CAN 2025: The nationalities dominating the tournament

CAN 2025 shines a spotlight on a well-established reality in African football: the immense influence of the diaspora. With 107 players born in France, the French nation is far and away the leader in this ranking, well ahead of Ivory Coast (29), South Africa (28), and Egypt (25). Nigeria, Botswana, and Spain follow closely, each fielding 24 players.

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Trailing this leading quartet, we find Zambia (23), then Uganda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe with 22 players each. Benin, Sudan, and Mozambique each boast 20 representatives, while Angola lines up 19.

Further down the list, Algeria features 12 players born on home soil, compared to just 7 for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Finally, several European and non-European countries round out the list with just one player each, underscoring that CAN 2025 is also a reflection of a globalized football landscape with roots spanning the world.