Pauli Lenik

@pauli-lenik.bsky.social

Political economist studying voting behaviour and populism in Central & Eastern Europe; Assistant Professor, Jagiellonian University || Author of From Protest to Piety (forthcoming) ||

Nearly a quarter of players selected for the 2026 World Cup were born in a different country from the one they represent ⚽ The Migration Observatory's Ben Brindle explores how migration has become a key part of international football and its impact on World Cup success ⬇️ https://bit.ly/43MZhsi

Bar chart showing the share of foreign-born players at each FIFA World Cup from 1930 to 2026. The proportion fluctuates between around 2% and 14% for most tournaments before rising sharply in recent years, from 11.4% in 2018 to 16.8% in 2022 and a record 23.6% in 2026. The chart highlights a long-term increase in the number of players representing a country other than the one in which they were born.