2026 World Cup: 6 squads without any players from their domestic leagues

16.06.26 FT World Cup

France

3

:

Senegal

1

Among the 48 nations qualified for the 2026 World Cup, six squads have not selected a single player who played in their domestic league during the 2025-2026 season.

These teams are Cape Verde, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Senegal, and Uruguay. All six will rely exclusively on players competing abroad.

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On the other hand, two squads—Qatar and Saudi Arabia—have placed almost total trust in their domestic leagues, each calling up only one foreign-based player.

Six other national teams are also heavily reliant on domestic-based talent, namely:

1. England: 21 out of 26 players from the domestic league

2. Germany: 19 out of 26 players

3. South Africa: 19 out of 26 players

4. Czechia: 17 out of 26 players

5. Iran: 17 out of 26 players

6. Spain: 17 out of 26 players

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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