The 2026 World Cup could have a major impact on Fantasy Premier League managers before a ball has even been kicked.
With the tournament ending just 33 days before the new Premier League season begins, several popular FPL assets may return to club duty late or at risk of managed minutes.
That makes early planning even more important. The Fantasy Football Fix Preseason Pack is now live on the website, giving Fantasy Premier League managers the chance to get a head start on their rivals before Gameweek 1.
For FPL managers building their first drafts, World Cup workload could be one of the biggest early-season traps.
Players involved at the World Cup are expected to receive at least three weeks off before returning to club training.
That means players who reach the final may not be back with their Premier League clubs until around 10 August at the earliest. With the Premier League season starting less than two weeks later, some big-name FPL assets could have a very short pre-season.
For Fantasy Premier League managers, that matters for several reasons:
There are also five Premier League Gameweeks before the extended international break on 21 September. That means any early uncertainty could affect more than just Gameweek 1.
From an FPL perspective, the biggest concern is not simply which players were at the World Cup. The key question is how much football they actually played.
Several Premier League players have already passed the 450-minute mark at the tournament, which makes them worth monitoring closely before committing to them in your Fantasy Premier League squad.
Alexis Mac Allister and Ezri Konsa have both played 539 minutes, while Rodri has reached 537 minutes for Spain. Elliot Anderson, who is moving from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, has played 533 minutes for England.
Other heavily used Premier League players include Lisandro Martínez, Marc Guéhi, Enzo Fernández, Nico O’Reilly, Cristian Romero and William Saliba.
Some of these players are more relevant to FPL than others. Rodri, for example, is rarely a FPL pick. But names like Saliba, Anderson, Guéhi and potentially Konsa could all be important when managers start building their Gameweek 1 drafts.
Manchester City have the highest World Cup workload of any Premier League squad, with their players recording 5,027 minutes at the tournament.
That creates an immediate FPL dilemma.
On paper, City’s early fixtures are very appealing. According to the Fixture Planner, their first six Gameweeks are:
Bournemouth (H), Crystal Palace (A), Coventry City (H), Manchester United (A), Sunderland (H), Liverpool (A)
Home matches against Bournemouth, Coventry City and Sunderland in the opening five Gameweeks will make Manchester City assets extremely tempting for Fantasy Premier League managers.
However, their heavy World Cup involvement adds an extra layer of risk. As mentioned above, several City players have played significant minutes at the tournament, which could lead to delayed returns, limited pre-season involvement or managed game-time at the start of the campaign.
One player who could attract major FPL interest is Elliot Anderson. He was already popular last season following the introduction of defensive contribution points (DEFCON), and a move to Manchester City could increase his appeal even further.
The Predicted Player Price tool also suggests his stock is rising. The algorithm is currently predicting Anderson to be priced at £7.0m for the 2026/27 Fantasy Premier League season, up from a £5.5m starting price and £5.7m end price last season.
That rise would reflect his strong 2025/26 campaign, where he scored 180 points across 3,332 minutes, but it also changes the conversation for FPL managers. At £5.5m, Anderson may have been an easy enabler. At a predicted £7.0m, managers will need to be more certain about his role, minutes and attacking potential before committing.
With a heavy international workload, a new club to settle into and a shortened pre-season, Anderson is definitely one to monitor carefully before Gameweek 1.
City assets could still be excellent FPL picks, especially given their fixtures, but managers should pay close attention to pre-season minutes, early team news and Enzo Maresca's comments before committing.
Arsenal are second for total World Cup workload, with their squad recording 4,285 minutes at the tournament.
That is particularly important for Fantasy Premier League managers because Arsenal have one of the more appealing early fixture runs. According to the Fixture Planner, they rank 6th for attacking fixture difficulty across the first six Gameweeks.
Their opening six fixtures are:
Coventry City (H), Aston Villa (A), Chelsea (H), Sunderland (A), Brighton (A), Leeds United (H)
The Gameweek 1 home fixture against Coventry City will make Arsenal players extremely popular in early FPL drafts. Fixtures against Sunderland and Leeds United in the opening six also strengthen their appeal, especially for managers looking to start the season aggressively.
However, Arsenal’s World Cup workload adds a layer of risk. As mentioned above, several of their key players have been involved heavily at the tournament, including William Saliba, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka.
The key question is whether they return to club training early enough to be fully ready for the opening weekend.
If there are doubts over minutes, FPL managers may need to decide whether Arsenal’s fixtures are strong enough to justify the risk, or whether a safer short-term option makes more sense.
Manchester City and Arsenal lead the way for World Cup workload, but they are not the only clubs affected.
Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United have all seen their squads pass 2,500 World Cup minutes, which gives FPL managers more to think about ahead of Gameweek 1.
For Liverpool, Alexis Mac Allister is one of the standout names in terms of tournament workload. He is not always a must-have Fantasy Premier League asset, but his involvement is still worth noting when assessing Liverpool’s midfield options.
Liverpool’s opening six fixtures are:
Newcastle United (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Ipswich Town (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A), Manchester City (H)
That run includes some appealing fixtures, particularly against Ipswich Town, Fulham and Bournemouth, but the Gameweek 6 meeting with Manchester City makes it slightly less straightforward.
Aston Villa are also interesting from an FPL perspective, particularly because Ezri Konsa has been heavily involved at the World Cup, while Emiliano Martínez has also played a lot of football. Goalkeepers face different physical demands to outfield players, so Martínez’s workload is less of a concern from a fatigue point of view.
However, Villa’s defensive assets do not look especially appealing to start the season. According to the Fixture Planner, Aston Villa rank as the 9th-worst team for defensive fixture difficulty across the opening six Gameweeks.
Their first six fixtures are:
Brighton (A), Arsenal (H), Hull City (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Spurs (A), Brentford (H)
Fixtures against Arsenal, Spurs, Brighton and Brentford make clean sheets far from guaranteed, so FPL managers may decide Villa defensive assets are better left on the watchlist at the beginning of the season.
Manchester United also have players to monitor, including Lisandro Martínez, who has had a heavy World Cup workload. Their early fixtures could bring some of their assets into the Fantasy Premier League conversation, particularly Bruno Fernandes, who is likely to be a popular FPL choice whatever price he comes in at.
Manchester United’s first three fixtures:
— Fantasy Football Fix (@FantasyFootyFix) June 19, 2026
GW1: Hull City (A)
GW2: Ipswich Town (H)
GW3: Everton (A)
Whatever his price, Bruno Fernandes is surely going to be one of the most popular picks heading into Gameweek 1 📈 pic.twitter.com/i2drALOla7
Man United’s first six fixtures are:
Hull City (A), Ipswich Town (H), Everton (A), Manchester City (H), Fulham (A), Spurs (H)
The opening two fixtures against Hull City and Ipswich Town are appealing, and that could make Bruno Fernandes especially difficult for FPL managers to ignore.
The Predicted Player Price tool is projecting a sizeable price increase for the Manchester United midfielder, but he is still likely to be one of the most popular Fantasy Premier League picks regardless of where he lands.
His talismanic role, set-pieces, penalty duties and regular routes to points mean he should feature heavily in early FPL drafts, particularly if managers are looking to attack United’s opening fixtures.
However, matches against Manchester City and Spurs soon after make it important to think beyond Gameweek 1. As with all World Cup players, managers should watch pre-season minutes, manager comments and early team news before committing to Manchester United assets.
It is also important to look at the other side of the data.
Some Premier League players barely featured at the tournament, meaning they should not carry the same fatigue concerns as those who played 450+ minutes.
Ollie Watkins has played just six minutes. Jean-Philippe Mateta has played 21, Dan Burn has played 24 and Malo Gusto has played 28.
Rayan Cherki, Yeremy Pino, Marcos Senesi and Maxence Lacroix are also among the lower-minute Premier League players.
The 2026 World Cup could make Gameweek 1 planning more complicated than usual.
Manchester City and Arsenal have some of the best early fixtures, but they also have the two highest World Cup workloads. That makes their players both tempting and risky for Fantasy Premier League managers.
Some assets may still be worth picking from the start. Others may be better left on the watchlist until we know more about their pre-season involvement.
For now, FPL managers should focus on four key things:
The Preseason Pack is now live on the website, helping managers get a head start on their rivals with tools like the Fixture Planner, Predicted Player Prices, and the GW1 Squad Creator.
With Gameweek 1 approaching fast, the best Fantasy Premier League managers will not just be picking the biggest names. They will be picking the players who are ready to start, have strong fixtures and are most likely to deliver from the opening weekend.
Get ready for the 2026/27 season – the Preseason Pack is just £1 for a limited time.
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