Can you guess the dirtiest football league in the world? SEVEN Latin American divisions rank in the top 10 for cards per game, while Japan’s J2 League sees just one red card every 20 games – but where does the Premier League rank?
- CIES Football Observatory published data for 76 football leagues in the world
- LaLiga finished with the most cards of any of the Top Five leagues in Europe
- An Argentinian Trophy of Champions clash saw Facundo Tello show 10 red cards
While it is true that goals decide games, bookings and sendings off are just as big a part of what makes football so exciting for fans in the stands and on their sofas at home.
Whether it’s a meaty challenge in the middle of a full-blooded derby clash, a mistimed tackle inside the box, or a flash point off the ball – we would be lying to ourselves if we said that fouls didn’t make the game more intriguing.
For example, an Argentinian Trophy of Champions final in November caught headlines all over the world, after referee Facundo Tello – who officiated at the Qatar World Cup – handed out a staggering 10 red cards in a fiery encounter.
So that raises the question – which league sees the most cards and wins the unwanted title of the ‘world’s dirtiest division’? Here Sportsmail takes you through data from CIES Football Observatory to find out.
Facundo Tello showed 10 red cards in an Argentine Trophy of Champions match in November
Manchester United’s clash with Fulham saw three red cards in two minutes – including one for Aleksandar Mitrovic
CIES Football Observatory data analysed the number of cards handed out in the period from January 1, 2020 to March 20, 2023 in a total of 76 divisions across six continents.
And the numbers show that the league in which referees show the most cards per match, and therefore the world’s dirtiest league, was Bolivia’s Primera Division.
The Bolivian top-flight saw a stunning 7.01 cards on average across 800 games in that three year period, leading the way unsurprisingly for both coloured cards, with 6.46 bookings and 0.55 reds – meaning there was on average more than one sending off every two games.
Not far behind was Uruguay’s Primera Division, where referees pulled out 6.48 cards each match, followed closely by Venezuela with 6.43 per game, to complete a top three made up entirely of South American leagues.
In fact, of the top 10 leagues that saw the most cards over that three year period, seven were from Latin America, with the other three based in Europe.
Behind Venezuela in fourth place came Ecuadorian Liga Pro on 6.18 cards-a-game, with Portugal’s Segunda Liga the highest ranked European side in fifth with 6.04 – the Portuguese top-flight was not far behind on 5.9 in eighth spot.
The other leagues in the top 10 were Costa Rica’s Primera Division and the Peruvian top-flight (6.02), and Colombia’s Primera A (5.77), with Ukraine’s Premier League just beaten to ninth spot (5.76).
The top-flights in Ecuador and Colombia were placed fourth and ninth in the rankings
The highest ranked senior division in Europe was Portugal’s Primeira Liga with an average of 5.9 cards-per-game
The Ukrainian Premier League saw the tenth most cards shown in the period January 1 2020 – March 20 2023
But where Mexico’s Liga MX came in 36th place for overall cards, the division snuck into the top 10 rankings for red cards shown each game, averaging a surprising 0.36, jumping an impressive 26 places.
In the 2022 World Cup, Argentina finished with the highest number of cards on 18, compared to England’s sole booking. They did play the joint-most games in the competition (seven), but beaten finalists France had 10 fewer cards shown during the game.
Top 10
Primera Division (BOL) – 7.01 cards per game
Primera Division (URU) – 6.48 p/g
Primera Division (VEN) – 6.43 p/g
Liga Pro (ECU) – 6.18 p/g
Segunda Liga (POR/2) – 6.04 p/g
Primera Division (CRC) – 6.02
Primera Division (PER) – 6.02
Primeira Division (POR/1) – 5.90
Primera A (COL) – 5.77
Premier League (UKR) – 5.76
But in comparison, the Argentinian division – which produced the teams that shared those 10 red cards in November – finished only 14th and produced 5.43 cards on average. However, of that victorious squad, only goalkeeper Franco Armani plays for a club in his home country.
Of the Top Five European Leagues, LaLiga saw the most cards shown per game on average, with referees reaching for their pockets a total of 5.36 times a game, pulling out 5.08 yellows and 0.28 red cards.
The Spanish top-flight was in 15th spot, followed by Serie A in 30th (4.95 cards), Ligue 1 in 57th (4.18 cards), the Bundesliga in 62nd (3.95 cards), and last but not least the Premier League in 71st (3.49).
Interestingly, the top four divisions in English football were ranked within six places, with League One seeing an average of 3.7 cards, followed by the Championship (3.65) and League Two (3.53).
In England, there is a direct negative correlation between the calibre of the league and the number of red cards shown, in that the Premier League ranks lowest (0.12), with the Championship in second (0.13), then League One (0.14) and League Two (0.16).
But where Latin American divisions dominate the top 10, Japan’s top two leagues saw the fewest cards of any in the list.
The J2 League was the only division that managed fewer than two cards on average per game (1.99), and only sees a red card shown every 20 games.
Serie A finished second-highest out of the Top Five European leagues, behind only Spain’s LaLiga
The MLS was ranked as the 54th dirtiest division out of the 76 analysed, with only an average of 4.25 cards shown
And the Japanese top-flight was only marginally worse as the only other division averaging fewer than three cards per fixture, averaging a red every 10 games and 2.09 yellows.
In comparison the dirtiest division playing football under Asia’s AFC governing body was the Thai League 1 (4.39 yellows and 0.26 reds).
For African football, Morocco’s Botola Pro division leads the way on 4.68 cards every match, while South Africa’s PSL was last on 3.72, a difference of 0.82 bookings a game and 0.14 red cards.
The MLS finished in 54th place with 4.25 cards, while Australia’s A-League had 4.42, and Cristiano Ronald’s Saudi Pro-League witnessed 4.5 on average.
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