Manchester City are the club with the most players at the World Cup but there are imminent departures that will change that.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest is challenged by Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest is challenged by Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
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Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden tackle Elliot Anderson
Manchester City may have dipped in terms of Champions League performance but they are still one of the elite teams in world football. Both from a performance level and a financial standing, the Blues are represented consistently on the biggest stages.
That has shown itself again with the 2026 World Cup, with no team sending more players to the summer tournament than City's 19. Bayern Munich are one behind, and Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are both sending 17 players: basically, if you want to have one of the best squads in Europe then it probably needs to consist almost entirely of internationals.
Playing for your national team doesn't guarantee that you will be a success for a top club, but it certainly helps. These footballers are more used to the demands of the calendar, and have usually been playing at a consistently high level in order to earn selection.
It was no surprise, for instance, to see Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi settle in at City so quickly given their involvement with Ghana and England respectively. Pep Guardiola was able to tap into the mentality of players who weren't fazed about stepping up because they have had to stand up for themselves in international tournaments.
Matheus Nunes is one of City's 19 for this World Cup when he was initially left out of the Portugal squad for the Euros two years ago. Playing better for the Blues has enabled him to be welcomed back into the international fold.
Where Nunes was left out in the cold, you would struggle to find a member of the City squad that isn't going to the World Cup that can have serious complaints about it. Phil Foden, Savinho, Nico Gonzalez and Rico Lewis are among those that just haven't done enough to push the needle when given their opportunities for either club or country.
Included in City's total is a warning though, for two players - Bernardo Silva and John Stones - will not be returning to the Etihad in time for next season after reaching the end of their contracts. They will need replacing with a similar level of player if City are going to maintain their standards going forward.
There are also doubts over the futures of several stars heading to the World Cup, with Josko Gvardiol and Rodri among those not going out of their way to shut down transfer speculation before the tournament. Again, in any world where these players are allowed to leave it should probably only happen in one where there is an international class of replacement ready to step in.
Elliot Anderson is one of the players at the World Cup that City intend to sign this summer to keep their squad competitive. The Forest midfielder may not be the only one if the Blues want to maintain their position.