Everton have Premier League head start as new World Cup numbers emerge

Everton will be hoping to have a much better season than the 13th-place finish they end up in during 2025-2026.

The Toffees looked destined to qualify for Europe, but poor performances and an end-of-season drop-off ended that possibility.

Ahead of next season, David Moyes will be looking to get a quick start in the league, as that could bring momentum for the Scotsman and his Everton side.

That means a strong pre-season is required, and having a majority of the squad available would be a major positive.

With the World Cup looming, Moyes looks to have that possibility as the number of players heading to the tournament from the Premier League has been revealed.

How many Everton players are heading to the World Cup?

Everton will have more or less a full pre-season squad for the start of their season preparations, as the Toffees actually have the fewest players heading to the tournament.

Including every side that participated in the top flight last season, the Blues will have just four players competing in North America.

Leeds and Brentford are also in the same boat on that total, while West Ham and Burnley are above on five.

While competing in the World Cup is a dream for any player, Moyes will be secretly happy he can start pre-season with most of his players around, and it provides him a bigger head start than most.

The 63-year-old will now be hoping that Everton’s business can be conducted early and allow new signings to embed before the season starts.

Which Everton players will be at the World Cup?

As stated, Everton will have four players away at the World Cup, with two of those coming from the Senegal national team.

Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye have been called up, but the former may not even be at Hill Dickinson next season.

Gueye’s contract situation is yet to be sorted out, with his deal expiring at the end of June. Senegal has also been drawn in one of the toughest groups involving France, Norway and Iraq.

There is every chance they do not finish in the top two and would then have to hope they qualify as one of the best third-place sides.

If not, the Lions of Teranga’s World Cup journey would end on 26 June.

Jordan Pickford is away with England too, and the Three Lions, while having a tough group with Croatia, Ghana and Panama, are favourites to top the group.

Unless something surprising happens, the goalkeeper returning home early seems unlikely.

Finally, Nathan Patterson is away with Scotland, but truthfully, his participation and loss in pre-season would not be that major.

Patterson looks set to leave the Blues this summer after falling out of favour under Moyes. So, overall, Everton could only really have two players away in North America ahead of pre-season – Pickford and Ndiaye.