The legendary World Cup winner as a player and manager for West Germany, Franz Beckenbauer, once fretted: “I can see a time, not that far into the future, when all the biggest games will be between clubs, not countries.”
That prediction was in 1998. It’s safe to say that it’s come to pass.
For many fans, the World Cup has served as a distraction from the real event of Premier League action. Fortunately for those with that particularly modern slant, there is little more than a month between the international competition’s conclusion and the return of away games for Coventry City.
However, the repercussions of the World Cup are likely to drag long into the domestic season. The Premier League comfortably contributed more players to the summer tournament than any other division on the planet. Some clubs were spared more than others, while there were a few particularly beleaguered manager who have come to rue the competition’s very existence.
Taking into consideration how many minutes each club’s players racked up, how deep they went into the tournament, the importance of these individuals to each side’s success, any serious injuries and Sky Sports’s World Cup impact index, here’s how each team compared.
20–11: Newly Promoted Teams Unscathed
Frank Lampard had so few Coventry City players at the World Cup he was actively in the U.S. scouting the competition for talent. “The World Cup is a great stage to look at players,” he told Gary Lineker during a mid-tournament appearance on The Rest Is Football, “so we’re looking across the spectrum of players.”
Haji Wright was given an almost insulting pair of stoppage-time cameos for the USMNT while fellow forward Brandon Thomas-Asante only started one game for Ghana.
Coventry were part of a trend of promoted teams having minimal involvement in the World Cup this summer, with Hull City and Ipswich Town also largely unscathed.
Ever-present Premier League side Everton only had three senior players at the tournament and only England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made it past the round of 32. The practically omnipresent shot-stopper has missed one top-flight match in the last four seasons and isn’t likely to add to that modest haul despite some busy outings for the Three Lions.
| Rank | Club | Key World Cup Players |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | Fulham | Sander Berge, Issa Diop, Antonee Robinson |
| 12. | Brighton | Luka Vuskovic, Bart Verbruggen |
| 13. | Newcastle |
Bruno Guimarães, Dan Burn, Nick Woltemade |
| 14. | Bournemouth | Rayan, Tyler Adams |
| 15. | Everton | Iliman Ndiaye, Jordan Pickford |
| 16. | Nottingham Forest | Chris Wood, Dan Ndoye |
| 17. | Leeds United | Ao Tanaka, Tarik Muharemović |
| 18. | Ipswich Town | Abdul Fatawu, George Hirst |
| 19. | Hull City | Liam Miller |
| 20. | Coventry City | Haji Wright |
10–6: Half of the ‘Big Six’ Escape the Worse
There was a distinct set of mixed fortunes for the Premier League’s so-called elite. While several managers with a roster stacked full of glittering internationals watched the knockout stages unfold between a lattice of their fingers, the new managerial duo of Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso managed to escape the worst impact.
Liverpool’s squad for the 2026–27 campaign included eight World Cup participants, many of whom would have expected deep runs this summer. Yet, the Dutch contingent of the locker room was dumped out of the round of 32 on the same day as Florian Wirtz’s Germany. Alexander Isak had almost the perfect number of matches (four) to bolster his fitness without overdoing it for Sweden while Alisson only lasted one more round with Brazil.
Even the freshly acquired World Cup winner Victor Muñoz didn’t spend an actual minute on the pitch for Spain. Alexis Mac Allister did, however, get pulled through the ringer with Argentina. Yet, given his underwhelming displays of last season, Liverpool should be used to a fatigued version of the midfielder.
Chelsea were similarly fortunate. Enzo Fernández made it to the final (but ended his day after 90 minutes) while Reece James and Malo Gusto had deep runs without being ever-presents for England or France respectively. Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador) and Pedro Neto (Portugal) both went home earlier than they may have expected (or Chelsea dared to hope).
| Rank | Club | Key World Cup Players |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | Tottenham | Djed Spence, Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero |
| 7. | Crystal Palace | Yéremy Pino, Ismaïla Sarr, Daniel Muñoz |
| 8. | Chelsea | Enzo Fernández, Reece James, Moisés Caicedo |
| 9. | Liverpool | Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz, Virgil van Dijk |
| 10. | Brentford | Igor Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Kristoffer Ajer |
5. Sunderland
Key World Cup Players: Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey, Thomas Meunier.
Sunderland were one of the surprise success stories of the World Cup. The Black Cats boasted players who scored a combined eight goals between them, a tally only one Premier League club could top.
There was a remarkable dozen of Sunderland players at the competition in North America, 11 of whom made it into the knockout rounds for their nations. While this should serve as a boost to the club’s global appeal, it could come back to haunt Régis Le Bris, especially in a season with the demands of Europa League action.
4. Manchester United
Key World Cup Players: Lisandro Martínez, Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo.
Manchester United not only had a lot of players at the World Cup, but the vast majority of that traveling party suffered through the tournament. Lisandro Martínez got furthest only to watch his Argentine compatriots lose the final to Spain after being forced off with a concerning injury.
Manuel Ugarte’s tournament was cut short much earlier and for much longer, while the Portuguese enclave of Old Trafford are nursing the psychological wounds of disappointing summers. Even Senne Lammens, a bastion of stability throughout his debut Premier League season, sent Belgium home with a blunder against Spain.
One of the few United players who didn’t see a single minute of action may prove to be the most impacted. It will be intriguing to discover how Kobbie Mainoo responds to the ignominy of getting shunned by England all summer long.
3. Manchester City
Key World Cup Players: Erling Haaland, Rodri, Elliot Anderson, Marc Guéhi, Rúben Dias, Nico O’Reilly, Jérémy Doku.
No Premier League club’s players racked up more collective minutes than Manchester City’s cabal. Yet, only one of them made it into the final.
Rodri lived up to Pep Guardiola’s prediction by discovering his best form for Spain at just the right time. Whether he can replicate that output at City will depend on how much rest he is afforded—and Real Madrid’s transfer strategy.
Erling Haaland is on his way back to Manchester with a taxidermy racoon in his carry-on while England semifinalist Elliot Anderson blossomed into one of the most impressive midfielders at the whole tournament.
2. Arsenal
Key World Cup Players: Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel.
“It’s a period that I don’t enjoy a lot,” Mikel Arteta admitted when quizzed on his experience of international soccer earlier this year. Putting the success of his nation to one side, the World Cup cannot have been pleasant viewing for the Arsenal boss.
Thomas Tuchel made it abundantly clear that most members of the English Gunner contingent came into the tournament half-fit and very much remained that way—not withstanding a few stellar showings in the public training session that was the third-place playoff.
Arsenal’s three World Cup winners spent much of the tournament on the bench but William Saliba, as instrumental for France as he is in north London, could be facing several months out with a back injury after pushing through the pain barrier for too long.
1. Aston Villa
