June 6, 2026
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, six participating nations stand out for a remarkable reason: not one player in their squads plays club football in their home country’s domestic league.
While many World Cup teams still rely on a mix of foreign-based and domestic-league players, these six nations have assembled squads made up entirely of footballers plying their trade abroad.
The Blue Sharks have become one of Africa’s most consistent emerging teams despite having no players based in their domestic league. Most of Cape Verde’s internationals play in Portugal, France, Belgium and other European countries, reflecting the nation’s strong diaspora connections and reliance on overseas-developed talent.
DR Congo’s squad is heavily populated by players competing in Europe and Asia. Many of the country’s leading footballers either left the domestic league at a young age or were developed abroad, particularly in France and Belgium, where large Congolese communities have helped nurture talent.
