May 1 – With the summer transfer window just a month away, the CIES Football Observatory has partnered with German data company Impect in a move designed to deepen the game’s understanding of emerging talent beyond Europe’s elite leagues.
April 17 – To mark the publication of its 500th Weekly Post, the CIES Football Observatory has turned its data lens on the next generation — highlighting the young players already amassing significant match experience in senior football before even turning 24.
March 27 – The latest study from the CIES Football Observatory has highlighted major differences in refereeing trends across the top 63 leagues worldwide, exposing significant contrasts between continents in how officials enforce discipline.
March 21 – Chelsea’s strategy of locking down their players on long-term contracts is paying off in terms of squad stability, but it might come back to bite them as their financial commitments continue to grow. According to the latest study from CIES Football Observatory, a staggering 91.8% of Chelsea’s current squad is contracted until at least 2026, securing their place at the top of the table for ‘minutes secured’ across 37 global leagues.
January 15 – The CIES Football Observatory has unveiled the top U23 players outside Europe’s big five leagues who appear most prepared to take the next step in their careers, based on an index that evaluates a variety of data.
January 8 – Jude Bellingham’s star power and transfer value continues to soar as the Real Madrid and England midfielder tops the latest CIES Football Observatory rankings with a world record valuation of €251 million. The 21-year-old leads a Real Madrid-heavy list of global talent, showcasing the Spanish giants’ unparalleled ability to attract the best in the game.
December 23 – The stars of tomorrow are already making waves today. A scouting report by the CIES Football Observatory and Wyscout has identified the best-performing footballers born in 2004 or later across 65 leagues worldwide.
December 19 – FC Barcelona defender Jules Koundé has emerged as the most-used outfield player in world football, according to the latest CIES Football Observatory report. The French international clocked an extraordinary 5,872 minutes across 69 matches, showcasing both his durability and importance to club and country.
December 12 – French Ligue1 side LOSC Lille have the highest positive player trading balance in the world, at +€384m, according to a ranking of the monetary balance of transfer transactions covering non-academy players signed since 2015. PSG have the worst trading record.
December 5 – The CIES Football Observatory has unveiled a potential Achilles heel for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, which have fielded one of the oldest average line-ups of any team in the world across the past 12 months.
November 21 – The latest CIES Football Observatory analysis charts the Premier League’s staggering net transfer deficit of €11.6 billion over the past decade, in comparison to other leagues worldwide.
November 15 – Manchester United-bound Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon side tops a new shot-taking ranking by the CIES Football Observatory, suggesting that the Red Devils have gained a real attacking asset by getting the Portuguese coach.
November 6 – The CIES Football Observatory has unveiled its latest rankings of young players with the highest transfer values, with no surprises at the number one spot.
October 31 – Portugal’s Benfica has been unveiled as the world leader in player training, according to stats generated by the CIES Football Observatory.
October 10 – European Champions Real Madrid, armed with a glittering roster of high-value talent headlined by Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, have been crowned as the most valuable squad in world football in the latest CIES Football Observatory data report.