Gamers from 75 totally different home soccer divisions have appeared within the 2026 World Cup to date.
They’ve hailed from EFL League One and the Irish Premier League to the Indonesian Tremendous League and Costa Rican Primera Division.
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However by way of affect on the match, no division can compete with the Premier League.
A complete of 154 gamers who completed the 2025-26 season with Premier League golf equipment have been named in squads for the match, way over from some other home league. They’ve made greater than 500 appearances on the World Cup between them to date, enjoying simply shy of 40,000 mixed minutes.
Because the competitors reaches the quarter-final stage, BBC Sport takes a take a look at simply how dominant the English prime flight – and the big wealth underpinning it – has been within the USA, and .
Premier League regulars scoring greater than rivals
The golden boot race is an all-time traditional, with among the sport’s greatest stars competing on the prime of the charts.
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And so they’re properly break up between totally different home divisions too, with present chief representing the USA’s Main League Soccer, enjoying in ‘s La Liga, terrifying Premier League defences and breaking information within the Bundesliga within the .
However total, Premier League gamers have scored slightly below double the quantity of the subsequent highest scoring league, La Liga.
The Premier League whole of 67 is powered by spectacular scoring returns for gamers whose high quality is obvious however sit beneath the elite tier of Messi and co.
They embrace the likes of ‘s (three for Germany), ‘s (4 for ), ‘s (three for ), ‘s (three for ), Newcastle’s (three for DR Congo), ‘s (three for Netherlands).
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Of their most up-to-date transfers, these six gamers price a mixed whole of round £260m, or a mean of slightly below £45m.
A complete of 17 Premier League gamers have scored twice or extra within the match.
No different division possesses an array of golf equipment, whether or not title challengers or occupying decrease mid-table, which might spend that sort of cash on dependable international-quality aim scorers.
La Liga nonetheless possesses among the world’s finest gamers, and ‘s , Brazil’s . and Spain’s have every scored 4.
However there’s a massive drop off in output past that, with solely three different La Liga gamers – ‘s , ‘s Azzedine Ounhai, and ‘s – scoring greater than as soon as.
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Solely Kane, Germany’s , Switzerland’s , and USA’s have scored greater than as soon as and play within the Bundesliga.
The whole for Serie A has been closely dented by ‘s failure to qualify for the match for a 3rd successive version.
Premier League dominates creativity too
Thus far, 9 gamers have earned three or extra assists, and 5 of them play within the Premier League.
Total, Premier League gamers have contributed greater than double the variety of the assists of the Bundesliga, which is second within the standings.
Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes might have missed a penalty throughout Brazil’s elimination by , however he was one of many few gamers who impressed for Carlo Ancelotti’s males, creating 4 targets.
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Solely ‘s , who performs for within the Bundesliga has greater than the Magpies’ skipper.
Arsenal pair and Martin Odegaard, and Liverpool duo and all have three assists, although the latter two have been knocked out of the match.
Saka has solely ever performed for the Gunners at an expert degree, however the latest switch values of the opposite 4 whole a whopping £310m or so.
Liverpool broke their switch report twice final summer season to buy Wirtz after which Isak, and although the pair made a negligible contribution in a disappointing season for the Reds, they demonstrated high quality throughout the World Cup, which leagues with much less monetary energy wrestle to match.
With seven targets and two assists, striker Kylian Mbappe’s 9 aim involvements are two greater than anyone else on the World Cup to date [Getty Images]Clear sheet race shut however Premier League joint prime
Although 12 have been chosen for the match, solely 4 Premier League goalkeepers have been common starters on the World Cup, however all have carried out nicely sufficient to make sure the division ranks highest for clear sheets too.
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‘s has stored the opposition out twice, whereas ‘s and Liverpool’s have matched that whole for and Brazil respectively.
Netherlands’ , the one different first-choice Premier League stopper, earned one earlier than the Dutch have been eradicated.
Degree with the Premier League – fairly surprisingly – is Mexico’s Liga Mx, because of the three stored by Mexico goalkeeper and ‘ 4 for .
La Liga is just one behind, however its whole of six belongs solely to Athletic Membership’s Unai Simon, who has but to concede a single aim for Spain throughout the match and is preserving Arsenal’s on the bench.
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‘s heroics for fan-favourites imply the Portuguese second division has as many clear sheets because the nation’s prime flight.
Whether or not it’s scoring targets or preserving them out, the money Premier League golf equipment have at their disposal is having an enormous affect on the largest stage of all.
Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez earned the award for finest goalkeeper on the 2022 World Cup, and might be in competition once more if Argentina progress to the latter phases [Getty Images]