Yasin Ayari has been listed among the Premier League’s leading scorers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Brighton & Hove Albion also ranked fifth for total player minutes at the tournament.
The Premier League published its updated World Cup player tracker on Tuesday, with statistics correct as of 11.30am BST on 23 June. Ayari is shown on two goals for Sweden, level with Kai Havertz, Matheus Cunha, Brian Brobbey, Cody Gakpo, Daichi Kamada and Ismaila Sarr, and behind only Erling Haaland among players attached to 2026/27 Premier League clubs.
That gives Brighton a clear individual marker in a tournament already carrying real Albion relevance. Ayari’s form has been one of the sharper summer storylines for Fabian Hurzeler, because it comes before a season in which Brighton must balance Premier League demands with UEFA Conference League football.
Brighton workload stands out too
The wider club picture is just as notable. The same Premier League World Cup player tracker lists Brighton fifth for total minutes by Premier League clubs’ players, on 960 minutes.
Only Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa sit above Albion on that measure, placing Brighton ahead of several larger Premier League squads for tournament workload.
For Ayari, the numbers strengthen a growing case that he is returning to pre-season with momentum rather than simply international minutes in his legs. For Brighton, they underline how many first-team pieces are being tested at elite level before Hurzeler’s second full campaign begins.
