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Gabriel Tan
Jun 20, 2025, 04:46 AM ET
Considering the FIFA Club World Cup is simply a gathering of immoderate of the champion teams from each crossed the globe, it is lone earthy that determination is plentifulness of diverseness astatine the tournament.
There are 32 teams from six antithetic confederations, each with their ain footballing cultures and styles, locking horns and vying to go the archetypal nine champions of the satellite successful the competition's caller format.
But upon person inspection, determination is besides plentifulness of practice wrong continents, countries, and adjacent clubs.
For instance, 1 squad has a staggering 17 nationalities represented successful their 31-man squad. Meanwhile, different lone has 5 retired of 27 hailing from their ain country.
So who are the astir and slightest divers teams astatine the Club World Cup?
Auckland City (New Zealand)
Squad size: 27
Local players: 23 (85.2%)
Total nationalities represented: 5
Best-represented overseas nationality: China, Ireland, Spain, Uruguay (one subordinate each)
We commencement disconnected with Auckland City because, arsenic the lone amateur nine astatine the tournament, it mightiness person been casual to presume they would beryllium the least-diverse squad -- with astir each of their squad hailing from New Zealand.
Instead, the 5 nationalities represented successful their ranks is really lone the second-least -- with 2 different clubs boasting 4 (we'll get to them).
Auckland City's 85.2% of players from their location state is besides surpassed by 1 club.
Intriguingly, the club's overseas contingent includes a 35-year-old Chinese midfielder Zhou Tong and Gerard Garriga, a Spaniard who lone played arsenic precocious arsenic the seventh-tier successful his homeland earlier spending the remainder of his vocation successful New Zealand.
River Plate (Argentina)
Squad size: 34
Local players: 29 (85.3%)
Total nationalities represented: 4
Best-represented overseas nationality: Chile, Colombia (two players each)
For the least-diverse nine astatine the tournament, look nary further than Argentine powerhouses River Plate.
A full of 85.3% of their squad hail from Argentina, including 4 -- Franco Armani, Gonzalo Montiel, Germán Pezzella and Marcos Acuña -- who were portion of their nation's 2022 World Cup-winning squad.
This fig makes them the squad with the largest home contingent, beating Auckland City by 0.1%.
River, on with the adjacent nine connected this list, is besides bottommost successful presumption of representation, with their squad made up of conscionable 4 nationalities.
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Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)
Squad size: 32
Local players: 27 (84.4%)
Total nationalities represented: 4
Best-represented overseas nationality: Brazil (3 players)
Matching River with 4 nationalities represented is Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds, who they coincidentally met -- and defeated -- successful their opener connected Tuesday.
Urawa's 84.4% local-player squad constitution is 3rd lone to River and Auckland City.
Still, it indispensable beryllium noted that clubs successful the J1 League tin lone tract 5 foreigners successful a matchday squad, adjacent though determination is nary bounds to the fig they tin person successful their ranks, which could beryllium a origin successful Urawa not signing much imports.
When Urawa bash formed their eyes abroad, it seems similar Brazil is their favourite root for recruits -- with 3 of their 4 overseas players hailing from the South American nation.
LAFC (U.S.)
Squad size: 31
Local players: 12 (38.7%)
Total nationalities represented: 17
Best-represented overseas nationality: Brazil, Canada, France (2 players each)
In each honesty, it was the nine adjacent successful enactment that -- astatine archetypal glimpse with 16 antithetic nationalities -- looked definite to beryllium the most-diverse squad successful the competition.
Upon further examination, 1 squad surpassed that tally.
LAFC inactive person 38.7% of their squad hailing from the United States, which isn't adjacent successful the 5 lowest local-player representation, but they besides person an unthinkable 17 antithetic nations represented successful their team.
For the record? Brazil, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Ukraine, United States and Venezuela.
Al Ain (UAE)
Squad size: 33
Local players: 8 (24.2%)
Total nationalities represented: 16
Best-represented overseas nationality: Morocco (four players)
Falling conscionable abbreviated of LAFC, Al Ain are not lone represented by United Arab Emirates but Argentina, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Congo, Egypt, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Paraguay, Portugal, Senegal, Slovenia, South Korea, and Togo arsenic well.
They bash inactive person decent section practice with astir a 4th of their squad being made up of home players.
It is nevertheless worthy noting that from the squad that mislaid 5-0 to Juventus connected Wednesday, the lone Emirati successful the starting XI was Kouame Autonne -- himself an Ivorian-born naturalized national -- portion conscionable 1 different made it to the tract arsenic a substitute.
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Manchester City (England)
Squad size: 27
Local players: 5 (18.5%)
Total nationalities represented: 15
Best-represented overseas nationality: Brazil, Portugal (three players each)
There has agelong been statement surrounding the Premier League's pulling powerfulness with planetary players and however it affects the opportunities disposable for homegrown endowment coming done academy ranks, particularly astatine the starring teams.
While England proceed to execute connected the planetary stage, it is intolerable to disregard the distinctively tiny fig of section players astatine a nine similar Manchester City.
In fact, with conscionable 5 English players successful their 27-player Club World Cup squad -- of which lone Phil Foden and John Stones, and possibly Rico Lewis, tin assertion to beryllium regular starting XI fixtures -- City person the fewest home players astatine the tournament, and are the lone nine beneath the 20% mark. That full would person been bolstered by 1 had manager Pep Guardiola included Jack Grealish successful his tourney squad, but alternatively helium chose to permission him astatine home.
City's 15 antithetic nationalities is besides the joint-third highest down LAFC and Al Ain.
Chelsea, the different English nine astatine the tournament, person 35.7% of English players (10 retired of 28) successful their squad, which is besides among the lowest 5 teams.
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Inter Miami (U.S.)
Squad size: 29
Local players: 7 (24.1%)
Total nationalities represented: 13
Best-represented overseas nationality: Argentina (nine players)
The 2nd MLS broadside to marque this list, Inter Miami's 24.1% local-player constitution is the second-lowest down lone City.
However, the astir absorbing facet astir Miami's squad is the information that -- from the 22 imports -- 9 hail from Argentina for an wide 31%, which is by acold the astir from a azygous country.
Lionel Messi has surely been feeling close astatine location with the fig of compatriots surrounding him, and that is adjacent earlier factoring successful ex-Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Atlético Madrid are the adjacent with the astir fig of foreigners from the aforesaid nation. Coincidentally, it is erstwhile again Argentina that is contributing 17.7% (six retired of 34 players) of the LaLiga outfit's squad.
Most divers squads
1. LAFC (17 antithetic nationalities)
2. Al Ain (16 antithetic nationalities)
3. Juventus (15 antithetic nationalities)
=. Manchester City (15 antithetic nationalities)
5. Inter Milan (14 antithetic nationalities)
Least divers squads
1. River Plate (4 antithetic nationalities)
=. Urawa Red Diamonds (4 antithetic nationalities)
3. Auckland City (5 antithetic nationalities)
=. Monterrey (5 antithetic nationalities)
=. Palmeiras (5 antithetic nationalities)
=. Ulsan HD (5 antithetic nationalities)
Largest home contingent
1. River Plate (29 of 34, 85.3%)
2. Auckland City (23 of 27, 85.2%)
3. Urawa Red Diamonds (27 of 23, 84.4%)
4. Mamelodi Sundowns (28 of 35, 80%)
5. Ulsan HD (23 of 29, 79.3%)
Smallest home contingent
1. Manchester City (5 of 27, 18.5%)
2. Inter Miami (7 of 29, 24.1%)
3. Al Ain (8 of 33, 24.2%)
4. FC Salzburg (9 of 28, 32.1%)
5. Chelsea (10 of 28, 35.7%)
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