Envigado FC Tops Global Ranking for Homegrown and National Talent
Facundo Trotta Arrieta
Dailysports's expert
Colombian club Envigado FC has earned the title of the most locally rooted team in world football, according to the latest global study by the CIES Football Observatory. Analysing over 900 clubs from 55 leagues, the report considered the percentage of national and club-trained players used in league matches during the past year.
Envigado led the global list with 93.8% of its squad composed of Colombian players, including 54.2% developed within its own academy. The top three also featured Spain’s Athletic Club—renowned for their Basque-only policy—and Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv.
Latin American clubs dominated the top 10, with Club Libertad (Paraguay), Chivas (Mexico), Millonarios and Atlético Nacional (Colombia), Vélez Sarsfield and Belgrano (Argentina), and Caracas FC (Venezuela) all ranking high.
The study also underscored the reliance on foreign talent in top European leagues. While Athletic Club scored 99.5 in LaLiga, England’s highest was Newcastle with 53.0.
