Brighton & Hove Albion is poised to have a strong presence at the 2026 World Cup, with multiple players vying for a spot in the tournament.

What happened?

Eleven members of Fabian Hurzeler's squad have represented their countries at senior level during the international break. Four of those will be in action in the final stages of World Cup qualifying.

Why it matters for Brighton & Hove Albion

The club could have as many as 12 players trying to emulate former midfielder Alex Mac Allister, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. Currently sidelined: K. Mitoma, S. Tzimas, A. Webster, M. Wieffer.

What comes next?

Kaoru Mitoma has already qualified for the World Cup with Japan, while Diego Gomez is a mainstay for Paraguay, who have also qualified. Bart Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke are regulars in Ronald Koeman's Netherlands squad, which topped Group G in European qualifying. Maxim De Cuyper contributed two goals and two assists in seven outings for Belgium, who won Group J in Europe qualifying with an unbeaten record. | Player | Country | Qualification Status | | --- | --- | --- | | Kaoru Mitoma | Japan | Qualified | | Diego Gomez | Paraguay | Qualified | | Bart Verbruggen | Netherlands | Qualified | | Jan Paul van Hecke | Netherlands | Qualified | | Maxim De Cuyper | Belgium | Qualified