India, July 21 -- Spain lifted the FIFA World Cup after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time, but the international standings told only one part of the tournament's story. Beneath the national shirts, the 2026 World Cup showed how heavily elite international football depends upon Europe's richest clubs.

The expanded competition contained 48 teams, 1,248 players and 104 matches. Yet 464 players - 37 per cent of the field - came from the Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A or Ligue 1. That influence intensified as the tournament progressed. Big Five players accounted for 50 per cent of those left in the Round of 32, 56 per cent in the last 16, 79 per cent in the quarter-finals and 91 per cent in the semi-finals. Even the Spain-Arg...