Diaspora players have never had a bigger impact on the World Cup than at this year's tournament, with nearly a quarter of all squad members representing a country different from the one they were born in. The trend, highlighted by France's Michael Olise, who broke Pelé's assist record while playing for one of four nations he was eligible for, reflects how football nationality has grown increasingly complex, with such players contributing disproportionately to goals, assists and minutes played across the competition.

Some 23.6% of the 1,248 named players were selected by a country other than their birthplace, up sharply from 16.5% in 2022, and these players were involved in 70 goals either scored or assisted, plus a further 19 goals both created and finished by diaspora players. All three host nations benefited, including Colombia-born Julián Quiñones scoring for Mexico and Canada's Jonathan David, who was born in the US, netting a hat-trick, while France proved the single biggest source nation, with 74 French-born players turning out for other countries; Curaçao's squad was the most extreme case, with 25 of its 26 players born in the Netherlands.