The 2026 FIFA World Cup was held in North America with the competition unsurprisingly being the United States of America World Cup despite Mexico and Canada acting as co-hosts.
So it is only fair to begin this piece by dabbling in America’s favourite and most popular sport, American Football.
Just a few weeks to the start of the 2026 NFL (National Football League) season, former standout players in the league including linebacker Luke Kuechly, quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and running back Roger Craig had their busts placed in the famed hall in Canton, Ohio.
The English Premier League is becoming more influenced by American sports culture particularly through the series of ownership changes.
Liverpool have become the latest recipients of a new wave of American owners as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his group of investors has bought a 30% stake in the club.
Some of that American dust has rubbed off the Premier League and in 2021 the world’s most popular football league instituted its Hall of Fame and over the years, the EPL’s Hall of Fame has grown in stature and members.
While the likes of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have already been inducted, some of the best players in the vast pool of talent in the league are in line to get their names immortalised.
Despite a major wave of big talents who would have made this list leaving the EPL to go play in other leagues like Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Trent Alexander-Arnold and very likely Rodri, there are still top candidates in the running to make the Hall.
Here are players competing in the EPL who are on their way to be inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame though it must be noted that some in this list have already sealed their place in the Hall.
Ahead of the new EPL season, something came to mind and got me to put this list together…. pic.twitter.com/OyECGENVK5
— Yaw Adjei-Mintah (@YawMintYM) August 15, 2026
GOALKEEPER (Formation: 4-3-2-1)
David Raya (Arsenal)
The Spain international had a very good career at Brentford but his prospects to make it to the Hall of Fame have been turbo charged on the back of his brilliant run at Arsenal and it is fair to say he is a surefire inductee.
While some folks may have some difficulty digesting this, it must be noted that Raya has a league title to his credit and three Golden Glove Award wins to his name and is just one short of tying Joe Hart and Petr Cech for the all-time record of four.
DEFENDERS
Andrew Robertson (Tottenham) Left Back
Before joining Tottenham Hotspurs, the former Liverpool left full back dominated the league and powered the Reds to lift not one but two league titles. He is a bonafide pick to be inducted into the hall.
Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City) Left Centre Back
At age 24, Gvardiol has distinguished himself as one of the best in the league even in times playing as a left full back and barring injuries, by the time the Croat plays out his five year contract extension, there won’t be any doubts about his Hall of Fame credentials.
Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool) Right Centre Back
Nothing to see here because the Dutch international is a walking Hall of Famer despite his performances in recent seasons falling short of the quality he delivered in his prime years.
William Saliba (Arsenal) Right Back
Saliba’s injury literally crashed Arsenal’s title hopes three seasons ago and last season’s title win effectively planted him in the Hall of Fame.
MIDFIELDERS
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Just as winning the league title cemented Saliba’s place in the Hall of Fame, Bruno Fernandes’ record breaking 2025-2026 season where he registered 21 assists and swept a raft of end of season awards effectively sealed the Portuguese creative genius’ certain induction in the near future.
Declan Rice (Arsenal)
The former Irish international excelled at West Ham United and has grown to be a better player since switching locations in London after joining Arsenal. Like teammate Saliba, that league title win was just that little nudge Rice needed to get over the line and make himself an undisputed pick for the Hall of Fame.
Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)
The Hall of Fame voters won’t struggle to put Fernandes and Rice in the hall but Caicedo needs to do a bit more to make himself a top candidate. To make that happen, Caicedo has to play as he has done over the past couple of seasons and even top those performances in the upcoming seasons to have no pushback making it to the special hall.
FORWARDS
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
The Englishman is 40 shy of joining the list of EPL players with 100 goals and 50 shy of registering a century of assists. On the back of winning the Premier League title, getting close to registering triple figures in both statistical categories, plants Bukayo Saka in the Hall of Fame.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
The former Man City player made a significant beeline for induction into the hall after excelling in his final season under Pep Guardiola and first two seasons at Chelsea.
However, a slump in form and availability since that period has slowed Palmer down and in a similar situation to teammate Caicedo, Palmer needs at least three more seasons of top tier production to get back on track.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
In four seasons, the Norwegian has already surpassed a long list of great strikers in Premier League history.
By scoring 112 goals in just 132 appearances while winning the Golden Boot Award three times out of those four seasons; effectively Haaland can retire today and be a first ballot of hall of famer.
HEAD COACH
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
The former Everton and Arsenal player’s time on the sideline has been largely overshadowed by his misses on the league title than the impressive body of work he has put together in six full seasons in charge of the Gunners.
However, what is largely lost in this argument is that Arteta battled Jurgen Klopp and Guardiola and got Arsenal to finish second in three straight seasons before beating Guardiola to clinch last season’s title. Winning the 2025-2026 league title is the deal maker for Arteta to be the coaching inductee for the Hall of Fame.
