We pick out the key dates, the Premier League stars participating, team-mate clashes and more<\/p>\n
As the FIFA World Cup kicks off, Premier League fans will see plenty of familiar faces \u2013 and a few unfamiliar ones \u2013 as the tournament unfolds across the USA, Mexico and Canada over the next five weeks.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything Premier League fans should look out for during the summer\u2019s festival of football:<\/p>\n
World Cup key dates<\/p>\n
Group stage: 11 June to 27 June
Round of 32: 28 June to 3 July\u00a0
Round of 16: 4 July to 7 July\u00a0
Quarter-finals: 9 July to 11 July
Semi-finals: 14 July to 15 July
Third-place play-off (‘Bronze final’): 18 July
Final: 19 July<\/p>\n
Premier League players participating<\/p>\n
The Premier League will have more representatives than any other league in the world and they will undoubtedly be some of the stars of the tournament.<\/p>\n
As expected, England have the most Premier League stars, with 22 of the 26-man squad featuring \u2013 including recent Premier League winners Bukayo Saka<\/a>, Eberechi Eze<\/a>, Declan Rice<\/a> and Noni Madueke<\/a> at Arsenal<\/a>, and Manchester City<\/a> players James Trafford<\/a>, Marc Guehi<\/a>, Nico O\u2019Reilly<\/a>, John Stones<\/a>, who they pipped to the title.<\/p>\n The Netherlands have the next most, with an impressive 15. Among them are Virgil van Dijk<\/a> and Ryan Gravenberch<\/a>, previous Premier League winners at Liverpool<\/a>, and Tijjani Reijnders<\/a>, who helped Man City lift the FA Cup and EFL Cup last season.<\/p>\n Belgium and Senegal each have eight Premier League representatives. Spain, Norway, France and Portugal all have seven.<\/p>\n Following a standout season for Man City, Rayan Cherki<\/a> will play in his first World Cup for France. <\/p>\n Team-mate Erling Haaland<\/a>, who wasn\u2019t born the last time Norway qualified, will spearhead his country\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n Manchester United<\/a>\u2019s Bruno Fernandes<\/a>, the EA SPORTS Player of the Season<\/a> who broke the assists record, will aim to win it with Portugal. \u00a0<\/p>\n Man City with most representatives<\/p>\n Every Premier League club from the 2025\/26 and 2026\/27 seasons \u2013 including relegated and promoted sides \u2013 has at least one player taking part.<\/p>\n Man City lead the way, with an extraordinary 19 squad players involved across 12 countries, including Abdukodir Khusanov<\/a> \u2013 the first Uzbek to appear in the Premier League \u2013 representing World Cup debutants Uzbekistan, and four England players.<\/p>\n Arsenal follow with 15 representatives, four of whom are in the England squad.<\/p>\n Trailing them, Man Utd have 13, while Crystal Palace<\/a> and Sunderland<\/a> each have 12 players represented. <\/p>\n Liverpool and Chelsea<\/a>, meanwhile, have 11. Newly-promoted Coventry City<\/a>, Hull City<\/a> and Ipswich Town<\/a> each have two.<\/p>\n Team-mate clashes<\/p>\n The World Cup always throws up the exciting prospect of Premier League team-mates, who train and play alongside each other all season, facing each other on the biggest stage.<\/p>\n Group L is likely to produce the most clashes, particularly in England\u2019s fixtures.<\/p>\n The Man City contingent \u2013 which includes Trafford, though as backup goalkeeper he is unlikely to play \u2013 can face Josko Gvardiol<\/a> and Mateo Kovacic<\/a> in their opening match against Croatia, then January arrival Antoine Semenyo<\/a> when England meet Ghana.\u00a0<\/p>\n England v Croatia – Wednesday 17 June, kick-off 21:00 BST In Group E, Arsenal\u2019s Kai Havertz<\/a>, representing Germany, could come up against club colleague Piero Hincapie<\/a> of Ecuador.<\/p>\n Ecuador v Germany – Thursday 25 June, kick-off 21:00 BST\u00a0<\/p>\n Over in Group F, Liverpool\u2019s Dutch quartet \u2013 Virgil van Dijk<\/a>, Jeremie Frimpong<\/a>, Ryan Gravenberch<\/a> and Cody Gakpo<\/a> \u2013 could find themselves on the opposing side to fellow Reds player Wataru Endo<\/a>, who wears the captain\u2019s armband for Japan.<\/p>\n Netherlands v Japan – Sunday 14 June, kick-off 21:00 BST<\/p>\n Group L, E and F<\/p>\n Group L England Croatia Ghana Panama Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> captain Cristian Romero<\/a> could find himself on the opposite side of the pitch to club team-mate Kevin Danso<\/a> when Argentina face Austria in Group J.<\/p>\n Argentina v Austria – Monday 22 June, kick-off 18:00 BST<\/p>\n
England v Ghana – Tuesday 23 June, kick-off 21:00 BST\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nGroup E
\nGroup F<\/p>\n
\nGermany
\nNetherlands<\/p>\n
\nCuracao
\nJapan<\/p>\n
\nIvory Coast
\nSweden<\/p>\n
\nEcuador
\nTunisia<\/p>\n