Argentina
Argentina has always been considered the cradle of great soccer players and therefore a major source of exported players. There are also cases like Lionel Messi, who went to Barcelona and trained on the Old Continent. No Argentine player from Boca Juniors, Diego Armando Maradona’s historic team, will be part of the national team in this Copa America.
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Bolivia
The Bolivian league feeds its national team. Of the 23-man squad, 19 play for a local team. Along with Peru and Mexico, it is one of three teams in the Copa America Centenario in which most of its players belong to the national squad. This is due to the limited exportation of competing players from the Andean country.
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Brazil
This country is undoubtedly one of the largest producers of talent in the world. Europe is the main destination for players from the Brazilian team. Traditionally Real Madrid and Barcelona are the favorites for Brazilian players in Spain. After that, they tend to take the leap to other European leagues.
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Chile
The Chilean team, winner of the last Copa America, will arrive at the tournament aiming to keep its championship title. From the squad chosen by Juan Antonio Pizzi to achieve that goal, 11 players come from the European league and six play in Chile. The teams providing the most players are Celta Vigo (Spain) and Universidad Catolica (Chile).
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Colombia
The Colombian squad has won the Copa America only once, in 2001. On the 'cafetero' team, 10 players are part of the local league. The resurgence of Colombian soccer in recent years has made the country an important market for leagues like those in Mexico and even Europe. Colombian players stand out due to their quality and more affordable prices than their Argentine or Brazilian counterparts.
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Costa Rica
Seven players from the Costa Rican team train at a club in their own country. The 'tico' squad was one of the top teams during the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Its legionnaires include defender Michael Umaña, who plays for Persepolis in Iran, and Ariel Rodríguez, a striker for Bangkok Glass in Thailand. Both compete in leagues with a limited presence of players from the Americas.
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Ecuador
Little by little, Ecuadorian soccer is gaining a spot among the top markets to buy players, with an offering of players characterized by their strength and quick adaptation. The Ecuadorian club Emelec provides the most players to the national team: four. The other 19 are divided among 18 teams.
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Haiti
Luis Odelus is the only Haitian on the national team who competes in his country’s league. Most train in the United States and France, given the geographical proximity to North America and the historical connection with the European country. Other countries such as Argentina, Poland, Romania, Vietnam, Turkey, India and Switzerland provide players to the team.
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Jamaica
The United States and England are the two leagues providing the largest number of Jamaicans to the national team, always under the supervision of scouts from American teams. This has allowed them to make the leap to Britain, which has allowed them to play in competitions in other European countries, such as Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
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Mexico
Mexicans play at home. On Mexico’s Copa America Centenario team, 14 players come from the Mexican league, the favorite of U.S. viewers. It’s said that Mexican players are expensive, and since they pay very well in the Mexican league, some prefer to stay at home for the status and to get a good contract. Tigres UANL has the largest number of players on the national team, with four players.
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Panama
Their affordable prices allow many Panamanians players to play in championships in neighboring countries such as Costa Rica and Honduras, where teams can’t spend much on big signings. Because of this, players like Jaime Penedo have moved from Central American leagues to the MLS. Croatia and Slovakia are the most distant countries where Panamanians play.
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Paraguay
Fourteen members of Paraguay’s national team play in three countries: Paraguay, Mexico and Argentina. 'Guaraní' soccer players have a reputation for strength, so when a team is looking for a center who knows how to thrust himself in front of the ball or some muscle – a forward of hefty size – the Paraguayans are prime candidates.
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Peru
Of the competing countries, Peru has the second-largest number of players from local teams on its Copa America squad: 17. As a league without much of an international profile and with few wins in club competitions, it’s hard to be considered as an option by the big teams. The exception are the players who stand out in a tournament for their talent or were spotted when they were young.
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Uruguay
Uruguay also has a team in exile: only two players are in the local league. This is due to the consistent appearance of their players in the finals of tournaments – including Copa America – that allows these players to stand out and garner interest from teams around the world.
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United States
On the U.S. team, there are 23 players from 22 different teams. Only Sporting Kansas City, one of the oldest franchises in the MLS, has more than one player on the team. Eleven of Klinsmann’s picks play for European clubs, with whom the U.S. has loan agreements for young players.
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Venezuela
The Venezuelan team achieved its greatest soccer success in the 2011 Copa America, when it reached the semifinals. For the centennial tournament, most Vinotinto players come from Europe – a result of this achievement. Sadly, the national team has struggled to make the same kind of progress that its players have had in European leagues.
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