport and Nation research project). "Share of football players with a migration background on FIFA World Cups from 1930 to 2018." Chart. June 14, 2018. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed August 04, 2026. /statistics/870936/share-of-football-players-with-a-migration-background-fifa-world-cups/
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Sport and Nation research project). (2018). Share of football players with a migration background on FIFA World Cups from 1930 to 2018. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: August 04, 2026. /statistics/870936/share-of-football-players-with-a-migration-background-fifa-world-cups/
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Sport and Nation research project). "Share of Football Players with a Migration Background on Fifa World Cups from 1930 to 2018." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 14 Jun 2018, /statistics/870936/share-of-football-players-with-a-migration-background-fifa-world-cups/
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Sport and Nation research project), Share of football players with a migration background on FIFA World Cups from 1930 to 2018 ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/870936/share-of-football-players-with-a-migration-background-fifa-world-cups/ (last visited August 04, 2026)
Share of football players with a migration background on FIFA World Cups from 1930 to 2018 [Graph], Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Sport and Nation research project), June 14, 2018. [Online]. Available: /statistics/870936/share-of-football-players-with-a-migration-background-fifa-world-cups/
