The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially begins on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico — and as the 48-nation tournament prepares to kick off, the club football world is calculating its own contribution to the sport’s grandest stage. In total, 1,248 footballers will take part in this year’s tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Manchester City will have 19 players who last played a club match for them featuring at this summer’s 2026 World Cup across North America. Not only is that the highest number of any club in English football, but it is also the highest amount of all clubs across world football.
England’s Premier League dominates the elite ranking, with five clubs among the top 10. The financial power of the Premier League has long been converting the world’s best players to English football — and now, with the planet’s biggest tournament arriving, that transfer of talent is being reflected in the national squad lists of 48 nations.
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The Full Top 10: Clubs With Most Players At The 2026 World Cup
Arsenal and PSG both have 16 players who recently represented them featuring at the tournament. German champions Bayern Munich are in second place with 18, while Spanish champions Barcelona make up the top five with 15 players. Crystal Palace and Manchester United both have 12 players each, as do Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal and Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid.
| Rank | Club | Country | Players | Key Nations Represented |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | England | 19 | England, Portugal, Norway, Spain |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | Germany | 18 | Germany, France, Portugal, England |
| 3= | Arsenal | England | 16 | England, France, Sweden, Spain |
| 3= | Paris Saint-Germain | France | 16 | Portugal, France, Morocco, Spain |
| 5 | Barcelona | Spain | 15 | Spain, Brazil, Poland |
| 6= | Crystal Palace | England | 12 | England, France, Germany |
| 6= | Manchester United | England | 12 | England, Portugal, Brazil |
| 6= | Al-Hilal | Saudi Arabia | 12 | Brazil, Morocco, Senegal |
| 6= | Atlético Madrid | Spain | 12 | Spain, Argentina, Uruguay |
| 10= | Borussia Dortmund | Germany | 11 | Germany, France, England |
| 10= | Galatasaray | Turkey | 11 | Turkey, Senegal, Morocco |
| 10= | Liverpool | England | 11 | England, Brazil, Colombia |
1. Manchester City — 19 Players Across 12 Nations
Manchester City are the most represented side in the World Cup, with a staggering 19 players heading to the World Cup. Pep Guardiola’s team had an exceptional domestic season, winning both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, despite finishing 2nd in the Premier League. City’s incredibly deep and star-studded squad provides nations with top-quality talents.
The Cityzens’ call-ups include four members of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, Portuguese representation in Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Matheus Nunes, and World Cup debutant Erling Haaland.
Manchester City lead all Premier League clubs with 19 players selected across 12 different nations. Stars like Erling Haaland (Norway), Rodri (Spain) and Bernardo Silva (Portugal) all travel to North America representing three of the tournament’s favourites.
Manchester City’s Key World Cup Representatives
| Player | Nation | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | Norway | Group I |
| Rodri | Spain | Group H |
| Bernardo Silva | Portugal | Group K |
| Rúben Dias | Portugal | Group K |
| Matheus Nunes | Portugal | Group K |
| Marc Guehi | England | Group L |
| John Stones | England | Group L |
| James Trafford | England | Group L |
| Nico O’Reilly | England | Group L |
2. Bayern Munich — 18 Players, Germany Lead The Nations
Bayern Munich have 18 players heading to the World Cup, with Germany being the nation to call up the most players (8), with youngsters like Jamal Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlović in the World Cup squad.
Bayern Munich had an incredible season under manager Vincent Kompany, securing their second consecutive Bundesliga title and reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, before narrowly falling to eventual champions PSG.
Bayern’s 18 representatives span multiple continents and confederations, with Germany’s eight-man contingent the single largest block. French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Portuguese winger Rafael Leão and Brazilian striker Harry Kane are among the wider Bayern Munich World Cup brigade.
3. Arsenal — 16 Players: Premier League Champions Go Global
Arsenal arguably had their best season in recent decades, with the team capturing the Premier League title and reaching the UEFA Champions League final under manager Mikel Arteta. This has led to 16 players being called up to the World Cup roster from the side, with talents like Viktor Gyökeres and Martin Ødegaard set to feature in their first-ever World Cup.
Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke will turn out for England, while Martin Zubimendi represents Spain and Viktor Gyökeres carries Sweden’s attacking hopes.
From the Premier League champions Arsenal, a total of 16 players, including Bukayo Saka (England), Declan Rice (England) and Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden), are looking to shine.
3. Paris Saint-Germain — 16 Players: Champions League Holders Make Their Mark
The 2026 Champions League finalists, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, both have 16 players at this summer’s tournament.
Portugal follows with four PSG players in its squad: midfielders Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, and João Neves, along with defender Nuno Mendes. The club’s international representation also includes Achraf Hakimi for Morocco, winger Khalil Ayari for Tunisia, striker Ibrahim Mbaye for Senegal, Marquinhos for Brazil, William Pacho for Ecuador, Lee Kang-in for South Korea, and Fabián Ruiz for Spain.
PSG’s 16 representatives span four confederations — UEFA, CONMEBOL, CAF and AFC — an extraordinary geographical spread that speaks to the club’s status as a truly global institution.
5. Barcelona — 15 Players: La Liga Champions Well Represented
Spain have called up seven Barcelona players, including Ballon d’Or contender Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Gavi. Eight of their players will feature for other nations.
Barcelona’s 15 representatives are anchored by their Spain contingent but spread across multiple nations. The presence of Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Dani Olmo (Spain), Raphinha (Brazil) and Eric García (Barcelona/Spain) makes the Catalan club one of the tournament’s most globally distributed squads.
6= Crystal Palace — 12 Players: The Biggest Surprise On The List
Incredibly, Crystal Palace have more players called up for the World Cup (12) than Real Madrid (10).
Crystal Palace are the most unexpected team to feature in the list. Despite a poor domestic season, where the club finished in 15th, the team were successful in European football, winning the UEFA Europa Conference League, marking the club’s first European trophy.
The Conference League triumph helped Crystal Palace attract and retain a diverse international squad, culminating in their 12-player World Cup representation that shockingly surpasses Real Madrid.
6= Manchester United — 12 Players: Carrick Era Boosts International Appeal
The English side, despite a poor start to the season, made a remarkable turnaround to the season under manager Michael Carrick, finishing 3rd in the Premier League season. Manchester United are the 4th most represented outfit in the Premier League, with players like Kobbie Mainoo being called up after incredible performances during the second half of the season.
Manuel Ugarte (Uruguay), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Marcus Rashford (Spain — on loan at Barcelona) and Casemiro (Brazil) are among United’s 12 World Cup representatives.
6= Al-Hilal — 12 Players: Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Statement Yet
Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Atlético de Madrid are tied for sixth with 12 representatives apiece. The biggest surprises on the list are Al Hilal and Crystal Palace, fresh off their UEFA Conference League triumph.
Al-Hilal’s presence in the top 10 represents a significant statement about the Saudi Pro League’s growing ability to attract and retain world-class international talent, drawing players from Brazil, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and beyond.
6= Atlético Madrid — 12 Players: Diego Simeone’s Multinational Army
Atlético Madrid also have 12 players, with Marcos Llorente, Álex Baena and Marc Pubill featuring in the Spain squad.
Julian Álvarez (Argentina) and José María Giménez (Uruguay) add South American steel to Atlético’s dozen, while Antoine Griezmann is expected to feature for France.
10= The Three-Way Tie: Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray And Liverpool — 11 Each
Three teams have 11 players going to the World Cup: Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray and Liverpool.
Some other top teams include Liverpool (11 players) and Chelsea (11 players).
Borussia Dortmund’s 11 representatives come predominantly through the Germany squad, while Galatasaray’s contingent reflects the diverse nationalities assembling in the Turkish Süper Lig. Liverpool’s 11 World Cup players represents the final wave of the Arne Slot era squad, including Darwin Núñez (Uruguay), Diogo Jota (Portugal) and Cody Gakpo (Netherlands).
The Premier League Dominance: A Complete Picture
The conclusion to the 2025/26 domestic season does not spell the end of football action this summer, with the FIFA World Cup taking centre stage from June 11 to July 19. More than 180 Premier League players will be lining up for their countries in the 48-team tournament — greater representation than ever before.
Every Premier League club from 2025/26 and 2026/27 have a player participating in the tournament.
Premier League Clubs’ World Cup Representation
| Club | Players | Key Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 19 | Haaland, Rodri, Bernardo Silva |
| Arsenal | 16 | Saka, Rice, Gyökeres |
| Crystal Palace | 12 | Eze, Madueke, Chadi Riad (Morocco) |
| Manchester United | 12 | Mainoo, Ugarte, Cunha |
| Liverpool | 11 | Núñez, Gakpo, Jota |
| Chelsea | 11 | Cucurella, Palmer alternatives |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 10 | Robertson (Scotland), Bentancur (Uruguay) |
The Real Madrid Shock: Only 10 Players
Five sides have 10 players going to the World Cup, including Real Madrid. Remarkably, there are zero Real Madrid players in Spain’s World Cup squad.
Spain named a World Cup squad without a Real Madrid player for the first time in history, with Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Carreras among those omitted.
The likes of Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr have been called up by England, Belgium and Brazil respectively for Real Madrid — but the overall tally of 10 is strikingly low for a club of their global standing.
The FIFA Club Benefits Programme: Who Earns What
FIFA has upgraded the Club Benefits Programme (CBP) for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with FIFA set to distribute a record $355 million to clubs whose players are participating in the World Cup. Teams are set to make an estimated daily amount between $11,000 to $15,000 per player. With the new structure, clubs are expected to receive huge incentives to foster the development of future talents. A represented club will receive a minimum estimated amount of $150,000 per player, even if the player’s journey ends in the group stages.
Based on the top 10 clubs’ player tallies, the financial windfall for those clubs alone could reach tens of millions of dollars, with Manchester City’s 19-player contingent making them the biggest single financial beneficiary of the programme.
FAQs
Which club has the most players at the 2026 World Cup?
No team at the tournament will have a higher representation than Manchester City, who have had 19 members of their squad called up for the World Cup.
How many Premier League players are at the 2026 World Cup in total?
More than 180 Premier League players will be lining up for their countries in the 48-team tournament — greater representation than ever before.
Why is Crystal Palace in the top 10?
Crystal Palace are the most unexpected team to feature in the list. Despite a poor domestic season, where the club finished in 15th, the team were successful in European football, winning the UEFA Europa Conference League, marking the club’s first European trophy.
How many players does Real Madrid have at the 2026 World Cup?
Five sides have 10 players going to the World Cup, including Real Madrid. Remarkably, there are zero Real Madrid players in Spain’s World Cup squad.
How much does FIFA pay clubs for releasing players to the World Cup?
FIFA is set to distribute a record $355 million to clubs whose players are participating in the World Cup. A represented club will receive a minimum estimated amount of $150,000 per player, even if the player’s journey ends in the group stages.
