Top Ten Soccer Leagues by Share of Players Remaining in the World Cup

Much has been made of the dominance of the Americas in this World Cup. North and Central American teams surpassed expectations, with the United States and Mexico advancing to the Round of 16 and Costa Rica reaching the quarterfinals. South American teams have fared even better: not just the semifinalists Brazil and Argentina, but Chile, Colombia and Uruguay all making the knockout stages, too.

These countries’ success came at the expense of European powers: in particular, Spain, England and Italy, the homes of three of the world’s most elite professional leagues.

But as the table shows, the European leagues are still dominating the tournament.

The world’s best players come from around the world. Yet the money is in Europe, which means that most of them spend their professional peaks in England, Germany, Italy or Spain.

Some highlights: