Whether you call it soccer or football, everyone can agree that this is the world’s most popular sport. Most other sports don’t even come close, especially in some parts of the world, such as Mexico.

Speaking of the North American country, www.simon-shaheen.com has revealed that Mexico has close to 9500 professional soccer players as of 2023. Although football is extremely popular in the country, many people probably did not expect to see such a high number because Mexico has way more footballers than other states. “To be honest, all hardcore football fans are not that surprised with these stats. Mexico is known for having one of the strongest football communities, and many people see the sport as a way to become successful”, said Kristiyan, NB’s football expert.

There are tons of legendary Mexican football players, a lot of whom have been a part of some of the biggest clubs in the world. Starting with the likes of Hugo Sánchez, the player with the most goals, he has played for many big teams, including Real Madrid. He also helped his country by playing in 3 World Cups.

Rafael Marquez is another huge name in Mexico, and he is widely regarded as one of the best defenders of all time. In fact, Rafael Marquez is also the player with the most matches in the World Cup for his country.

Lastly, we also have Jorge Campos. He may not be as popular as the first two because he was a goalkeeper, but fans agree he is among the best goalkeepers in history. Unlike the first two, he spent his career playing domestically.

Spain – 8560 Players

Even though Mexico’s first place on this list probably surprised a lot of people, Spain’s second spot definitely does not come as a surprise. The country is known for having one of the best leagues because clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona play there. Considering the popularity of football, Spain has around 8560 professional players.

We can go on and on about Spain’s tradition in football, but it is safe to say that everyone with more experience in this sport knows what we’re talking about. The country has won the World Cup once, and La Liga has been home to many of the world’s best players. People like Ronaldo, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Maradona, and many more are just some of the world-class players who’ve been a part of this competition.

Even though La Liga lost some of its glimmers following the departure of Messi and CR7, it has millions of fans. Most football experts consider it the 2nd best in Europe, behind the English Premier League.

England – 5582 Players

While talking about the English Premier League, we need to mention the country where football became the sport we know it today. There is no arguing football has an incredible role in England. Considering the traditions, the number of professional football players in the country is around 5582, which is pretty high.

When it comes down to professional English football players, people can think of all kinds of games. Starting with the likes of Beckham and Michael Owen, we can also mention Frank Lampard, Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Steven Gerrard, and many more.

As for the country’s performance, England only has one World Cup trophy. Interestingly, their national football team had one of the most expensive squads at the World Cup in Qatar, but it could not lift the trophy.

England is primarily known in football for being home to the English Premier League. Although some people may not like it, fans can agree that it is always fun to watch. This is among the few world-class football leagues where every team can defeat the rest, so you never know what’s going to happen. Having said that, Manchester City has been in a league of its own lately because the team is dominating the domestic and European championships.

Scotland – 4796 Players

Most of you probably expected to see countries like Italy, France, or Germany here, but this isn’t the case. The 4th place for the most professional football players goes to Scotland. Close to 4800 people are professionals here, which is really impressive for a country of its size.

Regarding legendary Scottish football players, we can think of several names that stand out. Players like Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Graeme Souness, and Andrew Robertson are just some of the Scottish legends. The country is home to many other world-class stars, and it will continue to be a place where football legends are born.

Regarding the domestic league, the Scottish Premiership is definitely not on the same level as the English Premier League. However, it has its share of loyal fans who follow their favourite teams, regardless of what they do.

Speaking of teams, the Scottish Premier League has 12, most of which are over 100 years old. This is another sign that football is big in Scotland, and people love watching it.

What’s very impressive about Scotland is that it is the smallest country in the list in terms of population (~5.5m). Despite that, it has one of the highest numbers of professional football players. As for the country’s professional football team, so far, it has qualified for 8 World Cups in total. The last one was in 1998.

Turkey – 3917 Players

Considering Turkey’s massive population (close to 85M), the country “only” has 3917 professional football players. Of course, this number is still impressive and makes it one of the countries with the most professional players in this sport.

Turkey is a place where people like watching a lot of things. In fact, eSports has grown fast in the last couple of years, but there is no arguing football is the biggest sport. The local top-tier competition called the Super Lig is home to many teams with fans worldwide. Aside from Galatasaray, we can also include Fenerbahce, Besiktas, Trabzonspor, and more.

Of course, Turkey is also home to many world-class football players, and many of them have been or are a part of big European clubs. Perhaps the most popular one is Hakan Sukur because he remains the country’s leader. Besides him, we can also add Arda Turan, Tuncay Sanli, Hamit Altintop, and Rustu Recber. The latter is probably one of the most famous goalkeepers of all time and for a good reason.

The most interesting part about the Turkish national football team is that it only took place in 2 World Cups in its entire history. The first one was in 1954, whereas the second one came in 2002. Turkish football fans will definitely remember the latter because this was when the country finished 3rd.

Betting on football in each of these countries

Football is a trendy sport, and many other businesses are trying to take advantage of that. Needless to say, sports betting is one of them because every single bookmaker allows fans to wager on it.

While it is true that people can access tons of online bookmakers worldwide, not all countries allow that. In fact, a lot of them have stringent gambling laws that prohibit people from using such places. That’s why gamblers often choose VPNs and even mirror links when deciding which site to use.

If we look at the sports betting industry in each country mentioned earlier, we will find a wide range of options. Needless to say, sports betting and wagering on football are permitted in every country except for Turkey. The situation there is really difficult because some sorts of sports betting are legal, but most people there prefer using offshore operations.

Regardless of the type of gambling site that football fans want to wager on, this sport has a lot to offer. All bookies will try to include as many leagues and markets as possible. Moreover, people will have access to a lot of markets, good odds, and even special features. Football is one of the few sports where punters can find live streaming, cash out, and live betting.

Lastly, football betting fans should remember that this sport will open more doors than others for bonuses. Almost all sports betting sites have different promotions, and a wide range of them are available for football. It is very common to find free bets, ACCA boosts, extra cash, and even cashback.