Players from 75 different domestic divisions have featured at the 2026 World Cup, representing leagues as varied as EFL League One, the Indonesian Super League, and the Costa Rican Primera Division. Yet when it comes to sheer tournament impact, no competition comes close to the Premier League.

A total of 154 players who finished the 2025-26 season with Premier League clubs were named in World Cup squads. Between them, they have made more than 500 appearances and played just shy of 40,000 combined minutes — figures that dwarf every other domestic league on the planet.

Goals: Premier League players leading the charge

The golden boot race features some of football's biggest names across several divisions. Current leader Lionel Messi represents MLS, Kylian Mbappe plays in La Liga, Erling Haaland terrorises Premier League defences, and Harry Kane has been breaking records in the Bundesliga.

Yet as a collective, Premier League players have scored 67 goals — nearly double the tally of La Liga, the second-highest division. That total is powered by a group of players who sit just below the elite tier but deliver consistent international-quality output.

Among the standout contributors: Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr has scored four for Senegal, while Arsenal's Kai Havertz, Liverpool's Cody Gakpo, Manchester United's Matheus Cunha, Newcastle's Yoane Wissa, and Sunderland's Brian Brobbey have each netted three for their respective nations. Those six players cost a combined £260 million in their most recent transfers — an average of just under £45 million each.

In total, 17 Premier League players have scored twice or more at the tournament. La Liga can point to Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Mikel Oyarzabal — each on four goals — but only three other La Liga players have scored more than once. The Bundesliga's contributions come largely from Kane, Deniz Undav, Johan Manzambi, and Malik Tillman, while Serie A's overall tally has been hit hard by Italy's failure to qualify for a third consecutive tournament.

Creativity: assists table also dominated by English top flight

Nine players have registered three or more assists at the World Cup so far, and five of them are Premier League regulars. Overall, Premier League players have contributed more than double the assists of the Bundesliga, which ranks second.

Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes leads the way with four goal assists, despite missing a penalty during Brazil's elimination at the hands of Norway. Only Bayern Munich's Michael Olise has bettered that total.

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, along with Liverpool's Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, have each contributed three assists — though Wirtz and Isak have since been knocked out. The most recent transfer values of Odegaard, Saka, Wirtz, and Isak combined exceed £310 million. Liverpool broke their transfer record twice last summer to sign Wirtz and then Isak, and while the pair endured a difficult club season, the World Cup has showcased the quality that leagues with less financial power struggle to replicate.

Clean sheets: Premier League goalkeepers holding firm

Four Premier League goalkeepers have served as regular starters at the tournament, and all have performed well enough to put the division joint-top for clean sheets. Everton's Jordan Pickford, Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, and Liverpool's Alisson have each kept two clean sheets, while Netherlands' Bart Verbruggen earned one before the Dutch were eliminated.

Surprisingly, Mexico's Liga MX matches the Premier League's clean sheet tally, driven by goalkeeper Raul Rangel's three shutouts for Mexico and Camilo Vargas' four for Colombia. La Liga sits one behind, though its six clean sheets belong entirely to Athletic Club's Unai Simon, who has yet to concede for Spain and is keeping Arsenal's David Raya on the bench.

In a charming subplot, Vozinha's heroics for Cape Verde mean the Portuguese second division has as many World Cup clean sheets as Portugal's top flight. Whether scoring or preventing goals, Premier League wealth is shaping the 2026 World Cup in ways no other league can match.