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UEFA Champions League 2024/25:
Breakdown by Nationalities

Written by Paul Kemp
Paul Kemp
Paul Kemp is an experienced sports writer covering Soccer, NBA and NHL. He also writes in depth reviews of sports betting sites based on his personal experience.
, | Updated: June 4, 2025

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League season concluded on Saturday with French giants Paris Saint-Germain lifting the trophy for the first time in their history. The final, held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, marked the end of the inaugural campaign under the competition’s new format, which replaced the traditional group stage with a single league phase. With the number of participating teams expanded from 24 to 32, each club played more matches than in previous seasons. While finalists in the old format had to go through 6 group games and 6 knockout fixtures before the final, PSG were involved in 17 matches en route to their historic triumph.

Against this backdrop, Sportingpedia investigated the number of nationalities represented and analysed which countries had the strongest presence in the tournament – not only by number of registered players but also by total minutes played. A total of 1,103 footballers from 80 different countries were named in team squads for the 2024/25 Champions League. Of these, seven nations had more than 50 players each, all of them European: Spain (92), France (89), Germany (79), Netherlands (67), England (66), Italy (64), and Portugal (62). Including Brazil, the highest-ranked non-European nation with 43 players, the top eight countries accounted for 560 footballers, surpassing the combined total of the other 72 nations (543).

breakdown by nationalities

Key Takeaways:

  • A total of 1,103 players from 80 countries were registered in the competition
  • Spain had the most players in the 2024/25 Champions League with 92 representatives
  • Footballers from France led all nations in total minutes played with 37,437, nearly 10,000 more than Germany in second
  • Brazil was the highest-ranked non-European country by both player count (8th) and minutes played (5th)
  • Four nations had players registered but recorded zero minutes: Australia, South Africa, Wales, and Bulgaria
  • Japan was Asia’s top contributor with 11 players, while Morocco led Africa with 12
  • The United States outpaced Serbia and Uruguay in total minutes played with 5,232
  • The top 8 countries by player count contributed more players than the remaining 72 nations combined (560 vs 543)
  • 22 nations had only one player registered

Top 20 countries with the most players in the Champions League – 2024/25 season

top 20 countries with the most players in champions league

European nations overwhelmingly dominated the 2024/25 Champions League in terms of player representation. Spain led all countries with 92 players, followed by France (89) and Germany (79) – cementing their status as the core exporters of footballing talent to the competition. The Netherlands (67), England (66), Italy (64), and Portugal (62) also surpassed the 60-player mark, making it seven European countries with more than 50 representatives. Belgium (36), Switzerland (34), and Croatia (33) rounded out the continent’s top 10, with a total of 18 European nations represented among the 20 countries with the most players.

Outside Europe, Brazil was the highest-ranked nation, placing eighth overall with 41 players, while Argentina came in 13th with 23. These two South American powerhouses were the only non-European countries to crack the top 20, while traditional footballing nations like Uruguay and Colombia had 8 players each.

Africa’s strongest contributor in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League was Morocco, which had 12 players involved. Nigeria and Mali followed with 9 each, while Ghana, Senegal, Algeria, and Cote d’Ivoire each had 6 representatives, confirming North and West Africa as the continent’s main talent sources.

Japan topped Asian representation with 11 players, trailed by South Korea (6) and Iran (1). From CONCACAF, the United States stood out with 14 players, ahead of Canada (4), Mexico (2), and Costa Rica (1).

At the other end of the spectrum, 18 countries had only one or two players involved – often contributing under 100 minutes combined. These included Libya, Zambia, and Honduras among others. Their presence, although minimal, is a testament to the growing globalisation of elite European football.

Top 20 countries by total Champions League minutes in 2024/25 season

top 20 countries by total champions league minutes

While player count reveals which countries had the most representation in the Champions League, game time tells a different story – one of trust, impact, and consistency on the pitch. French players spent more time on the field than any other nationality, amassing a total of 37,437 minutes. Germany followed with 27,595 minutes, while Spain came third with 26,946. These three nations were the only ones whose representatives accumulated over 25,000 minutes and clearly led the tournament in terms of on-pitch presence. The Netherlands followed as the next-best contributor with 24,172 minutes, reflecting their strong development pipeline despite having fewer players than the top three.

Brazilian players ranked fifth in total minutes with 19,725, making Brazil the only non-European nation among the top ten in this metric. England (17,616), Belgium (16,975), Italy (16,051), and Portugal (16,037), all surpassed the 16,000-minute mark, while Switzerland completes the top 10 with 13,991 minutes.

Argentina stood out among South American nations beyond Brazil, with its players totalling 11,064 minutes – good enough for 11th place overall. In Central and Eastern Europe, Croatia (8,566), Ukraine (7,459), and the Czech Republic (4,795) all had a notable presence. Denmark (7,096), Poland (6,600), and Austria (6,589) led the way among the smaller Western and Northern European countries.

Beyond Europe and South America, Morocco led African nations with 4,453 minutes, while Japan ranked highest among Asian countries with 3,940. Footballers from the United States recorded 5,232 minutes, just behind Norway (5,395), with both nations outperforming traditional footballing countries like the Czech Republic (4,795), and Serbia (4,623).

In summary, European powerhouses dominated not only in squad registration numbers but also in the distribution of game time, with Brazil and Argentina leading the way for the rest of the world.

UEFA Champions League 2024/25 – National Representation by Player Count and Game Time

  • – Number of Players
  • – Game Time (minutes)

  1. 🇪🇸

    Spain

    92
    26,946

  2. 🇫🇷

    France

    89
    37,437

  3. 🇩🇪

    Germany

    79
    27,595

  4. 🇳🇱

    Netherlands

    67
    24,172

  5. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

    󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

    66
    17,616

  6. 🇮🇹

    Italy

    64
    16,051

  7. 🇵🇹

    Portugal

    62
    16,037

  8. 🇧🇷

    Brazil

    41
    19,725

  9. 🇧🇪

    Belgium

    36
    16,975

  10. 🇨🇭

    Switzerland

    34
    13,991

  11. 🇭🇷

    Croatia

    33
    8,566

  12. 🇦🇹

    Austria

    25
    6,589

  13. 🇦🇷

    Argentina

    23
    11,064

  14. 🇺🇦

    Ukraine

    22
    7,459

  15. 🇷🇸

    Serbia

    22
    4,623

  16. 🇩🇰

    Denmark

    19
    7,096

  17. 🇸🇰

    Slovakia

    19
    3,813

  18. 🇵🇱

    Poland

    18
    6,600

  19. 🇨🇿

    Czech Republic

    18
    4,795

  20. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

    󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland

    16
    3,712

  21. 🇺🇸

    United States

    14
    5,232

  22. 🇲🇦

    Morocco

    12
    4,453

  23. 🇳🇴

    Norway

    11
    5,395

  24. 🇯🇵

    Japan

    11
    3,940

  25. 🇸🇪

    Sweden

    11
    2,766

  26. 🇧🇦

    Bosnia & Herzegovina

    10
    3,013

  27. 🇲🇱

    Mali

    9
    3,254

  28. 🇳🇬

    Nigeria

    9
    3,050

  29. 🇺🇾

    Uruguay

    8
    4,610

  30. 🇸🇮

    Slovenia

    8
    3,882

  31. 🇨🇴

    Colombia

    8
    2,241

  32. 🇹🇷

    Turkiye

    7
    3,604

  33. 🇬🇷

    Greece

    7
    3,240

  34. 🇦🇱

    Albania

    7
    1,745

  35. 🇮🇪

    Ireland

    7
    1,072

  36. 🇰🇷

    South Korea

    6
    2,972

  37. 🇨🇮

    Cote d’Ivoire

    6
    2,551

  38. 🇩🇿

    Algeria

    6
    2,513

  39. 🇸🇳

    Senegal

    6
    2,413

  40. 🇬🇭

    Ghana

    6
    2,090

  41. 🇭🇺

    Hungary

    5
    1,985

  42. 🇧🇫

    Burkina Faso

    5
    1,782

  43. 🇽🇰

    Kosovo

    5
    848

  44. 🇪🇨

    Ecuador

    4
    3,630

  45. 🇨🇦

    Canada

    4
    2,284

  46. 🇬🇪

    Georgia

    4
    2,218

  47. 🇨🇩

    Congo DR

    4
    1,342

  48. 🇲🇰

    North Macedonia

    4
    1,247

  49. 🇮🇱

    Israel

    4
    1,039

  50. 🇷🇺

    Russia

    4
    942

  51. 🇬🇳

    Guinea

    3
    1,715

  52. 🇫🇮

    Finland

    3
    1,072

  53. 🇻🇪

    Venezuela

    3
    341

  54. 🇬🇲

    Gambia

    3
    306

  55. 🇦🇲

    Armenia

    2
    1,403

  56. 🇪🇬

    Egypt

    2
    903

  57. 🇲🇿

    Mozambique

    2
    871

  58. 🇬🇼

    Guinea-Bissau

    2
    634

  59. 🇲🇽

    Mexico

    2
    481

  60. 🇲🇪

    Montenegro

    2
    370

  61. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁮󠁩󠁲󠁿

    󠁧󠁢󠁮󠁩󠁲󠁿 Northern Ireland

    2
    277

  62. 🇦🇺

    Australia

    2
    0

  63. 🇲🇬

    Madagascar

    1
    720

  64. 🇵🇦

    Panama

    1
    718

  65. 🇮🇷

    Iran

    1
    714

  66. 🇯🇲

    Jamaica

    1
    526

  67. 🇨🇬

    Congo

    1
    486

  68. 🇮🇸

    Iceland

    1
    306

  69. 🇱🇺

    Luxembourg

    1
    267

  70. 🇨🇷

    Costa Rica

    1
    185

  71. 🇦🇴

    Angola

    1
    171

  72. 🇬🇦

    Gabon

    1
    143

  73. 🇹🇳

    Tunisia

    1
    135

  74. 🇺🇿

    Uzbekistan

    1
    90

  75. 🇱🇾

    Libya

    1
    51

  76. 🇿🇲

    Zambia

    1
    41

  77. 🇭🇳

    Honduras

    1
    35

  78. 🇧🇬

    Bulgaria

    1
    0

  79. 🇿🇦

    South Africa

    1
    0

  80. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

    󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales

    1
    0
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 Author: Paul Kemp

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