AFCON 2025: France Leads Birthplace Statistics Among Tournament Players

AFCON 2025: France Leads Birthplace Statistics Among Tournament Players

Sampson Adedeji 

France has emerged as the most represented country of birth at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), according to official tournament data, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Out of the 658 players participating in the competition, no fewer than 107 were born in France, a figure that places the European nation well ahead of all others in terms of players’ birth statistics.

A significant concentration of these players were born in the Île-de-France region, which accounts for 45 of the France-born footballers currently featuring at the tournament. 

The region, known for its strong football development structures, continues to play a major role in producing players who represent African national teams.

Ivory Coast ranks a distant second on the list, with 29 AFCON players born within its territory, highlighting the contrast between France’s diaspora-driven influence and domestic player production on the continent.

The statistics further underline the long-standing impact of migration, dual nationality, and European football academies on African national teams, a trend that remains prominent at AFCON 2025 in Morocco.