The tournament schedule is officially locked in for the next five weeks across the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The action begins with the group stage running until June 27, followed immediately by the knockout rounds starting June 28, and wrapping up with the final on July 19.

Fans won't have to wait long for club rivalries to reignite on the international stage. A highly anticipated Group I showdown on June 26 will see Norway face France, pitting lethal striker Erling Haaland directly against elite centre-back William Saliba. Meanwhile, an intriguing Group J clash on June 22 sees Tottenham colleagues square off, with captain Cristian Romero and new signing Marcos Senesi representing Argentina against Kevin Danso's Austria.

Several other compelling club matchups are scattered across the group stage. In Group E, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz will lead Germany against his club teammate Piero Hincapie and Ecuador on June 25. Over in Group L, England’s Manchester City contingent will encounter clubmates Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic in their opening match against Croatia on June 17, before facing January signing Antoine Semenyo and Ghana on June 23.

In terms of club representation, Manchester City dominate the tournament with an astonishing 19 players scattered across 12 different countries—including Abdukodir Khusanov, who makes history as the first Uzbek player to appear in the tournament. Arsenal follow closely behind with 15 representatives, while Manchester United boast 13. Crystal Palace and Sunderland have impressively sent 12 players each, Chelsea have 11, and even newly-promoted sides like Coventry City, Hull City, and Ipswich Town are represented with two players apiece.

Looking at the national team squads, England feature the heaviest concentration of Premier League talent with 22 top-flight players in their 26-man lineup, including title-winners Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and John Stones. The Netherlands boast the second-highest tally with 15 Premier League stars, spearheaded by veteran defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch. Beyond them, Belgium and Senegal have each called up eight Premier League players, while Spain, Norway, France, and Portugal all feature seven.

The English top flight is set to dominate the global stage more than any other league, showcasing marquee talent like Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes—the newly crowned EA SPORTS Player of the Season—and Manchester City's Rayan Cherki, who is set to make his highly anticipated World Cup debut for France.