MadchesterCity
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China, India, Pakistan, USA and Indonesia together make up almost 50% of the worlds population yet of those "3.7 billion current" only 57 of those (49 Americans) have played in premier league since it's inauguration.
Why have so few players from China and India been able to\ chosen to play in the Premier league or at a top level?
I haven't checked the other European leagues but suspect this is similar across the top leagues.
USA aside [10th], are the other nations just not very good at football, I know other sports are more popular, but why barely any top level footballers with such huge populations?
Best Chinese Soccer Players | List of Famous Footballers from China (ranker.com)
Wang Xiao- Defender from Shenyang, China
Cheung Chi Doy - Forward and Midfielder from China, Hong Kong
Gao Leilei - Midfielder from Beijing, China
Sun Jihai
Defender from Dalian, China
Sun Jihai is a Chinese former footballer who played in the English Premier League. He is one of the most well-known footballers in China. He was the first East Asian footballer to score in the Premier League when he scored a goal for Manchester City in October 2002,[1] and also the first Chinese footballer to score in the UEFA Cup. Sun was a member of the Chinese national team that qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the country's only appearance at the World Cup.
Why have so few players from China and India been able to\ chosen to play in the Premier league or at a top level?
I haven't checked the other European leagues but suspect this is similar across the top leagues.
USA aside [10th], are the other nations just not very good at football, I know other sports are more popular, but why barely any top level footballers with such huge populations?
Country | Players | Population | Fifa ranking |
China | 7 | 1,445,000,000 | 71 |
India | 0 | 1,396,000,000 | 105 |
Pakistan | 1 | 226,000,000 | 198 |
United States | 49 | 333,000,000 | 10 |
Indonesia | 0 | 276,000,000 | 174 |
3,676,000,000 |
United States |
Jozy Altidore – Hull City, Sunderland – 2009–10, 2013–15 |
DaMarcus Beasley – Manchester City – 2006–07 |
Carlos Bocanegra – Fulham – 2003–08 |
Michael Bradley – Aston Villa – 2010–11 |
Geoff Cameron – Stoke City – 2012–18 |
Bobby Convey – Reading – 2006–08 |
Jay DeMerit – Watford – 2006–07 |
Clint Dempsey – Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur – 2006–14 |
Landon Donovan – Everton – 2009–10, 2011–12 |
Maurice Edu – Stoke City – 2012–13 |
Benny Feilhaber – Derby County – 2007–08[b BRA] |
Ian Feuer – West Ham United, Derby County – 1999–2000, 2001–02 |
Brad Friedel – Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur – 1997–2000, 2001–14 |
Lynden Gooch – Sunderland – 2016–17[c IRL U19] |
Brad Guzan – Aston Villa, Middlesbrough – 2008–09, 2011–17 |
Marcus Hahnemann – Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers – 2006–08, 2009–11 |
John Harkes – Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest – 1992–93, 1995–96, 1998–99 |
Stuart Holden – Bolton Wanderers – 2009–11[b SCO] |
Tim Howard – Manchester United, Everton – 2003–16 |
Emerson Hyndman – Bournemouth – 2017–19 |
Eddie Johnson – Fulham – 2007–08, 2009–11 |
Jemal Johnson – Blackburn Rovers – 2004–06 |
Cobi Jones – Coventry City – 1994–95 |
Jermaine Jones – Blackburn Rovers – 2010–11[b FRG][c GER] |
Kasey Keller – Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Fulham – 1996–99, 2001–05, 2007–08 |
Jovan Kirovski – Birmingham City – 2002–04 |
Eddie Lewis – Fulham, Derby County – 2001–02, 2007–08 |
Eric Lichaj – Aston Villa – 2010–13 |
Matt Miazga – Chelsea – 2015–16[c POL U18] |
Brian McBride – Everton, Fulham – 2002–08 |
Joe-Max Moore – Everton – 1999–2002 |
Oguchi Onyewu – Newcastle United – 2006–07 |
Owen Otasowie – Wolverhampton Wanderers – 2020–21 |
Preki – Everton – 1992–94[b SRB-YUG] |
Christian Pulisic – Chelsea – 2019– |
Tim Ream – Bolton Wanderers, Fulham – 2011–12, 2018–19, 2020–21 |
Claudio Reyna – Sunderland, Manchester City – 2001–07 |
Antonee Robinson – Fulham – 2020–21[b ENG] |
Josh Sargent – Norwich City – 2021– |
Brek Shea – Stoke City – 2012–14 |
Johann Smith – Bolton Wanderers – 2006–07 |
Juergen Sommer – Queens Park Rangers – 1995–96 |
Jonathan Spector – Manchester United, Charlton Athletic, West Ham United – 2004–11 |
Zack Steffen – Manchester City – 2020– |
Indiana Vassilev – Aston Villa – 2019–20 |
Roy Wegerle – Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City – 1992–95[b SAF] |
Zak Whitbread – Norwich City – 2011–12 |
Danny Williams – Huddersfield Town – 2017–19[b FRG][c GER U15] |
DeAndre Yedlin – Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Newcastle United – 2014–16, 2017–21 |
China |
Tyias Browning – Everton – 2014–16 |
Dong Fangzhuo – Manchester United – 2006–07 |
Li Tie – Everton – 2002–04 |
Li Weifeng – Everton – 2002–03 |
Sun Jihai – Manchester City – 2002–08 |
Nico Yennaris – Arsenal – 2011–12 |
Zheng Zhi – Charlton Athletic – 2006–07 |
Pakistan |
Zesh Rehman – Fulham – 2003–06 |
Best Chinese Soccer Players | List of Famous Footballers from China (ranker.com)
Wang Xiao- Defender from Shenyang, China
Cheung Chi Doy - Forward and Midfielder from China, Hong Kong
Gao Leilei - Midfielder from Beijing, China
Sun Jihai
Defender from Dalian, China
Sun Jihai is a Chinese former footballer who played in the English Premier League. He is one of the most well-known footballers in China. He was the first East Asian footballer to score in the Premier League when he scored a goal for Manchester City in October 2002,[1] and also the first Chinese footballer to score in the UEFA Cup. Sun was a member of the Chinese national team that qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the country's only appearance at the World Cup.