Right behind Mexico, Spain is second in Europe with 8,560 professional players, followed by England (5,582), Scotland (4,796) and Turkey (3,917). Russia, due to a FIFA ban, dropped to fifth in Europe despite having 3,633 professional players.
The total number of professional players registered in Asia is 20,211, with Japan leading the way with 2,126, followed by Iran (1,800), Australia (1,597), China and India (both with 1,506).
In China, the number of professional players is 1,586, or one professional player for every 889,000 people in terms of population, a ratio far lower than that of developed soccer countries.
However, it is worth noting that 71 of FIFA's 211 member associations have zero professional players. Taiwan Province of China, for example, naturally has zero figures due to its lack of a professional league.
In South America, Argentina tops the list with 3,613 professional players, followed by Brazil (2,123), Chile (1,350), Colombia (1,163) and Ecuador (897).
In terms of the number of professional clubs, Mexico tops the list with 244 clubs, Turkey is second with 136 and Argentina is third with 118. In Oceania, on the other hand, professional clubs exist only in New Zealand (963 professional players) and Fiji (307).
The Mexican league has significantly improved its competitiveness and attendance in recent years, while in Europe, with the exception of Turkey, Italy (98), England (92), Scotland (77) and Germany (56) have the highest number of professional clubs.
There are 567 professional clubs in Africa, with Tunisia leading the way with 40 professional teams, followed by Benin (36), Cameroon (35) and Algeria and Morocco (both 32).
In South America, apart from Argentina, there are 60 clubs in Brazil, including 46 Chilean clubs, 36 Colombian clubs and 33 Peruvian clubs.
The growth of professional clubs and players in Mexico is closely linked to its rapid economic growth. Only 11% of the world's countries or territories have three or more professional leagues.
In terms of commercialization of leagues, only 55% of leagues globally have title sponsors, while 45% do not. In addition, television rights for most leagues are sold as a whole, but some countries, such as Brazil, Egypt, Mexico and Portugal, allow clubs to sell television rights individually.
In the labor relationship between clubs and players, players remain in a vulnerable position in more than 100 countries around the world where leagues do not have players' unions. In terms of player contracts, many countries do not have strict regulations on player contracts, and 59 per cent of countries do not have a minimum wage for players.
In the transfer market, a record 20,000+ professional players completed transfers worldwide in 2022. Interestingly, not a single player from 55 of the 211 member associations was transferred to 30 countries or territories, nor was a single player moved abroad.
In terms of transfer investment, only 17 countries can spend more than $50 million on transfers in a full year. 2022 saw European clubs spend a total of $5.88 billion, while African clubs only earn around $55 million in annual transfer revenue.
In terms of the length of the transfer window, all leagues in the world last an average of 98 days, with Portugal, Japan, India and Zambia having the longest transfer windows, lasting 113 days, and Suriname having the shortest, lasting only 29 days a year.
Thailand has twice as many professional clubs as China, with 81% of Asia's players playing in the national league, and the UAE has the highest number of foreign players at 32%, followed by Saudi Arabia and Singapore, both at 30%. Iran has the fewest foreign players with 99% local players and 88% local Japanese players.
There are 781 professional clubs in the AFC, with Thailand leading the way with 110, more than twice as many as China's 48 (16 in the Chinese Super League + 16 in the Chinese First Division + 16 in the Chinese Second Division, and 20 in the Chinese Second Division in the new season). Japan has 60 professional clubs, and Saudi Arabia has 108 clubs that have vigorously developed soccer in recent years.
Unlike most European clubs, only half of Asian clubs are privately controlled. The remaining 29% are organized by club associations and 14% are controlled by local governments. Most of these clubs are concentrated in West Asia, such as in the top leagues of Jordan and Kuwait, where the government owns 14 Saudi and 11 Qatari clubs.
FIFA publishes an annual report containing a wealth of data on men's and women's soccer, professional leagues and youth training talent. However, the accuracy of this data is questionable, as the collection method is based on online questionnaires and much of the data may be biased.
FIFA's 2023 annual financial report showed revenues of $1.17 billion, with broadcasting revenues of $267 million. Fantino's payroll last year totaled £3.8 million, with a base salary of £2.3 million and bonuses of £1.5 million, and the base salary is expected to rise by another 33 percent this year.
Despite some questionable statistics, soccer fans can still find highlights and enjoy the fun that soccer brings.
