70 nationalities represented in Ligue 1 McDonald's
The arrival of a new cohort of players from foreign divisions, as well as breakthroughs from academy prospects, ensures that Ligue 1 McDonald's is as diverse as ever.
Bar French players, there are 70 different nationalities represented in Ligue 1 McDonald's. Senegal is the most well-represented nation with 28 players. A quarter of them play for Metz, a result of Les Grénats' partnership with the renowned Génération Foot academy, which has seen players such as Sadio Mané arrive in France - and thrive.
Lamine Camara, now at Monaco, is a more recent example of that successful partnership, whilst Sadibou Sané and Idrissa Gueye could be the next to announce themselves on the European stage.
A record number of English players in Ligue 1 McDonald's
Morocco, one of 24 African nations that have players playing in Ligue 1 McDonald's. are the next best-represented country in the top-flight, with Ballon d'Or nominee Achraf Hakimi the most recognisable face currently plying his trade in Ligue 1 McDonald's.
Georgia are once again well-represented, with the brightest talents from the nation prominent in the league. Georges Mikautadze and Zuriko Davitashvili were in Ligue 1 McDonald's at the start of last season. However, Saint-Étienne's relegation means that the latter now plays in Ligue 2 BKT. Khivcha Kvaratskhelia has since joined PSG, however, whilst Georgian duo Giorgi Tsitaishvili and Giorgi Abuashvili will both represent Metz following their promotion last season.
England, meanwhile, have never had so many players playing in France's top-flight with 11 players. Marseille count the most in their squad, with CJ Egan-Riley and Angel Gomes joining Mason Greenwood and Jonathan Rowe at the Vélodrome over the summer. Lyon have three, following the arrival of Tyler Morton from Liverpool over the summer, whilst Strasbourg, due to their ownership situation and close ties with Chelsea, have two, one of which (Ishé Samuels-Smith) has joined from the Blues on a permanent deal.
Across 'The Pond', the USMNT also have four players playing in the league. Folarin Balogun, Mark McKenzie, and Tanner Tessmann were already in France and have now been joined by former Lille player Timothy Weah, who has joined Marseille.
North of the border, and Canada also have three players represented: Derek Corenlius, Moise Bombito, and Theo Bair.
There are plenty of new countries represented, too, this season. OL signed Czech pair Pavel Sulc and Adam Karabec this summer.
Andrea Bulatovic's summer move to Lens sees him become the only Montenegrin in the league; Lens' Nidal Celik is the only player from Bosnia-Herzegovina; Samson Baidoo, who has also joined Les Sang et Or, is the only Austrian; and Saud Abdulhamid, who has also made the move to the Stade Bollaert is the first Saudi Arabian player to play in Ligue 1 McDonald's.
Players breaking through have also added to that diversity. Brian Madjo made his Metz debut on the opening weekend of Ligue 1 McDonald's at the age of just 16 and is already a Luxembourg international.
Ligue 1 McDonald's is a League of Talents, but it is also a league of great diversity, as it proves again this season.
READ MORE
