Nine players linked to the Cypriot football league advance to the 2026 World Cup round of 32

Nine footballers who played in the Cypriot league during the previous season have reached the round of 32 in the 2026 World Cup. The qualified players include Kalulu (Aris, DR Congo), Sema (Pafos FC, Sweden), Sunjic (Pafos FC, Bosnia), Degenek (APOEL, Australia), Garry Rodrigues (Apollon, Cape Verde), Lukassen (Pafos FC, Ghana), Maseko (AEL, South Africa), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL, Mexico), and Willy Semedo (formerly Omonia, Cape Verde). Pafos FC leads the representation with three players, while AEL has two. The knockout stage schedule begins on July 1 with Kalulu facing England and Sema against France. Matches continue on July 2 with Sunjic playing the USA, followed by Degenek against Egypt on July 3. The round concludes on July 4 with matches featuring Garry Rodrigues against Argentina and Lukassen against Colombia. While some sources identify these nine players as currently active in the Cypriot league, others clarify that players like Semedo are former participants. Meanwhile, Youssef Amine of AEK Larnaca was eliminated from the tournament.