Real lead clubs behind World Cup brilliance

Doha, Qatar: While nations battle for World Cup glory, Europe’s biggest clubs have quietly staged a contest of their own in North America.

From goals that have decided knockout ties to assists that have unlocked stubborn defences, players from a handful of elite clubs have left the biggest mark on FIFA World Cup 2026. And with the tournament now entering its final stages, no club has influenced the competition more than Real Madrid.

The 15-time UEFA Champions League winners sit comfortably at the top of the club standings with an outstanding 30 goal involvements 19 goals and 11 assists a reflection of the quality spread throughout their squad. game-sweetbonanza.com

Much of Real Madrid’s success has come through Kylian Mbappe, who has once again delivered on football’s biggest stage.

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The France captain has contributed eight goals and three assists, while Jude Bellingham has combined six goals with one assist to inspire England’s run to the semi-finals. Vinicius Junior has added four goals and an assist for Brazil, while Brahim Diaz has chipped in with four assists, highlighting Madrid’s influence across several nations.

Bayern Munich are the closest challengers with 21 goal involvements, built around two players who have excelled in different ways. Harry Kane has once again been England’s driving force with six goals and one assist, while Michael Olise leads the tournament assist chart with five assists.

Joshua Kimmich has also played his part with two assists as Bayern’s internationals have continued to deliver when it mattered most.

Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Liverpool are level on 20 goal involvements each, although each club has reached that total in a different way.

Fresh from their UEFA Champions League triumph, Paris Saint-Germain have produced 14 goals and six assists. Ousmane Dembele has led the way with five goals and two assists for France, while Achraf Hakimi has contributed one goal and two assists for Morocco. Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue have also played their part, highlighting the depth within the French champions’ squad.

Arsenal’s tally has been built on nine goals and 11 assists from players representing several nations. Kai Havertz has scored three goals for Germany, while Leandro Trossard has added two goals and two assists for Belgium. Martin Odegaard has four assists for Norway, and Mikel Merino has delivered when the pressure has been greatest, scoring the winning goals in Spain’s Round of 32 and quarter-final victories.

Bukayo Saka has also contributed three assists for England.

Liverpool have matched Arsenal and PSG with 20 goal involvements, made up of seven goals and 13 assists. Cody Gakpo has registered three goals and one assist for the Netherlands, while Alexander Isak has contributed one goal and three assists during Sweden’s impressive campaign. Florian Wirtz has added three assists and Ryan Gravenberch has also contributed two assists for the Netherlands, ensuring Liverpool’s internationals have remained among the tournament’s most influential creators.

What makes the numbers even more impressive is that they have not been driven by one or two superstars alone. Between them, the five clubs have produced 111 direct goal involvements through 38 different players, accounting for a significant share of the attacking contributions in a tournament that has produced 291 goals so far.

As the race for the World Cup trophy enters its decisive phase, the battle among nations continues to take centre stage. Yet behind many of the tournament’s defining moments have come from players of the same five clubs.

Washington: Folarin Balogun admitted yesterday that the suspension of his red card in the World Cup after President Donald Trump intervened put added pressure on the US team.

Balogun said in an interview with CBS he was “definitely in shock” when he was sent off for treading on the foot of a Bosnia-Herzegovina defender in his side’s 2-0 group-stage win.

“When something is not intentional it should never be a red card,” he said.

But days before the next match, the last-16 knockout game against Belgium, world football’s governing body FIFA announced the red card had been suspended, clearing the way for Balogun to play.

Trump then admitted he had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for the card to be reviewed.

The US went on to lose 4-1 to Belgium and Balogun made little impact despite starting the game.

“It was just an unfortunate situation and it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed,” said Balogun, 25.

“My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team but when I kind of started to reflect on it, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy.”

He added: “I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it’s something that’s so unique.

“The closer it got to the game I just tried to focus as best as I could. It was difficult, a lot of outside noise, and that’s hard to avoid.”

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