The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here, and there are quite a few Premier League teams who are boasting a strong contingent in this summer’s tournament. Manchester City have sent 19 players from 12 different nations, whilst league champions Arsenal have sent 15. However, one team that is having a relatively light travel schedule is Manchester United.
Starting off in goal, both Senne Lammens and Altay Bayindir have played backup roles for their nations. Over in defense, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw
and Harry Maguire have all been overlooked by their national team managers, whilst Diogo Dalot has occupied the bench for Portugal. The exceptions have been Noussair Mazraoui, who looks set to embark on yet another deep run with Morocco, and Lisandro Martínez, who has slotted into reigning champions Argentina’s backline.
Moving onto the center of the pitch, Manuel Ugarte has been the anchor of Uruguay’s midfield, but he has suffered an early elimination with La Celeste failing to find their momentum. He is also likely to miss an extended period of time with a nasty knee injury suffered in the final match of the group stage.
Whilst Kobbie Mainoo and Tyler Fletcher have remained on the bench for England and Scotland, Bruno Fernandes has established himself as the creative fulcrum of Portugal’s midfield. Amad Diallo, meanwhile, has helped the Ivory Coast qualify for the knockout round for the first time ever, earning praise from the likes of Rodney Marsh. And in attack, Matheus Cunha has upstaged Igor Thiago and solidified himself as Brazil’s starting center forward.
That’s pretty much it. Some players, like Patrick Dorgu, Benjamin Šeško, and Bryan Mbuemo, have played essential roles for their nations but were unable to lead them to World Cup qualification. Others, like Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee, simply weren’t in good enough form to merit a call-up. Whatever the case, United manager Michael Carrick should benefit from having a well-rested team going into the 2025/26 season. They were able to finish third in the Premier League due in large part to not having any European football as well as suffering early exits from the EFL Cup and FA Cup, with their lack of depth not exactly being tested.
But with Champions League football coming back to Old Trafford, they’ll need every bit of help that they can get, and part of that means not having as many players overexerting themselves with an extended summer. This lack of representation at the World Cup could result in fewer long-term injuries in the United squad as well as a more refreshed, energetic performance from their various players, and it should also allow these players to have a lengthier preseason under Carrick.
Whilst Cunha, Fernandes, Martínez, Diallo and Mazraoui could be set for a busy World Cup, the vast majority of United players will be able to kick their feet up and get a well-needed vacation. As far as Carrick is concerned, that’s music to his ears.
