Best Premier League XI from World Cup group stage

We've selected a line-up of standout players from this summer's tournament so far

A total of 182 Premier League players were called up to the respective nations for the FIFA World Cup, with 39 of the initial 48 teams having Premier League representation.

The conclusion of the group stages means 48 teams have been reduced to 32 after the likes of Scotland, Turkey and Uruguay were eliminated.

Tournament heavyweights England, Argentina, Brazil and Spain were among those to secure a spot in the knockout stages. With a hefty pool to choose from, we’ve picked the best Premier League XI of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage.

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Brazil kept a clean sheet in two out of three group-stage matches. Alisson was key to Brazil's defensive solidity, as he made 10 saves across their three matches. Additionally, the Liverpool goalkeeper was one of only three 'keepers to successfully complete a dribble in the group stages.

Munoz scored two of Colombia’s four group stage goals, including the vital winner against DR Congo on matchday two. Across his three outings, Munoz made a combined eight tackles and interceptions, and was dribbled past just once. The 30-year-old has transferred his Crystal Palace form to the international stage.

Spurs' new centre-back signing showcased his passing qualities on the world stage as Netherlands progressed to the knockout stages. Indeed, Van Hecke ranked fourth for passes (306) in the group stages and top for successful final-third passes (73) of centre-backs across the opening three matches.

Joining Van Hecke at centre-back is Brazil and Arsenal star Gabriel. The 28-year-old ranked ninth for total passes (263) in the group stage. Also, a 95.8 per cent pass success rate meant that Gabriel ranked sixth among players who started all three group stage matches.

Rounding off the defence is De Cuyper. The 25-year-old started Belgium’s World Cup opener against Egypt on the bench, yet featured from the outset for meetings with Iran and New Zealand. The Brighton defender is unlikely to relinquish his spot for the looming round-of-32 meeting with Senegal.

Fernandes provided one assist in the group stages of the World Cup. The 31-year-old also created four chances and played five accurate through-balls. What’s more, the Man Utd captain’s off-the-ball work was superb, as he managed seven tackles that helped Portugal progress to the knockout stages.

Spain’s pass-master Rodri anchors the midfield. The Man City star ranked top for total passes (350) and successful final-third passes (109) in the group stages. The Euro 2024 winners maintained the highest possession average (69.4 per cent) and the third best pass-success rate (91 per cent), with Rodri playing a key role.

Joining Fernandes and Rodri in the middle of the park, no player registered more assists than Guimaraes' three in the group stages of the World Cup. The trio of assists came from five chances created, while the 28-year-old also managed a commendable seven tackles.

The second Netherlands player in the side, Brobbey made the starting striker spot his own having been named on the bench in 2-2 draw against Japan. The forward came into the XI for the 5-1 win over Sweden, scoring twice, and followed up his brace against the Swedes with a goal in the 3-1 victory against Tunisia.

In his first World Cup, Haaland displayed his 2025/26 Premier League Golden Boot winning form on the world stage. The Man City talisman scored four goals across wins over Iraq and Senegal as Norway reached the knockout stages. Of the 23 players to manage at least 10 shots, none had a better conversion rate than Haaland, with 40 per cent.

Like Brobbey and the Netherlands, Matheus Cunha started Brazil’s World Cup opener on the bench. The forward came into the side for the 3-0 win over Haiti and kept his starting spot against Scotland, scoring three goals across back-to-back 3-0 victories as Brazil progressed to the next round as group winners.