Only 6 Armenian academy products are currently playing abroad: worrying CIES statistics

The International Centre for Sports Studies, CIES, has published a new report on football migration and the number of players who began their careers in one country before moving to foreign clubs. The study covers 135 professional leagues around the world.

For Armenian football, the statistics are worrying. According to CIES, only 7 players who developed within the Armenian football system are currently playing for foreign clubs. However, the actual number is now 6, as Varazdat Haroyan was also included in the list, although he has already left his Hungarian club.

The current list of Armenian footballers who started their careers in Armenia and are now playing abroad includes:

Slovakia: Tigran Barseghyan and David Hakobyan
Italy: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Germany: Styopa Mkrtchyan
Poland: Vahan Bichakhchyan
Romania: Narek Grigoryan

It is worth noting separately that this is not about all footballers of Armenian origin, but specifically about players who developed within Armenia’s football system and then moved to foreign championships.

The trend is getting worse

The trend of recent years is even more telling. In 2025, CIES counted 8 such Armenian footballers, while in 2024 the figure stood at 10. Now the number has dropped to 6–7 players.

This points to a serious problem with Armenia’s football export. Armenian clubs rarely sell or release local academy products to foreign leagues, while young players do not often get the chance to establish themselves outside the country.

Armenia is far behind its neighbors and comparable countries

For comparison, Georgia currently has 108 footballers playing abroad. The largest numbers of Georgian players are competing in Uzbekistan, Slovakia and Ukraine.

Azerbaijan’s figure is comparable to Armenia’s — 7 players. However, many other countries with small football markets are significantly ahead of Armenia:

Moldova — 39
Kosovo — 63
Albania — 56
Montenegro — 82
North Macedonia — 81
Cyprus — 20
Kazakhstan — 17
Latvia — 26
Belarus — 57

Against this background, Armenia looks like one of the most closed football systems in the region. Even countries with comparable populations and league levels export far more players.

Why this matters

The number of footballers playing abroad is an important indicator of the development of a football school. The more players move to foreign leagues, the higher the level of competition, match intensity and prospects for the national team.

CIES notes that Brazil remains the world leader in football exports, with 1,455 players abroad. France follows with 1,275, and Argentina with 1,016. Overall, international migration in football continues to grow globally.

For Armenia, however, the situation is moving in the opposite direction: the number of players who started their careers inside the country and managed to enter the foreign market is declining. This is one of the signals that Armenian football needs to work more actively on developing young players, promoting academy products and creating conditions for their moves to stronger championships.