Georgia is increasingly being compared to Uruguay as a rising football talent hub, with more Georgian players making their way into leading European leagues.

The comparison was highlighted by Footballweek in an analysis of the development of Georgian football, according to Sputnik Georgia.

Some 13 Georgian footballers currently play in Europe’s five major leagues, while the total value of confirmed transfers involving Georgian players over the past four years has exceeded €175 million.

Footballweek notes that Georgian clubs often send promising players first to mid-level European leagues, where they can gain experience before making the move to the continent’s top competitions.

A similar model has long been associated with Uruguay, a country of around 3.5 million people that has established itself as one of the world’s major exporters of football talent.