2026 FC 100: PSG Leads With 13 Players After Champions League Title

The 2026 FC 100 highlights 13 Paris Saint-Germain players and 10 Arsenal stars following the Gunners' first Premier League title in over 20 years.

Spain secured their second-ever FIFA World Cup trophy by defeating Argentina in the final this summer, concluding a 2025-26 season where Arsenal captured their first Premier League title in over two decades. Paris Saint-Germain earned their second consecutive UEFA Champions League crown, leading to a record 13 PSG players being named to the 2026 FC 100. Arsenal followed with 10 representatives, including goalkeeper David Raya and forward Kai Havertz. Manchester City secured the third-highest total with nine players, featuring Erling Haaland, Marc Guéhi, and Rodri, the latter of whom has since transferred to Barcelona.

Lionel Messi, currently with Inter Miami CF, and Robert Lewandowski of the Chicago Fire are the only two athletes to appear in all 10 annual editions of this ranking since its 2016 inception. The 2026 list features 32 first-time nominees, reflecting a significant influx of breakthrough talent during the 2025-26 campaign. France emerged as the top-producing nation with 14 players selected, including Kylian Mbappé and Dayot Upamecano, despite Les Bleus exiting the World Cup at the semifinal stage. Spain and England tied for the second-most representatives with 12 players each.

League and National Representation Stats

The Premier League remains the most represented division with 38 total players, surpassing LaLiga’s 21 nominees and Ligue 1’s 14 selections. A total of 30 different countries are represented in the 2026-27 rankings. While France leads the national count, countries such as Mexico, Hungary, Senegal, and Uruguay each contributed one player to the final list. The rankings were finalized based on team rosters as of August 15, 2026, just prior to the start of the new European season on August 18.

Positional Breakdown and Voting Criteria

Rather than a simple 1-100 list, the 2026 FC 100 utilizes seven specific positional categories: Goalkeepers, Fullbacks, Center backs, Defensive/central midfielders, Attacking midfielders, Wingers, and Center forwards. This structure ensures defensive specialists receive recognition alongside high-volume goal scorers. Midfielders were split into two distinct groups to separate playmakers from defensive anchors, while forwards were divided between wide and central roles to reflect modern tactical evolutions.

Experts evaluated players based on a 50 to 60-game sample size of domestic and club performances, ensuring the eight-game World Cup tournament did not disproportionately skew the results. While individual club competitions like the Champions League were considered, voters prioritized sustained excellence throughout the entire 2025-26 season. Injury status was left to voter discretion, allowing players who missed significant time to remain on the list if their healthy performances were of a sufficiently high scale.

Defining World-Class Roles

The goalkeeper category emphasizes athleticism and composure, highlighting 10 specialists who balanced shot-stopping with pinpoint passing. Fullbacks were judged on their ability to transition from defensive tackles to final-third playmaking, while the center back rankings focused on players capable of snuffing out threats or launching defense-splitting passes. The central midfield section prioritized ball-winning and possession maintenance, whereas the attacking midfielder list—often referred to as No. 10s—focused on dynamism and unlocking defenses in the final third. Wingers were selected for their trickery and pace on the flanks, and the center forward list highlighted strikers who influence matches through darting runs and rebound anticipation even when not scoring.