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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.
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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.
#3 Alphonso Davies (Canada/Bayern Munich)
Alphonso Davies burst onto the scene as a youngster at Bayern Munich after his transfer from the MLS in 2018. The Canadian has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best left-backs in the world.
Still only 20-years-old, Davies has gone from strength to strength at Bayern Munich and has made the left-back role his own. Davies's incredible pace and physical attributes combined with his ability on the ball allows the defender to put in a shift no matter where he plays.
The Canadian can play on either flank, and has also been deployed as a wide-forward on occasions.
During his short stint at Bayern Munich so far, Davies has won the Bundesliga twice and the UEFA Champions League once.
The Canadian was also chosen in the 2020 UEFA Team of the Year and in the FIFPro World XI last season, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if this isn't the last time we see Davies chosen for those accolades.
#2 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Armenia/Roma)
No other player on this list is as distinguished for their country as Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Armenian captain is basically royalty in his home country because of his footballing ability.
Mkhitaryan has been named the Armenian Footballer of the Year ten times in his career. The midfielder is the all-time leading scorer for his country and has also been named the CIS Footballer of the Year twice in his career.
Mkhitaryan's exploits for Borussia Dortmund also earned the midfielder the Bundesliga Players' Player of the Year award for the 2015-16 season.
Mkhitaryan struggled during his time in the Premier League, but the midfielder has revived his career since moving to Roma.
Mkhitaryan has bagged an impressive nine goals and eight assists in 21 Serie A games this season and has been one of Roma's most important players.
#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal)
In terms of pure goalscoring ability, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is amongst the best footballers of the last decade. The Gabon captain has been prolific for every club he has played for over his career.
The Arsenal skipper started out as a winger but was soon converted into an out-and-out striker due to his pace, positioning and finishing ability. Although Aubameyang has only won a handful of domestic cups during his career, the Gabonese hitman has earned himself plenty of individual accolades over the years.
During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Aubameyang won the Bundesliga Player of the Season and top-scorer awards, and was also named the African Footballer of the Year.
Since joining Arsenal, Aubameyang has won the Premier League Golden Boot once and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2019-20 season. The striker has also been named in the IFFHS CAF Men's Team of the Decade for 2011-2020.
Aubameyang is a once-in-a-lifetime player and it is unlikely that his country will ever produce a talent like him again.
