Top 5 players from smaller footballing nations
Historically, football has been dominated by players from only a handful of nations. The world's best players usually seem to come from a select few countries such as Brazil, France, Argentina, Germany, England and Netherlands.
But there have always been a few players who come from nations that are not widely known for their footballing pedigree. Whether it be Jari Litmanen from Finland or George Weah from Liberia, there will always be a few footballers who stand out from nations that do not usually produce such gems.
Here are:
Top 5 footballers from obscure nations
#5 Milot Rashica (Kosovo/Werder Bremen)
Milot Rashica has been a standout player for Werder Bremen over the last three years. The Kosovo international has caught the eye of many with his dazzling performances for the German outfit since his move from Dutch side Vitesse in 2018.
Back in 2019, Rashica had the third best goals-to-games ratio across Europe, behind only Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. The 24-year old has bagged 18 goals and 10 assists in 63 Bundesliga appearances for Werder Bremen and was close to leaving the club last summer.
Injuries have hampered Rashica this season, with the forward having only made 12 appearances in the Bundesliga for Bremen. But at only 24-years old, the Kosovan looks destined to move to a bigger club in the near future.
#4 Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/PSG)
PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas has carved out an impressive career for himself. The Costa Rican has become one of the most reliable keepers between the sticks and is also one of the most successful goalkeepers in the history of the game.
Navas has won one La Liga title, one Ligue 1 title, three UEFA Champions League titles and a host of individual awards which include the CONCACAF Men's Player of the year twice and the UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the season in 2017-18. He is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the history of CONCACAF.
The Costa Rican has been phenomenal in goal for PSG over the last two seasons, having kept 21 clean sheets in 39 Ligue 1 appearances for the French champions.
This season alone, Navas has managed to keep 10 clean sheets in his 21 league appearances, including saving one out of the two penalties he has faced during the campaign.