The Premier League will provide more players than any other competition at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with 166 footballers selected for the tournament as part of the 1,248 players chosen to represent the 48 participating nations.
The figures underline the global reach of England’s top division ahead of the first World Cup to feature 48 teams. Premier League clubs account for the largest share of players heading to the tournament, placing the competition ahead of Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 1 and Italy’s Serie A.
Among English clubs, Manchester City lead the way with 19 players selected for the World Cup. Arsenal are next with 16 representatives, while Manchester United and Crystal Palace each contribute 13 players. Liverpool complete the leading group with 11 squad members involved in the competition.
Germany’s Bundesliga ranks second among the most represented leagues, supplying 101 players to the tournament. Bayern Munich account for 18 of those selections, while Borussia Dortmund contribute 11.
Spain’s La Liga occupies third place with 82 players. Barcelona provide 14 players and Atlético Madrid 12. Real Madrid have 10 representatives at the tournament, although none of them are Spanish internationals.
France’s Ligue 1 sits narrowly behind La Liga with 81 players, while Italy’s Serie A is fifth with 66. The Italian league’s total has been affected by the absence of the national team after the Squadra Azzurra were eliminated by Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs.
The ranking of the most represented leagues highlights the concentration of international talent within Europe’s major competitions. The top five leagues account for a significant proportion of players involved in the World Cup and continue to serve as the primary destinations for many of the game’s leading footballers.
The top five most represented leagues are:
- Premier League – 166 players
- Bundesliga – 101 players
- La Liga – 82 players
- Ligue 1 – 81 players
- Serie A – 66 players
The data also offers insight into the distribution of African players participating in the tournament. The Premier League and Ligue 1 share top spot in this category, each providing 25 African players to the World Cup.
France’s OGC Nice emerges as the club with the strongest African representation. The club is sending seven players to the tournament, including Algerian midfielder Hicham Boudaoui, Egyptian defender Mohamed Abdelmonem, Tunisian defender Ali Abdi, Senegalese pair Yehvann Diouf and Antoine Mendy, and Ivorians Evann Guessand and Elye Wahi.
The Premier League contingent features players from several African nations. Senegal is particularly well represented through players such as Idrissa Gana Gueye, Pape Matar Sarr, Nicolas Jackson, Ismaïla Sarr, Habib Diarra, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Iliman Ndiaye.
Egypt’s presence includes Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Manchester City attacker Omar Marmoush, while Morocco is represented by Noussair Mazraoui, Chadi Riad, Issa Diop and Chemsdine Talbi.
Ghana’s representatives in the Premier League include Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City, while South Africa’s challenge is strengthened by Burnley forward Lyle Foster. The Democratic Republic of Congo also has a notable presence through Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Alex Tuanzebe, Noah Sadiki and Yoane Wissa.
In Ligue 1, African talent is spread across several clubs. OGC Nice contribute the largest number of players, while Lille, Strasbourg, Le Havre, Lyon, Lorient, Rennes and Auxerre also provide representatives from across the continent.
Ghana’s Ligue 1-based World Cup contingent includes Gideon Mensah, Marvin Senaya, Alidu Seidu and Elisha Owusu. Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also strongly represented in the French top flight.
The Bundesliga contains 12 African World Cup players. Algeria contributes the largest share through Ramy Bensebaini, Farès Chaïbi, Ibrahim Maza and Mohamed Amoura. Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, Ivory Coast and Ghana also have representatives in Germany.
Spain’s La Liga features nine African players. Villarreal account for several of them, including Logan Costa, Nicolas Pépé, Pape Gueye and Thomas Partey. Morocco’s Brahim Diaz and Abde Ezzalzouli are also among the African players competing in Spain.
Italy’s Serie A provides seven African participants. Ivory Coast has three representatives through Evan Ndicka, Odilon Kossounou and Ange-Yoan Bonny, while Algeria, Senegal and Morocco also have players based in the division.
The numbers illustrate the growing influence of African footballers across Europe’s leading leagues and their importance to national teams competing on the world stage. With the expanded 48-team format bringing together 1,248 players, the Premier League remains the competition with the greatest World Cup footprint, while African talent continues to play a prominent role across the continent’s elite domestic leagues.
As the tournament approaches, the statistics offer a snapshot of where many of the world’s international stars ply their trade, with England, Germany, Spain, France and Italy once again serving as the principal hubs of global football talent.
