Most experience? Youngest? Best leagues? World Cup squads in numbers

With all 48 World Cup squads now confirmed, we look at how they shape up and compare with each other leading into the tournament.

Which clubs have the most players? How many of each squad play in the best leagues? And who are the oldest and youngest squads and players at this World Cup?

They may not have won the Premier League but Manchester City’s players are the most in-demand on the international stage, with a record 19 representing 12 different countries in the coming weeks.

The champions of Germany, England, France and Spain have the most players at the World Cup after that, with Arsenal providing 16 players for 10 different nations.

Serie A winners Inter Milan have just seven players at the tournament, largely due to Italy’s absence.

Most players at World Cup 2026

	Manchester City	19
	Bayern Munich	18
	Arsenal	16
	Paris St-Germain	15
	Barcelona	14

Source: Opta

Looking just at the 20 clubs that made up the 2025-26 Premier League, only this season’s top three have more players at the World Cup than Conference League winners Crystal Palace (12).

Including players out on loan over the season, Sunderland remarkably have as many representatives on the global stage as Chelsea and Liverpool (11), showing just how globe-trotting their recruitment was following promotion last summer.

The majority of Brentford, Everton and Leeds’ squads can put their feet up and recharge their batteries for next season, with those clubs sending just four players each.

Number of players at World Cup 2026

Premier League clubs

	Man City	19		Newcastle	8
	Arsenal	16		Fulham	7
	Man Utd	13		Wolves	7
	C Palace	12		Bournemouth	6
	Chelsea	11		Nott’m F	6
	Liverpool	11		Burnley	5
	Sunderland	11		West Ham	5
	Aston Villa	10		Brentford	4
	Tottenham	9		Everton	4
	Brighton	8		Leeds	4

With Europe’s top five leagues – France’s Ligue 1, Italy’s Serie A, the Premier League in England, La Liga in Spain and Germany’s Bundesliga – regarded as the best in the world, only Spain’s squad is made up exclusively of players from that quintet.

Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney and Galatasaray’s Leroy Sane have been selected by England and Germany, while France have included both Theo Hernandez and N’Golo Kante of Al-Hilal and Fenerbahce respectively.

Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium have a considerable number of players playing at a high level despite their size while outside of Europe, Argentina and Senegal have the most players playing in the top leagues.

None of Curacao, Iran, Iraq or Qatar’s squads played in Europe’s top five leagues this season, although Iraqi forward Ali Jasim is on the books of Serie A club Como but spent the season on loan at Saudi side Al-Najma.

From the best leagues in the world

Number of players in 26-man squad that played in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season

	Spain	26
	England	25
	Germany	25
	France	24
	Switzerland	23
	Netherlands	23
	Argentina	20
	Belgium	20
	Senegal	20

England’s group stage opponents Panama head into the tournament with the oldest squad, with Iran and Colombia the only other countries with an average age over 30.

Carlo Ancelotti is relying on veterans Danilo, Casemiro and Neymar (all aged 34) to win Brazil their first World Cup since 2002, while Scotland have also brought one of the older squads to what is their first World Cup since 1998.

Oldest World Cup 2026 squads

Average age on first day of tournament

		Years	Days
	Panama	30	155
	Iran	30	121
	Colombia	30	32
	Cape Verde	29	247
	Qatar	29	173
	Brazil	29	74
	Scotland	29	69
	DR Congo	29	25

Source: Opta

A big reason for that is goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who will be 43 years and 162 days old when it all starts next week, making him by far the most senior player at the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy science as he prepares to take part in his sixth World Cup at the age of 41, while Luka Modric and Edin Dzeko make up the other outfield members of the over-40s club.

Oldest players at World Cup 2026

Age on first day of tournament

		Pos	Years	Days
	Craig Gordon	GK	43	162
	Cristiano Ronaldo	FWD	41	126
	Guillermo Ochoa	GK	40	333
	Luka Modric	MID	40	275
	Edin Dzeko	FWD	40	86
	Manuel Neuer	GK	40	76
	Vozinha	GK	40	8
	Fernando Muslera	GK	39	360

Source: Opta

Ivory Coast have the youngest squad at the World Cup, with many big clubs keeping a keen eye on their exciting forwards Yan Diomande (aged 19) and Bazoumana Toure (20).

Africa Cup of Nations champions Morocco and Euro 2024 winners Spain also have relatively young squads, with the latter unsurprising given it includes the likes of Lamine Yamal (18) and Pau Cubarsi (19).

Youngest World Cup 2026 squads

Average age on first day of tournament

		Years	Days
	Ivory Coast	25	310
	Ecuador	26	28
	Morocco	26	144
	Bosnia-Herzogovina	26	154
	Tunisia	26	235
	Spain	26	273
	Norway	26	293
	South Africa	26	295

Source: Opta

Mexico’s Gilberto Mora will be the youngest player at this World Cup as he will be just 17 years and 240 days old when it begins, with the midfielder not turning 18 until October.

After winning his first cap last weekend, 17-year-old Czech midfielder Hugo Sochurek will celebrate his 18th birthday this Sunday, while German wonderkid Lennart Karl is set to impress after his breakout season at Bayern Munich.

Youngest players at World Cup 2026

Age on first day of tournament

		Pos	Years	Days
	Gilberto Mora	MID	17	240
	Hugo Sochurek	MID	18	4
	Lennart Karl	FWD	18	109
	Ibrahim Mbaye	FWD	18	138
	Hamza Abdelkarim	FWD	18	161
	Bara Sapoko Ndiaye	MID	18	162
	Mladen Jurkas	GK	18	247
	Ayyoub Bouaddi	MID	18	252

Source: Opta

Source: BBC