Regional scouting is the best choice, it allows you to scout reasonably good sized areas covering multiple associations in detail without being too big to miss large quantities of talent and being broad enough to cast the net wide and keep costs relatively low and less tedious compared to going nation by nation.
So which region is the best? That is what this guide is for, here we have provided every region available to be scouted (which is the whole world).
Then we have broken down which associations are in each region, their youth ratings and a judgment of that specific association’s ranking in terms of producing young talents.
Regional Scouting is done geographically, ignoring the borders set by FIFA and its Confederations. So this guide will follow suit; each Scouting Region is divided alphabetically by continent then subdivided alphabetically by scouting region.
A note will be given at the beginning, ranking the scouting region overall out of 10 on the quality of scouting that region. After the list is given ranking each association, we detail out in a small blurb talking about the scouting region and why or why you should not be choosing to invest in scouting the said region.
NOTE: Youth Ratings are now dynamic. This means that overtime - an association's youth ratings can fluctuate due to a multitude of factors.
If you want to skip to a list ranking every region from best to worst, skip to the bottom of this guide.
For reference: the Youth Rating is out of 200 and the Association Ranking is a direct ranking done by myself, ranking the Youth Rating out of 15 to put things in perspective. Now let’s move to the guide:
AFRICA
Central Africa - 4/10Association | Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Cameroon | 100 | 9/15 |
Central African Republic | 17 | 0/15 |
Chad | 26 | 1/15 |
Congo | 50 | 4/15 |
Democratic Republic of Congo | 101 | 9/15 |
Equatorial Guinea | 28 | 1/15 |
Gabon | 49 | 3/15 |
São Tomé & Príncipe | 7 | 0/15 |
An okay group of associations who produce good talent and can come relatively cheap. Some associations are not so great like São Tomé & Príncipe and the majority of these associations do not have a solid infrastructure to develop youngsters even at a young age.
Work Permits can also be an issue for some of these associations. My advice would be to focus on other areas first and then come back here to take a look specifically at Cameroon and D.R. Congo.
One thing to look out for would be Gabon and Congo - it is well possible that they could improve in the future and develop within your save.
East Africa - 1/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Burundi | 40 | 3/15 |
Djibouti | 7 | 0/15 |
Eritrea | 8 | 0/15 |
Ethiopia | 51 | 4/15 |
Kenya | 55 | 4/15 |
Mayotte | 7 | 0/15 |
Réunion | 7 | 0/15 |
Rwanda | 42 | 3/15 |
Somalia | 9 | 0/15 |
South Sudan | 7 | 0/15 |
Tanzania | 80 | 7/15 |
Uganda | 59 | 4/15 |
Zanzibar | 7 | 0/15 |
A very poor region to be scouting. Some associations do have some talent and potential, but it is minimal at best.
Majority of these associations will have issues with work permits – unless managing within this region it is best to avoid or if you notice that one of these associations starts to develop further out into having a “golden generation”.
The only association to look at would be Tanzania, but your money is best spent elsewhere so in short - avoid.
North Africa - 6/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Algeria | 102 | 9/15 |
Egypt | 125 | 11/15 |
Libya | 46 | 3/15 |
Morocco | 85 | 7/15 |
Sudan | 74 | 6/15 |
Tunisia | 82 | 7/15 |
An excellent group of nations who can produce excellent talents and for cheap but may come with an increased wage package compared to the rest of Africa’s scouting regions.
Several of Africa’s powerhouses lie here, all of whom have a solid infrastructure and will make it easier if work permits are an issue.
The only two outliers are Libya and Sudan, majority of the time you can avoid but the other four associations plus the small number of associations in total in this region makes this a solid region to scout.
Egypt in particular is disgustingly underrated, and Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia’s ties with Europe can make several young talents travel to Europe early making work permits less of an issue and dual-nationalities can pop up regularly here too.
Southern Africa - 3/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Angola | 75 | 6/15 |
Botswana | 42 | 3/15 |
Comoros | 7 | 0/15 |
Eswatini (Swaziland) | 14 | 0/15 |
Lesotho | 25 | 1/15 |
Madagascar | 28 | 1/15 |
Malawi | 51 | 4/15 |
Mauritius | 21 | 1/15 |
Mozambique | 64 | 5/15 |
Namibia | 39 | 2/15 |
Seychelles | 21 | 1/15 |
South Africa | 95 | 8/15 |
Zambia | 61 | 5/15 |
Zimbabwe | 44 | 3/15 |
Not the greatest of regions despite South Africa being a playable league within the main FM game.
Angola can produce solid talents along with South Africa. And Zambia who are an association on the rise in CAF are a definitive “watch this space” association.
Majority of the other associations are forgettable, and your resources are better suited to scout elsewhere first – it’s best to look here if you are managing in South Africa.
Western Africa - 6/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Benin | 55 | 4/15 |
Burkina Faso | 70 | 6/15 |
Cape Verde | 46 | 3/15 |
Cóte D’Ivoire | 105 | 9/15 |
Gambia, The | 49 | 3/15 |
Ghana | 99 | 8/15 |
Guinea | 64 | 5/15 |
Guinea-Bissau | 18 | 0/15 |
Liberia | 32 | 2/15 |
Mali | 73 | 6/15 |
Mauritania | 25 | 1/15 |
Niger | 31 | 2/15 |
Nigeria | 120 | 11/15 |
Senegal | 80 | 7/15 |
Sierra Leone | 29 | 1/15 |
Togo | 64 | 5/15 |
Believe it or not this Region is solid even looking past the notable associations of Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.
Togo, Gambia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali all are great associations for producing talents. Even other associations like Benin, Cape Verde and Liberia can produce gems making this region one of the very best in producing raw talent within Africa.
Despite possible work permit issues, players are extremely cheap here making it a good spot to look. Plus there are already established real life scouting routes done here which are reflected in game while dual-nationalities are not uncommon here either making life easier if you are in Europe.
If resources are available to you – bookmark this region as a spot to scout if able.
ASIA
Central Asia - 2/10Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Kazakhstan | 47 | 3/15 |
Kyrgyzstan | 17 | 0/15 |
Tajikistan | 37 | 2/15 |
Turkmenistan | 36 | 2/15 |
Uzbekistan | 55 | 4/15 |
If you are looking to scout here, first why… and secondly it would be best to just scout individual associations at this point.
Uzbekistan would arguably be the better association to look at as recent performances have put them just outside of Asia’s typical powerhouses.
The only other association of note is Kazakhstan as they are an association under UEFA – with Astana even getting to the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
Despite the two associations, this is still not a good place to scout and work permits aren’t easy here either - so move on somewhere else.
East Asia - 5/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
China | 60 | 5/15 |
Chinese Taipei | 14 | 0/15 |
Guam | 6 | 0/15 |
Hong Kong | 47 | 3/15 |
Japan | 112 | 11/15 |
Macau | 5 | 0/15 |
Mongolia | 15 | 0/15 |
Northern Marianas | 1 | 0/15 |
South Korea | 110 | 10/15 |
Absolutely solid region with Japan and South Korea being the flagships for youngsters – always seemingly able to produce genuine world class talent which slips under the radar.
China is not bad, but they are an expensive league to purchase from. The rest of the associations are avoidable but if you want a solid foothold in Asia which is easier regarding work permits – a very strong region in AFC.
The only issue is that there’s really only three notable countries and the rest are just drastically poor hence a 5/10 on my rating. In truth though the talents within Japan and South Korea should cover this enough.
Middle East - 6.5/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Bahrain | 82 | 7/15 |
Iran | 110 | 10/15 |
Iraq | 103 | 9/15 |
Israel | 84 | 7/15 |
Jordan | 90 | 8/15 |
Kuwait | 75 | 6/15 |
Lebanon | 85 | 7/15 |
Oman | 70 | 6/15 |
Palestine | 51 | 4/15 |
Qatar | 105 | 9/15 |
Saudi Arabia | 105 | 9/15 |
Syria | 85 | 7/15 |
United Arab Emirates | 97 | 8/15 |
Yemen | 55 | 4/15 |
This is an underrated hot spot for talent. Several of these associations can produce excellent talent albeit not in abundance.
The main issue with these associations would be work permit issues (except Israel as they are in UEFA… if you’re managing there) and their political status which does have an effect on transfers even in FM.
Several associations do have solid infrastructure and a basis to produce talents, but they are EXPENSIVE – bar Iran but that’s not an easy association depending on where you’re managing.
Let me just say though - this is the best scouting region in Asia.
What holds this back from a 7/10 is the price tag of some youngsters and the issues with work permits at times, but the rise in Qatar and Saudi Arabia plus more investment from U.A.E. means this is a the place to scout and watch with dynamic youth ratings.
South Asia - 1/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Afghanistan | 19 | 0/15 |
Bangladesh | 36 | 2/15 |
Bhutan | 4 | 0/15 |
India | 86 | 7/15 |
Maldives | 50 | 4/15 |
Nepal | 13 | 0/15 |
Pakistan | 37 | 2/15 |
Sri Lanka | 16 | 0/15 |
Poor… really poor. There is no logical reason to be scouting this region unless you are managing in India. Even then, what are you doing? Like seriously… I would try and give some solace or a microbe of positivity, but I’ve honestly got nothing.
If you’re going to grasp anything from this, just scout India but why would you do that unless you’re managing in India?
Southeast Asia - 3/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Australia | 90 | 8/15 |
Brunei Darussalam | 6 | 0/15 |
Cambodia | 8 | 0/15 |
East Timor | 5 | 0/15 |
Indonesia | 56 | 4/15 |
Laos | 7 | 0/15 |
Malaysia | 35 | 2/15 |
Myanmar | 50 | 4/15 |
Philippines | 30 | 2/15 |
Singapore | 35 | 2/15 |
Thailand | 86 | 7/15 |
Vietnam | 70 | 6/15 |
Not too bad of a region and several leagues are playable here. Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and Australia are really the only ones to look at. Indonesia can produce a surprise or two in terms of raw talent but it is a stretch.
Work permits can be a slight issue and realistically the only saving grace is Australia.
In all honesty what makes this scouting region noteworthy is the fact that you can play within several leagues here and that’s what bumps it from a 2 to a 3.
EUROPE
Central Europe - 10/10Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Andorra | 36 | 2/15 |
Austria | 79 | 6/15 |
Belgium | 120 | 11/15 |
France | 155 | 14/15 |
Italy | 144 | 13/15 |
Liechtenstein | 42 | 3/15 |
Luxembourg | 35 | 2/15 |
Netherlands | 132 | 12/15 |
Portugal | 134 | 12/15 |
San Marino | 29 | 1/15 |
Spain | 145 | 13/15 |
Switzerland | 90 | 8/15 |
Why aren’t you scouting this region? I really shouldn’t need to say anything else. Every single nation bar San Marino is worthy of your time.
Yes, even Andorra, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg can produce solid talents – especially since there are plenty of dual nationality players out there who are in the other associations within this region (this also applies to San Marino with Italy).
Money may be a tad of an issue as it can be a bit expensive to sign players but that should not stop you at all.
Eastern Europe - 8/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Albania | 65 | 5/15 |
Armenia | 41 | 3/15 |
Azerbaijan | 43 | 3/15 |
Belarus | 62 | 5/15 |
Bosnia & Herzegovina | 78 | 6/15 |
Bulgaria | 72 | 6/15 |
Crimea | 0 | 0/15 |
Croatia | 98 | 8/15 |
Czech Republic | 94 | 8/15 |
Estonia | 62 | 5/15 |
Georgia | 65 | 5/15 |
Hungary | 68 | 5/15 |
Kosovo | 60 | 5/15 |
Latvia | 63 | 5/15 |
Lithuania | 59 | 4/15 |
Moldova | 46 | 3/15 |
Montenegro | 60 | 5/15 |
North Macedonia | 71 | 6/15 |
Poland | 94 | 8/15 |
Romania | 91 | 8/15 |
Russia | 118 | 10/15 |
Serbia | 100 | 9/15 |
Slovakia | 79 | 6/15 |
Slovenia | 78 | 6/15 |
Ukraine | 110 | 11/15 |
So, I will say this once more like I did in Central Europe… why aren’t you looking at this region? True, the “powerhouses” of Europe aren’t necessarily in this region but in terms of raw talent, these nations are not far behind.
Plus, this region is cheaper than its Central counterpart making this a hotspot for cheaper, high-quality talent.
The one downside can be work permits and yes… even some political issues, plus there are a lot of associations to go through in this region – meaning that more resources should be dedicated to scouting this region to make it more thorough and efficient.
Regardless if you have the resources, you need someone scouting here ASAP.
Scandinavia - 7/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Denmark | 91 | 8/15 |
Faroe Islands | 42 | 3/15 |
Finland | 75 | 6/15 |
Iceland | 67 | 5/15 |
Norway | 82 | 7/15 |
Sweden | 88 | 7/15 |
Excellent group of associations – apart from Faroe Islands which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. Talent can be found here and can come cheap compared to the rest of Europe.
Honestly this is also another no-brainer if you have the resources, it is a bit light in terms of quantity but between those six associations – one of them should surely hit a brilliant young player… it’s just a matter of finding them.
South Europe - 5/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Cyprus | 74 | 6/15 |
Gibraltar | 35 | 2/15 |
Greece | 94 | 8/15 |
Malta | 42 | 3/15 |
Turkey | 124 | 11/15 |
Underwhelming is the best term. Turkey is an excellent place to not just manage but scout as talent flows out of that association while producing - every once in a while - a real top-class player. Greece is further behind but again, not a bad shout along with Cyprus producing a good group as well.
Both Gibraltar and Malta are avoidable, in truth I personally prefer to scout Turkey and Greece individually then add Cyprus if funds allow.
The difference between this region and Scandanavia is that the latter is more consistent while there’s a large gap between the best and worst in this region.
United Kingdom & Ireland - 7/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
England | 135 | 12/15 |
Northern Ireland | 79 | 6/15 |
Republic of Ireland | 83 | 7/15 |
Scotland | 83 | 7/15 |
Wales | 71 | 6/15 |
An excellent place to scout where top-class talent is basically a given. The issue is how expensive said talent is… it’s very expensive and that’s what hurts this scouting region to make it a 7/10 despite it being so solid.
On top of it, ones from this region are not necessarily great at traveling too far from home. In all honesty if you are managing outside of this region, it would be best to scout a select few other regions as just as good talent can be found for even cheaper – but it never hurts to look here.
NORTH AMERICA
Caribbean - 1/10Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Anguilla | 8 | 0/15 |
Antigua & Barbuda | 30 | 2/15 |
Aruba | 20 | 1/15 |
Bahamas | 11 | 0/15 |
Barbados | 34 | 2/15 |
Bermuda | 28 | 1/15 |
Bonaire | 15 | 0/15 |
British Virgin Islands | 10 | 0/15 |
Cayman Islands | 16 | 0/15 |
Cuba | 51 | 4/15 |
Curaçao | 35 | 2/15 |
Dominica | 15 | 0/15 |
Dominican Republic | 35 | 2/15 |
Grenada | 26 | 1/15 |
Guadeloupe | 48 | 3/15 |
Haiti | 59 | 4/15 |
Jamaica | 59 | 4/15 |
Martinique | 46 | 3/15 |
Montserrat | 8 | 0/15 |
Puerto Rico | 30 | 2/15 |
Saint Barthélemy | 20 | 1/15 |
Saint Kitts & Nevis | 28 | 1/15 |
Saint Lucia | 28 | 1/15 |
Saint Vincent & The Grenadines | 34 | 2/15 |
Saint-Martin | 10 | 0/15 |
Sint Maarten | 10 | 0/15 |
Trinidad & Tobago | 57 | 4/15 |
Turks & Caicos Islands | 9 | 0/15 |
U.S. Virgin Islands | 8 | 0/15 |
Where to start…. Like Oceania – a lot of people who are born from these nations have multiple-citizenship and a similar path could be followed in allowing real life nations to scout and develop their own territories before stepping in.
Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago can produce a solid raw talent every once in a while, but every nation here lacks infrastructure to grow and develop these players.
The big kicker is the rest of the associations – there are simply too many other bad associations here which does not make it worth the time to scout this region unless you are managing in CONCACAF somewhere.
Plus, if a solid player does play for one of these associations, it usually means that they aren’t good enough for their other eligible association (Netherlands compared to Aruba, Curacao or Bonaire for example).
Central America - 3/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Belize | 15 | 0/15 |
Costa Rica | 66 | 5/15 |
El Salvador | 55 | 4/15 |
Guatemala | 58 | 4/15 |
Honduras | 68 | 5/15 |
Nicaragua | 18 | 0/15 |
Panama | 49 | 3/15 |
Pretty decent region for producing raw talent. Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, and Costa Rica are good scouting regions but, in all honesty, this is a below-average region in terms of a Global standpoint.
It’s cheap but there’s not a whole avalanche of talent and these regions can go through spells both good and bad of producing talent.
If you scout here you are probably going to get a player or two, but it would be best to focus elsewhere first, again this would be a region to scout if you are managing in CONCACAF.
North America - 5/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Canada | 54 | 4/15 |
Mexico | 120 | 11/15 |
Saint Pierre & Miquelon | 5 | 0/15 |
United States of America | 110 | 10/15 |
A good place to scout for young talent – the issue is majority of them are in the U.S. and Mexico, both are extremely expensive with Mexico especially bad.
Canada is a solid developing country which is starting to produce more and more talent but not yet at the levels to be considered reliable while Saint Pierre & Miquelon is a French Territory with less than 6,000 people.
So, if you have some extra cash to spare then a decent region to scout or keep an eye on but probably be wise to look somewhere else first unless managing within this region. Or take a route of scouting just Mexico and the U.S.A individually.
SOUTH AMERICA
South America (East) - 10/10Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Argentina | 140 | 13/15 |
Brazil | 163 | 15/15 |
French Guiana | 40 | 3/15 |
Guyana | 37 | 2/15 |
Paraguay | 90 | 8/15 |
Suriname | 47 | 3/15 |
Uruguay | 90 | 8/15 |
This is one of the best scouting regions on the planet; Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay need no introduction while Paraguay is always a solid nation to scout for young talent.
French Guiana and Guyana are maybe not great, but they can on occasion spring a surprise while Suriname does produce excellent talent but if they are good enough, they change their nationality to represent the Netherlands.
Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay can be expensive to buy young players, but they pump out just so many high-quality young raw talents that you are essentially guaranteed to find someone to invest in.
South America (West) - 9/10
Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
Bolivia | 59 | 4/15 |
Chile | 93 | 8/15 |
Colombia | 117 | 10/15 |
Ecuador | 94 | 8/15 |
Peru | 97 | 8/15 |
Venezuela | 71 | 6/15 |
South America (West) arguably has more of a consistent level of raw talent being produced then South America (East) simply because the latter hosts 3 low-quality associations.
You can easily find world-class talent when scouting here and they are cheaper compared to their Brazilian or Argentinian counterparts.
They may not pump out as many world-class talents, but they still produce them – and they have the infrastructure and ability to develop the youngsters so there’s a greater chance they reach their potential just like South America (West).
But these guys are cheap… like extremely cheap and that makes this region an absolute must.
OCEANIA
Oceania - 1/10Association | Level of Youth Rating | Association Ranking |
American Samoa | 5 | 0/15 |
Cook Islands | 8 | 0/15 |
Fiji | 36 | 2/15 |
Kiribati | 1 | 0/15 |
Micronesia | 0 | 0/15 |
New Caledonia | 34 | 2/15 |
New Zealand | 88 | 7/15 |
Papua New Guinea | 34 | 2/15 |
Samoa | 14 | 0/15 |
Solomon Islands | 40 | 3/15 |
Tahiti | 39 | 2/15 |
Tonga | 8 | 0/15 |
Tuvalu | 5 | 0/15 |
Vanuatu | 33 | 2/15 |
Wallis & Futuna Islands | 3 | 0/15 |
I really wouldn’t scout this region in all honesty, I would save some money and go directly to New Zealand who do have the ability to produce some decent talents. The rest of the region is a no-go; however, it is not completely uncommon to find someone of note attached to one of these associations.
The issue is that almost on every single occasion if there is a youngster of note from this region, there nationality allegiance usually swaps to the association who in real life colonized, owns, is an “overseas-territory” or whatever appropriate political term is used to basically mean you have multiple-citizenship.
So, in all honesty, let the nations who are linked to these associations in real life do the work for you in game (New Caledonia is a France territory for example), save your money and scout New Zealand if you really want someone from the OFC Confedetation.
Full Ranking
South America (East) - 10/10Central Europe - 10/10
South America (West) - 9/10
Eastern Europe - 8/10
Scandinavia - 7/10
United Kingdom & Ireland - 7/10
Middle East - 6.5/10
North Africa - 6/10
Western Africa - 6/10
North America - 5/10
East Asia - 5/10
South Europe - 5/10
Central Africa - 4/10
Southeast Asia - 3/10
Central America - 3/10
Southern Africa - 3/10
Central Asia - 2/10
Caribbean - 1/10
Oceania - 1/10
South Asia - 1/10
Important Note
While you might think that this is over, unfortunately your endeavours are not. While this guide certainly helps you in selecting the right regions to scout - it doesn’t exactly shed complete light on who produces the best newgens or even where to find them.
After all, you may not have the facilities, ability or work permit availability to sign players from such far flung places around the globe and try and develop them. Or you may simply be just a step too high on the food chain to be the “developing” type.
So the question remains, which nations produce the best young talents but then at which clubs can you find these newgens?
Discussion: Best Scouting Regions in Football Manager
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