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The NFLs International Series shifts to Mexico City this week, and coverage will focus on the enormous support from local fans. Estadio Azteca will be sold out on Monday night as the?Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders?face off, a confirmation of the continued interest in American football outside United States borders. Less visible, but no less interesting, is the rise in player participation around the globe. A new adult league debuted in Mexico City this spring, joining dozens of semi-professional and club-level leagues in every corner of the planet -- from Europe to Asia to Australia.The worldwide action is tracked daily by American Football International (AFI), a website and advocacy group run by Roger Kelly and John McKeon. Kelly is a former Canadian Football League executive, now living in Sweden. McKeon, a former player in a French league, is based in New York.ESPN.com teamed with AFI to assess the quality and scope of Planet Football. What follows is a subjective ranking of the top countries from a standpoint of participation and local interest.1. CanadaKey stat: Canadians play with 12 rather than 11 players on each side, helping to fill up a field that is both longer (110 yards) and wider (65 yards) than traditional American football.Fun fact: The first documented American football game in Canada took place in 1861, a full eight years before the first documented American football game in the United States.Who is playing: The nine-team CFL offers a unique spin on the game, and it plays at a high enough level that a handful of players move on to the NFL after each season. Each team is allowed 19 international -- i.e. American -- players. The rest come from Canadas extensive CIS college system, which features 27 schools from four regions that play at its highest level. The CFL once felt comfortable enough to expand into the United States, an experiment that ended in 1995 but led to a firmer vision for a regionally focused league.2. GermanyKey stat:?There are 54,000 federation members among 450 club teams.Fun fact: Former Duke and Fresno State quarterback Brandon Connette was Germanys top quarterback in 2016. He threw for 4,747 yards in 17 games for the Dresden Monarchs.Who is playing: Germany proved to be the most fertile ground for NFL Europe, and eventually five of the leagues six teams migrated within its borders. That popularity carried on even after the 2007 shuttering, and the best club teams in Germany now play at a level equivalent to a Division II college team in the United States. This spring, Germany produced its first NFL draft pick: wide receiver Moritz Bohringer, who has spent the season on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Bohringer was the first international player to move directly from a European league to the NFL.3. Great BritainKey stat: British American Football Federation has nearly 12,000 members.Fun fact: There is a five-on-five womens tackle league in Great Britain that has a tradition known as the Sapphire Series, which is now taking applicants for the 2017 tournament.Who is playing: NFL interest has soared in London and the surrounding areas since the start of the International Series in 2007. This year, a total of 242,373 fans attended three games held at two different stadiums. College football has grown dramatically throughout the United Kingdom, an important development. The UKs National League is fully amateur, meaning no paid American imports are allowed. So for the league to thrive at a post-college level, it needs native talent to surface. University teams are poised to provide that talent pool.4. MexicoKey stat: The first organized American football game in Mexico took place in 1896.Fun fact: Americas Team was once Mexicos Team as well. Perhaps thats still the case. The Dallas Cowboys, also known as Vaqueros de Dallas, began appearing on Mexican television in the 1960s. Hispanic place-kicker Danny Villanueva, a New Mexico native, was a big draw.Who is playing: American Football has a long history in Mexico. The first games were played there at the collegiate level in the 1920s, and Mexico is now one of two countries outside of the United States to support a fully professional league. (Canada is the other.) The Liga Futbol Americano debuted in the spring of 2016 with four teams and recently announced expansion into a six-team league for 2017. Most of the league is based in Mexico City. Geographical proximity to the NFL makes it a more natural transition for fans. A then-record 103,467 filled Estadio Azteca for the 2005 game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. Two preseason games there in the 1990s drew a combined 218,800 fans, and this seasons game -- with a reduced capacity of around 87,000 following renovations -- sold out within minutes.5. AustriaKey stat: Approximately 4,000 people in Austria are licensed to play either flag or tackle football.Fun fact: The Vienna Vikings played in five consecutive Eurobowls, winning four of them, from 2003-07. Thats four more championships than their American counterparts, another Vikings franchise with whom they share an almost identical logo.Who is playing: The Austrian Football League rivals Germany for the highest-level football played outside North America. AFI currently ranks the Swarco Raiders as the top team in Europe. The Raiders origin goes back to the 1980s, dating to the earliest days of NFLs excursion into Europe. For a long stretch, Austrian teams dominated international competitions. During the Vikings run in the mid-2000s, their championship games were televised. Their games were played in front of crowds that were as large as 10,000 fans, and the entire league continues to draw well.6. JapanKey stat: There are 18 teams in Japans X-League.Fun fact: American football was first introduced to Japan in 1934 by the legendary missionary Paul Rusch.Who is playing: The highest levels of football in Japan are organized through corporations that sponsor the teams and staff them with their own employees. Companies that field teams include IBM, Fujitsu, Panasonic and Mitsubishi. A handful have developed into semi-pro-level teams, and the Japan Bowl will be played in December in the Tokyo Dome. Japanese teams have grown increasingly aggressive in recruiting American-born players. The IBM BigBlue roster, for example, includes quarterback Kevin Craft (San Diego State/UCLA) and receiver/tight end John Stanton (St. Johns of Minnesota).7. BrazilKey stat: Brazilians have played tackle football in an organized way for only eight years, but there are already 105 teams and approximately 8,500 members of its federation.Fun fact: Team names in Brazil are fantastic, as long as you are not prone to phobias. There are clubs known as the Rednecks, Tsunami, Crocodiles, Vipers, Black Sharks and Brown Spiders.Who is playing: Although the level of play is not high relative to other countries, fan support is wild for teams in the CBFA Superliga -- a structure devised this year to pit the top 31 teams in the country for a regular rotation. As many as 15,000 fans show up for games, rivaling soccer events in some cases. The Corinthian Steamrollers have 1.4 million fans on their public Facebook page. As a result, Brazil is viewed as perhaps the most fertile ground for grassroots expansion in the world.8. ChinaKey stat: The game was introduced about five years ago on a significant scale, and as of last summer, about 5,000 men and women were playing in some form. That includes the inaugural Chinese Arena Football League, backed in part by the owners of the Philadelphia Soul.Fun fact: Former Arizona State defensive lineman Zach Brown, living in China for work, started a semi-pro league by handing out business cards to people he met on the street. The cards said, I play American football. You look like a dude who could play. Contact us here. Runner-up: The Shanghai Skywalkers are a real thing. Enough said.Who is playing: Ken Li, the founder of the American Football Union, said China is more interested in the NFL than playing the game itself. The level of play here is no comparison to the NFL at all, Li said. He added: I always say that if we put the best players in China on an all-star team, the level might be similar to a Division III in the NCAA. That gives you the best-case scenario of what were seeing here.9. FranceKey stat: France has a huge if moderately competitive federation, counting 215 registered clubs and 22,136 members.Fun fact: Defensive end Micah Robinson, a former Syracuse star, had 18 sacks last season for Saint-Ouen-lAum?ne Cougars, the top team in France based on AFIs rankings.Who is playing: Soccer and rugby dominate the French sports terrain, so support is mixed even while participation and skill level is high. Most football teams have American imports playing quarterback, including many with experience at Division I schools. There have also been occasional instances of French-born players piquing interest of NFL teams. Receiver Anthony Dable, who like Bohringer discovered football on YouTube and went on to play in the French and German leagues, spent training camp with the New York Giants and had a September tryout with the New England Patriots.10. AustraliaKey stat: There are approximately 4,000 members in the Australian federation.Fun fact: The first season of American football in Australia was 1984. Players used boxing head gear instead of helmets and played on what Gridiron Australias official history called a disused rubbish tip. In other words, it was an abandoned garbage dump.Who is playing: American football has plenty of team-sport competition in Australia, from rugby to Australian rules football to soccer. But there is a growing list of Australian-born players working their way into the NFL. Former rugby star Jarryd Hayne is the most notable, having played last season as a running back/returner for the San Francisco 49ers. Most of them have been specialists, however, including current New York Giants punter Brad Wing. Sav Rocca had a seven-year career with three teams, and Mat McBriar punted for 11 years, mostly with the Dallas Cowboys. 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NEW YORK -- James Shields caught a break, thanks to Lorenzo Cain and a fleet of Kansas City fielders. Shields escaped early trouble when Cain ran down a deep drive with the bases loaded, Billy Butler and David Lough backed their ace with home runs and the Royals handed the New York Yankees their third straight loss, 3-1 Tuesday night. Cain contributed four nifty catches, and Shields appreciated each gem by the speedy centre fielder. "He seemed like he ran a little more than he usually does," Shields said. "I told him maybe Ill pay for a massage." Said Cain: "Sounds good to me." Defensive replacement Elliot Johnson ranged a long way for a late grounder and Kansas City backed Shields (4-6) with a pair of double plays. Fittingly, the game ended on a fine, twisting grab by another defensive sub, third baseman Mike Moustakas. Beset by a lack of run support, Shields had won just once in his previous 12 starts, and came in with a losing record despite a 3.23 ERA and ranking among the AL leaders in several pitching categories. Shields gave up five hits -- including three consecutive singles to start the game, and four in the first overall -- in seven innings. He struck out five, walked two and retired his final 13 batters. "Forget the record. The record has nothing to do with how hes pitched," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Hes been as good as you would hope a No. 1 starter can be." Shields improved to 8-15 against the Yankees after overcoming a rocky start. Brett Gardner led off with a bunt single and Ichiro Suzuki and Robinson Cano also singled for a run. New York loaded the bases with one out, but Shields fanned Lyle Overbay and wiggled out of trouble when Cain ran down Eduardo Nunezs fly far into the right-centre field alley. If that ball eluded him, Cain agreed, "the game is out of control." CC Sabathia (9-7) gave up seven hits in his second complete game. Once again, the Yankees had trouble scoring. Theyve managed exactly one run in each of their last three games -- not since 2005 had they scored one run or fewer in three straight, STATS said. "Any timme you put four hits in an inning, you think youll get more than one run," manager Joe Girardi said.dddddddddddd. As for Sabathia and the Yankees staff, "I think they are pitching pretty good. Theyre throwing pretty good ballgames. Were just not scoring runs for them," Girardi said. The hitting slump left the Yankees with a three-game home losing streak for the first time since they dropped four in a row in late July 2012. Lough led off the sixth inning with a tying home run and Butler opened the seventh with a go-ahead shot. Butler hit 29 homers last year and was an All-Star, but has slumped this season -- he came into this series with six homers before connecting in the first two games. "Got one yesterday, got one today," Butler said. Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 22nd save, and second in two nights. The Royals are trying to win a series at Yankee Stadium for only the second time since the beginning of the 2000 season. Thanks to Shields and the bullpen, theyre 2-0 in this four-game set. Shields didnt give up a hit after the second inning, sometimes pitching in rain and even hail. "It was nice to settle down," he said. Sabathia allowed only one hit until Lough homered. Butlers shot was the 20th homer yielded by Sabathia this season, second-most in the majors to the 21 off Kansas Citys Jeremy Guthrie. Doubles by Alcides Escobar and Eric Hosmer gave Kansas City an insurance run in the ninth. NOTES: Gardners streak of striking out ended at a team-record 16 games. He snapped an 0-for-16 rut with his bunt hit. ... Girardi said he hasnt ruled out rehabbing SS Derek Jeter from returning from the minors this weekend. ... Royals RHP Wade Davis (4-7, 5.42 ERA) starts Wednesday night vs. Yankees RHP Ivan Nova (3-2, 4.09). ... Canos 32 hits off Shields are the third-most in the majors among an active hitter and pitcher, STATS said. Michael Cuddyer has 35 against Mark Buehrle, while Michael Young has 33 off John Lackey. If Manny Ramirez makes it back to the majors, his 36 off Andy Pettitte move to the top of the list. ... Sabathia pitched his 37th career complete game. ' ' '