Switzerland did not have a single representative from the Swiss league in their side in their 3-1 group stage opening victory over Hungary on Saturday afternoon – which was not too surprising, given they only have two domestic players in their squad.
The Swiss will not be alone in that over the course this tournament, however, with only six of the 24 competing nations naming predominantly home-based players in their 26-man squads. Most nations are in single figures, including some big hitters like France, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Two nations (Albania and Denmark) do not have a single domestic player to choose from this summer – though there are four Danish-based players in the squads of other countries, including Scotland’s Scott McKenna. That leaves Albania as the only one of the 24 sides at Euro 2024 whose league is completely unrepresented.
England meanwhile have the most home-based players. Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham are the only members of Gareth Southgate’s squad who play their club football outside the Premier League.
Italy are close behind with three foreign-based representatives: PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario, and Arsenal’s Jorginho.
Hosts Germany round out the top three, with six players plying their trade abroad: four in Spain, plus Brighton and Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross and Arsenal’s Kai Havertz.
Unsurprisingly, the same three countries have sent the most players to the Euros, with nearly half of the players who have made the trip to Germany contracted to clubs in England, Italy or Germany.
Manchester City and Inter are the two most-represented sides with 13 players each, followed by PSG and Real Madrid (12 each) and RB Leipzig and Barcelona (11). Slavia Prague punch way above their weight: they have ten players at the Euros this summer, all of them Czechs bar Ivan Schranz, who plays for neighbouring Slovakia.
Domestic-based players at Euro 2024 by squad
- 24: England
- 23: Italy
- 20: Germany
- 19: Spain
- 16: Czech Republic
- 14: Ukraine
- 12: Turkey
- 9: Hungary
- 8: France, Scotland
- 7: Austria, Romania
- 6: Croatia, Netherlands, Portugal
- 3: Belgium, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia
- 2: Georgia, Slovenia, Switzerland
- 0: Albania, Denmark
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