Tuesday 21 July 2026 16:29 | 2-minute read

Spanish national team crowned champion of the 2026 World Cup. (French)

Players from English Premier League clubs accounted for 21% of total playing minutes in the 2026 World Cup, topping the list of leagues with the most presence in the tournament by a wide margin, according to data published by Transfermarkt.

The Spanish league came second with a share of 9.4% of total playing minutes, followed by the German league at 8.9%, while the French and Italian leagues shared fourth and fifth places with 7.2% each.

Roshn Saudi League among top ten

The Saudi Roshn League ranked seventh globally in total playing minutes in the 2026 World Cup, with its players accounting for 3.4% of tournament minutes, behind the American league (MLS) which had a 4% share. The Turkish league came eighth with 2.8%, followed by the Dutch league (2.7%) and then the Portuguese league (1.9%).

48 players from Saudi League

According to the Saudi Professional League, 48 players from Saudi Roshn League clubs were included in the squads of teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, making the Saudi league the sixth most represented league in the world in terms of number of players, and the first outside the top five European leagues.

Despite this significant presence, the Roshn League ranked seventh in total playing minutes, with its players accounting for 3.4% of tournament minutes, indicating a disparity in the extent of participation of its players compared to their counterparts in major European leagues.

Indicator of leagues' contribution

Transfermarkt data measures the proportion of total minutes played by players from each league during tournament matches, an indicator that reflects the contribution of each league to the World Cup, not just the number of participating players, as the share increases for leagues that have more starting players or those who continued competing until the advanced stages.

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21 July 2026

21 July 2026

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20 July 2026