World Cup Stars Ready for Premier League 2026-27 Season
The World Cup is over, but its aftershocks are about to rattle the Premier League.
Some of the division’s biggest names carried their countries this summer. Others used the tournament to remind everyone exactly how good they are. Now they come back to England with medals, momentum and, in a few cases, massive new moves.
Here are 10 World Cup standouts who look ready to tear into the 2026-27 Premier League season.
10. Pedro Porro (Tottenham)
Pedro Porro returns to Tottenham as a World Cup winner and a full-back reborn.
Outstanding for Spain on the right, he attacked relentlessly, defended with edge and finally looked like a player in a system built for him. Under Roberto De Zerbi, that should only intensify.
Porro will be given license to surge forward, overload the flank and pile up goals and assists. With the right manager and structure now behind him, this feels like the season he stops being “promising” and starts being decisive.
9. Elliot Anderson (Manchester City)
Elliot Anderson has gone from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City and straight into the spotlight.
Enzo Maresca wants control, intelligence and aggression out of possession. Anderson brings all three. He wins the ball back, reads danger early and stitches together attacks with calm authority.
He played a major role in England’s third-place finish at the World Cup, dictating rhythm and setting the tone in midfield. At City, surrounded by elite talent, he has the tools to “run the show” and become the heartbeat of Maresca’s new era.
8. Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal)
Last season at Arsenal was a grind for Martin Ødegaard. Injuries, dips in form, a rhythm he never quite found.
The World Cup changed that. For Norway, he looked like himself again: sharp between the lines, inventive on the ball, central to their magical run deep into the tournament.
He returns to north London energized but under pressure. Arsenal have brought in Bruno Guimarães, and Ødegaard will have to scrap for his spot. That competition could be exactly what drags his game back to its highest level.
7. Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
Germany’s early exit pushed Florian Wirtz out of the headlines, but not because he played badly. Far from it.
His World Cup performances were bright, and his preseason with Liverpool has been even better. Quick touches, clever movement, constant threat.
In his second Premier League season, Wirtz is set to operate as the No. 10 under Andoni Iraola. With a high press and fast transitions, he should see far more of the ball in the final third. Give him volume, and the end product will follow.
6. Youri Tielemans (Manchester United)
Youri Tielemans drove Belgium to the last eight with big-game moments and a commanding presence in midfield. Then came the move he has long seemed destined for: Aston Villa to Manchester United.
United need personality, craft and someone willing to do the ugly work. Tielemans offers all of that. He presses, tackles, covers ground and still finds time to arrive late and score crucial goals.
Old Trafford has not always been kind to new signings. But his profile, mentality and versatility fit the club’s needs almost perfectly.
5. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Bukayo Saka played the World Cup with injury management always lurking in the background. England felt that cost in the semifinal defeat to Argentina, where he was missing.
Even so, his tournament was packed with quality: an assist against Mexico, a hat trick in the third-place game against France, and a string of sharp cameos off the bench. Every appearance underlined his status as one of the most dangerous wide players in the game.
Back at Arsenal, nothing changes. He will again be the main man in attack, the reference point on that right flank, and the player Mikel Arteta leans on when the title race tightens.
4. Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
When Lisandro Martínez is fit, Manchester United look different.
Argentina’s run to the final showcased his value again. Aggressive, uncompromising, always on the front foot, he marshalled their back line superbly. His withdrawal in the final with a minor injury felt like a gut punch for his country.
United have missed that snarl and leadership at the back. As their attempted comeback continues, Martínez is the one expected to set the defensive standard and drag the line higher up the pitch.
3. Bruno Guimarães (Arsenal)
Four assists for Brazil at the World Cup. Only Michael Olise created more goals at the tournament.
Bruno Guimarães earned his move from Newcastle United to Arsenal, and it feels like a statement from all sides. Arsenal get a midfielder who presses, creates, competes and leads. He gets a platform at a team chasing titles.
His $101 million transfer fee underlines the expectations. Guimarães will bring extra hunger to an already driven squad and could reshape the balance of Arsenal’s midfield in one stroke.
2. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
When Declan Rice isn’t fully fit, both Arsenal and England lose their edge.
Even while managing illness and injury spells, he put together a strong World Cup. He covered ground, snapped into duels and kept the ball moving with authority.
Arsenal rely heavily on him. Rice sets the tone of the press, dictates the tempo and gives everyone around him the confidence to play on the front foot. If they are to defend their Premier League title and go back-to-back, his form and fitness will sit at the heart of it.
1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Of course Erling Haaland tops the list.
Seven goals at the World Cup. Norway into the quarterfinals. An even bigger global phenomenon by the time he flew home.
We already know what he is in the Premier League: a goal machine. Under Enzo Maresca, City are likely to create waves of chances on the counter, with Haaland waiting to finish them off with that ruthless, almost mechanical efficiency.
Another 30-goal league season is looming. The only real question is how much higher he can push the bar—and how many defenders will be left chasing shadows and social media clips by May.
