Many PSV players are active and important at the 2026 World Cup

Many PSV players active and important at the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup is in full swing and there are already several PSV players who have managed to make their mark. This certainly isn’t a real big surprise, as it had already been shown that PSV’s academy, with 19 active players in this final tournament, is a major supplier. In doing so, it leaves behind among others the academies of FC Barcelona, RSC Anderlecht, Ajax and SL Benfica. This is partly because a large number of players are active for Dick Advocaat’s Curaçao, who have a PSV past.

If you want to follow all matches of active PSV'ers at the World Cup, it can be quite a challenge with the time differences. To still catch as much as possible, live betting with Starsport may be a solution. On this platform, you can follow everything about the 2026 FIFA World Cup, place bets on matches and other parts of the game, and watch matches via streams. Here, it’s also possible to rewatch, in addition to live betting, including match highlights and interviews.

With the surprises we have already seen in the group stage, predicting the World Cup 2026 at Starsport can be quite a challenge. However, since you have access to all kinds of statistics and data, with the right preparation you can make well-considered choices before you place a live bet. And besides, it’s always fun to follow the many active players who are currently under contract with PSV or who have played here in the past.

Dest and Pepi are part of the flashy start United States

As the host country, the United States is seen as one of the outsiders. That this is not entirely unjustified, this team quickly made clear. Under the guidance of the experienced Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, The Stars and Stripes are enjoying a dazzling start that seems to promise more. Players such as Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun stand out, but an important role is also reserved for players from PSV.

Sergiño Dest is very high on the right, which provides the necessary attacking momentum. Because the aforementioned Balogun is for now the first choice up front, Ricardo Pepi must for the time being make do with a role from the bench. Former PSV player Malik Tillman got a starting spot in the first matches and managed to impress right away.

Saibari shines with goal against Brazil

Ismael Saibari was recently crowned Player of the Year in the Eredivisie and was the driving force behind PSV this season. In the meantime, it has become clear that this has resulted in a dream move for the Moroccan international to Bayern Munich in Germany. Since he is currently still formally under contract with PSV, we nonetheless felt that he deserves a spot on this list. The match between Morocco and Brazil was already one of the biggest fixtures during the group stage before the tournament and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

That was partly due to Saibari, who, after a great pass from Brahim Diaz, managed to finish beautifully by working the ball in with a lob over goalkeeper Allison. It immediately became clear that this would be one of the most beautiful goals of the tournament. In the end, Brazil came back to make it 1-1, but there is no doubt that Saibari has made an enormous impression on the grandest football stage of all.

Perišić remains a mainstay for Croatia

Meanwhile, Ivan Perišić has already been active at PSV for two seasons again. That the experienced Croatian, who was previously active with, among others, Internazionale, Bayern München and Tottenham Hotspur, is one of the most important forces within Peter Bosz's squad is therefore also clear. At the moment, the winger, who played in a World Cup final for his country in 2018, is still active.

He is currently competing at his fourth World Cup and is part of a golden generation of Croats, led by Luka Modrić, who is already 40 years old. Although their first group match against England was lost, Perišić once again showed his class with a fine assist for the 2-2.

Other active PSV players at the World Cup

In addition to the players mentioned above, many more PSV players are active at the 2026 World Cup. Guus Til represents the club in the squad of the Netherlands, while Esmir Bajrektarevic gets plenty of playing time for Bosnia and Herzegovina. For first-choice goalkeeper Matěj Kovář, there is a major role in store as a starter for Czechia, although the country has not been performing well so far. Armando Obispo is active with Curaçao and is an important link in Dick Advocaat's defensive setup.

As the tournament progresses, we will of course keep a close eye on the performances of all active PSV players. Because so many players are active in different countries, there is also a good chance that some of them will go far. That makes it especially interesting for a PSV fan to watch many matches.