Even in its expanded format, with 48 teams instead of the 2022 edition’s 32 , the EPL has more players taking part in World Cup 2026 than any other league. In the world of club football, the English Premier League (EPL) is the ultimate melting pot—for talent, culture and money. World Cup 2026, one of the rare occasions that players shed their club jerseys for national shirts, illustrates the chasm between EPL and every other league. Even in its expanded format, with 48 teams instead of the 2022 edition’s 32 , the EPL has more players taking part in World Cup 2026 than any other league.Even in its expanded format, with 48 teams instead of the 2022 edition’s 32 , the EPL has more players taking part in World Cup 2026 than any other league.Big five According to football information website Transfermarkt, the 1,308 players at World Cup 2026 play their club football in 96 leagues. But there’s a skew at the top. The top five leagues alone account for 37% of players. These are the tier-I leagues of England, Germany, Spain, Italy and France. As many as 162 players at the 2026 World Cup, or about 12%, play their club football in the EPL. The next best presence is from the German Bundesliga (100 players) and Spain’s LaLiga (80 players).