World Cup players switch clubs on the final day of the transfer window

The final day of Europe’s transfer window brought a series of moves involving players who appeared at the 2026 World Cup, sending them into new leagues just as clubs completed their squads for the 2026-27 season.

Colombian midfielder Gustavo Puerta left Racing de Santander for Olympiacos after helping the Spanish club win the 2026 LaLiga Hypermotion and earn promotion to the top division. Puerta played 470 of Colombia’s 480 minutes across five World Cup matches and assisted against Uzbekistan. He had also won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024.

Leverkusen, which also won the German Cup two seasons ago, signed Ivory Coast defender Guéla Doué on Sept. 1 from Ligue 1 side Racing Strasbourg. Doué played all four of his country’s matches at the 2026 World Cup.

Senegal forward Ibrahim Mbaye moved to Aston Villa after winning the Champions League twice with Paris Saint-Germain and scoring on his World Cup debut for Senegal. The club managed by Unai Emery brought in 11 players during the transfer window, through permanent deals or loans.

Atlético Madrid and Juventus also added World Cup players. German forward Nick Woltemade joined Juventus after scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in 53 matches for Newcastle. He played 32 minutes at the World Cup, appearing in Germany’s round-of-32 defeat by Paraguay. Canadian striker Jonathan David moved on loan from Juventus to Atlético after playing all five of Canada’s World Cup matches and scoring a hat trick against Qatar. He recorded eight goals and five assists in 47 games for Juventus.