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America's Most Popular Sport Is Also Its Least Diverse

Cork GainesDec 19, 2014, 03:35 IST

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When it comes to sports in North America, the National Football League is king and nobody else is close. But when it comes to international diversity, the NFL has been left in the dust by its counterparts.

Of the more than 2,000 players in the NFL during the 2013 season, only 49 (2.4%) were born in countries other than the US or Canada according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That number is well behind the other four major professional sports leagues in North America. Major League Soccer led the way with 208 (38.3%) of their 543 players born abroad.

Major League Baseball had the most players born abroad (218). However, the number of countries represented on MLB rosters (19) was the fewest of the five leagues. MLS (57) had the most countries represented, followed by the NBA (43), NFL (28), and NHL (21).