Where in the World Are the Best FPL Managers? A Data-Driven Journey

An analysis of Fantasy Premier League performance patterns across different countries, exploring how geography and regional factors might influence FPL success.

With over 7.8 million active managers playing Fantasy Premier League last season, a natural question emerges: does geography matter? Are managers from certain countries consistently better at FPL? At first glance, the answer seems to be a resounding "no." But as we'll see, a different story emerges when you look beyond the averages.

The Illusion of Sameness

If you just look at the average scores for the biggest FPL nations, you'll see a pretty boring picture.

Major FPL Nations - Median Performance

Within these major nations, the median score spread is about 158 points (~7.5%). That suggests performance is fairly tight at the middle.

However, averages and medians can be deceiving—they often hide the most interesting differences at the edges.

Digging Deeper: Why Top Performers Tell a Different Story

Rather than looking at all managers, the analysis focuses on the top 20% in each country (the 80th percentile, or P80). This cohort is consistently getting key decisions right—such as spotting undervalued players and making effective captaincy choices.

And suddenly, the data wasn't boring anymore. A whole new map of FPL performance appeared.

Global View: Where Top Managers Concentrate

This choropleth maps how each country's top cohort (P80) compares to the global benchmark.

Drill-down: Baseline vs Elite Uplift

To compare countries on the same footing, we standardize median (P50) and elite (P80) points into z-scores. The x‑axis shows z(P50), which reflects a country’s baseline consistency. The y‑axis shows Δz = z(P80) − z(P50), which captures additional uplift among top managers beyond that baseline. Right/up means higher baseline and stronger elite uplift; left/down indicates weaker baseline and limited uplift.

The "Salah Effect" in the Middle East

Image credit: Fars Media Corporation, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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The first, most obvious pattern was a huge performance spike across the Middle East. The reason? Mohamed Salah.

Salah was the highest-scoring player in the game this season. Managers in the Middle East owned him at a much higher rate than anyone else. That loyalty paid off, giving them a massive, tangible boost that we can see in the data.

Middle Eastern P80 Performance

Global P80: 2,293 points

While these countries looked pretty standard at the median, their top managers are flying. The top 20% of managers in Kuwait are scoring 45 points more than the global top 20%. This isn't just a small bump; it's a huge regional trend, all thanks to one player.

On the scatter, many Middle Eastern countries sit in the upper half (positive Δz), indicating strong elite uplift even when baselines are closer to average.

The Nordic Powerhouses

Next, the Scandinavian countries stand out. They don't just have a good season here and there—they are consistently brilliant, year after year.

Nordic Powerhouse Performance

The consistency is notable. Finland's top managers are leading the field, and the region has been among the top tier each season since 2020.

These countries generally push right on the x‑axis (higher z(P50)) and remain above the horizontal zero line—firmly in the “high baseline + elite uplift” quadrant.

Hotspots in Southeast Asia

Some of the most interesting results came from Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asian Excellence

Singapore ranks among the global leaders. Its top managers perform at a high level year after year, outperforming larger footballing nations. Bangladesh is another standout—despite a smaller football profile, it is producing excellent FPL managers.

In the scatter, leading Southeast Asian countries tend to land above the zero line (positive Δz). Baselines vary by country, but the uplift signal is consistent.

A Mixed Bag for the Commonwealth

Even among English-speaking countries with deep cultural ties, the performance picture is varied.

Commonwealth Performance Range

New Zealand is the standout here, punching well above its weight. On the other end, South Africa's top managers seem to lag behind, despite having a large and active FPL community.

The Takeaway: Look Beyond the Averages

The most important lesson from this journey is simple: the metric you choose shapes the story you find.

Averages can be misleading. By focusing on the top 20% of managers, we uncovered a hidden geography of FPL excellence. From the Middle East's "Salah effect" to the consistent performance of Nordic countries and the surprising rise of Southeast Asian nations, the data reveals that elite FPL performance is a global phenomenon. The real story is always there, waiting to be found—if you know where to look.

Analysis based on 7,806,391 active Fantasy Premier League managers from 251 countries for the 2024-2025 season. "Active" managers are defined as those who started in Gameweek 1 and made at least one valid transfer. Country-level analysis requires at least 50 managers.

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