Palmeiras duo make World Cup cycle top 10, Gómez tops chart | OneFootball

With the 2026 World Cup drawing ever closer — the tournament will kick off on June 11 —, the numbers from the national teams’ preparation cycle highlight the importance of Palmeiras players on the international stage. A survey released by ‘Flashscore’ shows that two Verdão players are among the ten athletes with the most minutes played during the World Cup cycle.

Center-back Gustavo Gómez, captain of both the Paraguayan national team and Palmeiras, tops the ranking with an impressive 19,032 minutes played, making him the most-used player among all those called up for the competition. Right behind him is Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde of Real Madrid, with 18,965 minutes.

Another Palmeiras representative on the list is Colombian Jhon Arias, who has logged 18,033 minutes, placing sixth overall. The numbers reinforce the leading role of Palmeiras players both at their clubs and with their respective national teams.

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Palmeiras will be one of the most represented clubs at the World Cup

Verdão will have seven players called up for the 2026 World Cup, establishing itself as one of the South American clubs with the biggest presence in the tournament.

The call-ups are:

Leadership and experience

In addition to leading the ranking for minutes played, Gustavo Gómez arrives at the World Cup as one of the Paraguayan national team’s main leaders. The defender brings experience in major competitions and will be a key piece in Paraguay’s attempt to put together a historic World Cup campaign.

As for Jhon Arias, the Colombian standout is in great form and also heads into the tournament recognized as one of the most important players on his national team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.