Sports
World Cup 2026: Premier League dominates semi-final defences but not attacks
July 14, 2026 at 03:56 PM
Coverage
2 reports · 1 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 5 hours
The four semi-finalists feature 41 Premier League players, but the league's representation is heavily concentrated in defence rather than attack.
- The squads of France, Spain, Argentina and England include 41 Premier League players — the most of any domestic league — but almost none are forwards.
- Premier League players account for 95% of England's defensive minutes and over 43% of defensive minutes for Argentina, Spain and France.
- England's 13 tournament goals and France's 16 goals have not been scored by any Premier League-based player.
- Only one of England's starting front four in the quarter-final — Noni Madueke — will play in the Premier League next season.