Have Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain side established themselves as one of the greatest teams in football history? Quite possibly. The results speak for themselves. After winning a treble of major trophies – capped by the UEFA Champions League – last term and reaching the FIFA Club World Cup™ final shortly afterwards, the Spanish coach’s charges have continued their brilliant run this season.
With their hopes of being crowned back-to-back European champions still alive and kicking — a showdown against Arsenal in Budapest awaits on 30 May — the Parisians have sealed another Ligue 1 crown following a 2-0 victory over Lens on Wednesday. Led by Marquinhos, PSG have now lifted the trophy in five straight seasons, taking the club’s tally of French top-flight titles to 14.
Following another remarkable campaign, notwithstanding the slight blemish of an early Coupe de France exit, many of the club’s stars will be turning their attention to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ before too long. Here, FIFA takes a look at the PSG players who seem set to make an impact in North America.
After another superb season at the heart of PSG’s defence, Marquinhos is expected to be one of the pillars of Brazil’s pursuit of a sixth world title. At Qatar 2022, the Sao Paulo native delivered strong performances during the group stage, keeping two clean sheets in two starts before Brazil were eliminated by Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals.
“I’ve already played in two World Cups and I know it won’t be easy,” the veteran told RMC last year. “But it’s our dream to win it this time round and we’ll give it everything we’ve got.”
PSG will be heavily represented in Didier Deschamps’ much-fancied France squad, with a top-class quintet tipped to travel to North America with the 2022 runners-up. While Lucas Hernandez and Dembele have already experienced a FIFA World Cup™ final, and Hernández knows what it feels like to raise the iconic trophy aloft having been part of the squad in 2018, Doue, Zaire-Emery and Barcola are in line for their debuts at the global extravaganza.
Still excelling alongside Marquinhos in central defence, Pacho is expected to be one of Ecuador’s standout players at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Named man of the match in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, the 24-year-old defender is currently at the peak of his powers.
An unused member of La Tri’s squad at Qatar 2022, the stopper seems nailed-on to rack up his first appearances at the competition this time round and will be seeking to make up for lost time. “The aim is to go as far as possible,” Pacho recently said at a press conference. “It’s a very special tournament, particularly for me. I hope I can play and represent my country well.”
PSG’s Portuguese stars are also primed to feature prominently at the global showpiece. Vitinha, Neves and Mendes have enjoyed another exceptional season with the Paris outfit and will look to carry that momentum into delivering their country’s first-ever World Cup title.
Meanwhile, despite limited minutes – no starts in the UEFA Champions League and just 13 in Ligue 1 – Ramos has still managed to score 12 goals this season, underlining his status as a potent weapon in Portugal’s attacking arsenal.
Outstanding at Qatar 2022, Hakimi will hope to lead Morocco on another memorable run in North America. “It’s a dream for me to return to the World Cup,” the 27-year-old right-back recently told FIFA. “Qatar 2022 was a turning point. It changed our lives forever. People saw that we could achieve great things in major competitions. That’s the path we want to continue following.”
The 30-year-old midfielder has been hampered by injuries this season, restricting his opportunities both for PSG and at international level. However, having worked his way back to full fitness, Ruiz has returned to top form in recent weeks, as demonstrated in Munich against Bayern, and is likely to play an important role for Luis de la Fuente’s side as 2010 champions Spain pursue a second World Cup crown.
Although largely used as a super-sub at PSG since arriving in 2023, Lee now carries far greater responsibility with the Korea Republic national team. The versatile attacker is expected to be one of the Taegeuk Warriors’ key creative forces at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Having had a bit-part at Qatar 2022, the 25-year-old will hope to come into his own on the ultimate stage and help his country emulate their exploits on home soil in 2002, when they famously swept to the semi-finals.
