FC Barcelona continues to be the club with the most players still active in the final stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with ten first-team players still competing. These players represent various national teams reaching the decisive matches, including the third-place playoff between France and England and the final between Spain and Argentina.
Originally, the tournament featured fifteen Barcelona players, but Hamza Abdelkarim, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Joao Cancelo, and Raphinha have already been eliminated. The club has revised its plans regarding the players’ return from the World Cup, reducing the usual three-week rest period under Spain’s collective agreement to two weeks. The players are expected back at the club during the week starting August 3.
While players won’t lose their entitled holidays, Barcelona intends to compensate them with additional time off during the extended international break in September, which combines the September and October FIFA windows. This approach allows the team adequate preparation time before La Liga starts, avoiding an overly short pre-season.
Players eliminated earlier have already returned to Barcelona. Hamza Abdelkarim declined a post-tournament break and joined the team immediately after a brief trip to Egypt. Frenkie de Jong returned early due to a significant knee injury that will sideline him for four months. Ronald Araujo underwent medical checks and is expected to resume full training soon. Raphinha has received a slightly longer rest but is also expected to join pre-season training in England.
