Summary · Question 13 of 14

Showcase cards: 17 Czech players chosen by six selection rules, and the 2025/26 pool

17 cards, one player per position group under each of six selection rules.

How to read it: each card shows one player’s 2025/26 numbers, his cluster in the style and quality maps, the change since the previous season and his nearest historical analogs; the rule that chose him is at the foot. The atlas below plots every player-season of 2025/26.

How the 17 cards were chosen

Why these cards: one card per position group per rule, applied in this order — (a) highest goals + assists per 90, league-adjusted, (b) youngest national-team call-up, (c) most top-9 minutes among the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, (d) most domestic-league minutes among the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, (e) most top-9 minutes, (f) most domestic minutes under 23 without a top-9 season. A player already chosen by an earlier rule falls through to the next name, so a later row can show the second name by its measure. Rows group the six rules; the national-team core row holds two of them.

Highest quality-adjusted production

Patrik SchickLeverkusenFW0.49G+A / 90 adj.↓ change · −0.20 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Leverkusen

Patrik Schick

FW · 30 · Leverkusen (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Leverkusen · GER-Bundesliga

G+A / 90 adj.
0.49
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.54 / 0.14
Minutes
1988 (67 %)
Style map Primary scorers Quality map High-volume scorers in top-five leagues

Primary scorers — non-penalty goal rate nearly double the forward median on starter minutes (56 %). The finishing forward of a first-choice line (Schick, Patrak, Chorý).

change −0.20 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 1684 min → 1988 min)

  1. Serhou Guirassy GUI GER-Bundesliga 2025/26 · 2337 min · 0.48 · d = 0.47
  2. Ihlas Bebou TOG GER-Bundesliga 2023/24 · 1636 min · 0.46 · d = 0.50
  3. Pere Milla ESP ESP-La Liga 2021/22 · 1644 min · 0.44 · d = 0.62

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: highest goals + assists per 90, league-adjusted among FW.

Václav ČernýBeşiktaşMF0.22G+A / 90 adj.—Career →
Beşiktaş

Václav Černý

MF · 29 · Beşiktaş (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Beşiktaş · TUR-Süper Lig

G+A / 90 adj.
0.22
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.23 / 0.36
Minutes
1991 (74 %)
Style map High-minutes creative midfielders Quality map Productive midfielders in top-five leagues

Starting playmakers — assist rate three times the midfield median on 62 % of minutes, scoring nearly double. The creative hub of the middle third (Provod, Vlkanova, Ladra).

  1. Efkan Bekiroğlu TUR-Süper Lig 2023/24 · 2126 min · 0.22 · d = 0.18
  2. Trézéguet EGY TUR-Süper Lig 2022/23 · 2127 min · 0.21 · d = 0.23
  3. João Novais POR TUR-Süper Lig 2021/22 · 1835 min · 0.21 · d = 0.23

2026 World Cup qualification · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: highest goals + assists per 90, league-adjusted among MF.

Vladimír CoufalHoffenheimDF0.18G+A / 90 adj.↑ change · +0.15 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Hoffenheim

Vladimír Coufal

DF · 34 · Hoffenheim (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Hoffenheim · GER-Bundesliga

G+A / 90 adj.
0.18
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.03 / 0.24
Minutes
3012 (98 %)
Style map High-assist defenders with high playing time Quality map High-assist defenders in top-five leagues

Attacking full-backs — assist rate seven times the DF median on starter minutes (65 %). The wide defender whose job ends in the final third (Coufal, Icha, Hadaš).

change +0.15 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 1067 min → 3012 min)

  1. Óscar de Marcos ESP ESP-La Liga 2022/23 · 2819 min · 0.14 · d = 0.41
  2. Leandro Cabrera URU ESP-La Liga 2024/25 · 2869 min · 0.12 · d = 0.53
  3. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw NED GER-Bundesliga 2024/25 · 2944 min · 0.10 · d = 0.63

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: highest goals + assists per 90, league-adjusted among DF.

National-team core — 2026 FIFA World Cup squad: most top-9 minutes, most home-league minutes

Pavel ŠulcLyonFW0.46G+A / 90 adj.—Career →
Lyon

Pavel Šulc

FW · 26 · Lyon (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Lyon · FRA-Ligue 1

G+A / 90 adj.
0.46
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.63 / 0.17
Minutes
1566 (54 %)
Style map Primary scorers Quality map High-volume scorers in top-five leagues

Primary scorers — non-penalty goal rate nearly double the forward median on starter minutes (56 %). The finishing forward of a first-choice line (Schick, Patrak, Chorý).

  1. Amine Gouiri ALG FRA-Ligue 1 2025/26 · 1326 min · 0.43 · d = 0.41
  2. Randal Kolo Muani FRA FRA-Ligue 1 2023/24 · 1268 min · 0.43 · d = 0.50
  3. Bamba Dieng SEN FRA-Ligue 1 2025/26 · 1212 min · 0.43 · d = 0.56

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: most top-9 minutes among 2026 FIFA World Cup squad FW.

Tomáš SoučekWest Ham UnitedMF0.21G+A / 90 adj.↓ change · −0.11 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
West Ham United

Tomáš Souček

MF · 31 · West Ham United (latest known) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · West Ham · ENG-Premier League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.21
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.20 / 0.00
Minutes
2200 (64 %)
Style map Older rotation midfielders Quality map Productive midfielders in top-five leagues

Veteran rotation midfielders — median age 30 on managed minutes (40 %), output at median, card rate above it. Experience kept in the squad rather than on the pitch every week (Souček, Trávník, Daníček).

change −0.11 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 2567 min → 2200 min)

  1. John McGinn SCO ENG-Premier League 2024/25 · 2223 min · 0.21 · d = 0.03
  2. Rodrigo ESP ENG-Premier League 2021/22 · 2265 min · 0.22 · d = 0.14
  3. Mateusz Klich POL ENG-Premier League 2020/21 · 2393 min · 0.23 · d = 0.33

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: most top-9 minutes among 2026 FIFA World Cup squad MF.

Ladislav KrejčíWolverhampton WanderersDF0.10G+A / 90 adj.→ change · +0.05 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Wolverhampton Wanderers

Ladislav Krejčí

DF · 27 · Wolverhampton Wanderers (latest known) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Wolves · ENG-Premier League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.10
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.08 / 0.04
Minutes
2356 (75 %)
Style map Everyday starting defenders Quality map Goal-scoring defenders in top-five leagues

The defensive core — 85 % of minutes, output at the DF floor. Availability and continuity are the signal; production is not (Hůlka, Halinský, Cedidla).

change +0.05 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 2440 min → 2356 min)

  1. Pau Torres ESP ENG-Premier League 2023/24 · 2464 min · 0.08 · d = 0.23
  2. Pervis Estupiñán ECU ENG-Premier League 2024/25 · 2402 min · 0.07 · d = 0.26
  3. Oleksandr Zinchenko UKR ENG-Premier League 2022/23 · 2118 min · 0.09 · d = 0.32

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: most top-9 minutes among 2026 FIFA World Cup squad DF.

Tomáš ChorýSlavia PragueFW0.30G+A / 90 adj.↑ change · +0.07 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Slavia Prague

Tomáš Chorý

FW · 31 · Slavia Prague (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Slavia Prague · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.30
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.54 / 0.24
Minutes
1838 (70 %)
Style map Primary scorers Quality map High-minutes starting forwards

Primary scorers — non-penalty goal rate nearly double the forward median on starter minutes (56 %). The finishing forward of a first-choice line (Schick, Patrak, Chorý).

change +0.07 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 2123 min → 1838 min)

  1. Serdar Dursun TUR TUR-Süper Lig 2021/22 · 1869 min · 0.29 · d = 0.25
  2. Ivi ESP POL-Ekstraklasa 2024/25 · 1759 min · 0.27 · d = 0.27
  3. Mats Seuntjens NED NED-Eredivisie 2022/23 · 1564 min · 0.31 · d = 0.54

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: most domestic minutes among 2026 FIFA World Cup squad FW.

Vladimír DaridaHradec KrálovéMF0.16G+A / 90 adj.—Career →
Hradec Králové

Vladimír Darida

MF · 36 · Hradec Králové (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Hradec Králové · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.16
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.29 / 0.13
Minutes
2764 (90 %)
Style map High-scoring attacking midfielders Quality map Everyday starting midfielders, low scoring output

Goal-scoring attacking midfielders — non-penalty goal rate three times the midfield median on starter minutes (56 %). The number 8/10 who arrives in the box (Darida, Ševčík, Višinský).

  1. Alexandru Maxim ROU TUR-Süper Lig 2025/26 · 2680 min · 0.12 · d = 0.42
  2. Jesús Imaz ESP POL-Ekstraklasa 2025/26 · 2784 min · 0.23 · d = 0.60
  3. Lucas Biglia ARG TUR-Süper Lig 2021/22 · 2795 min · 0.08 · d = 0.67

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup

Selected as: most domestic minutes among 2026 FIFA World Cup squad MF.

Tomáš HolešSlavia PragueDF0.06G+A / 90 adj.→ change · 0.00 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Slavia Prague

Tomáš Holeš

DF · 33 · Slavia Prague (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Slavia Prague · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.06
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.09 / 0.09
Minutes
2003 (77 %)
Style map Older defenders Quality map Older defenders

Experienced defenders on managed minutes — median age 31, 44 % of minutes, output at the floor. Leadership and cover rather than a starting role (Novák, Brabec, Fleišman).

change 0.00 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 2454 min → 2003 min)

  1. Piotr Mroziński POL POL-Ekstraklasa 2024/25 · 1979 min · 0.05 · d = 0.07
  2. Jakub Jugas CZE POL-Ekstraklasa 2024/25 · 2030 min · 0.05 · d = 0.08
  3. Zeki Yavru TUR TUR-Süper Lig 2023/24 · 2017 min · 0.05 · d = 0.25

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: most domestic minutes among 2026 FIFA World Cup squad DF.

Youngest national-team call-up

Christophe KabongoViktoria PlzeňFW0.25G+A / 90 adj.—Career →
Viktoria Plzeň

Christophe Kabongo

FW · 23 · Viktoria Plzeň (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Mladá Boleslav · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.25
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.45 / 0.22
Minutes
803 (27 %)
Style map Duel-heavy rotation forwards Quality map High-card-rate forwards

Rotation forwards whose signature is physical engagement — card rate roughly three times the forward median, a third of minutes, output at median. Pressing and duel-heavy roles rather than finishing (Mašek, Vojta, Kozak).

  1. Hierman Barkoŭski BLR POL-Ekstraklasa 2024/25 · 962 min · 0.21 · d = 0.36
  2. Christian Rasmussen DEN GER-2. Bundesliga 2025/26 · 1054 min · 0.24 · d = 0.40
  3. Tadeáš Vachoušek CZE CZE-First League 2026/27 · 502 min · 0.24 · d = 0.40

2026 World Cup qualification

Selected as: youngest national-team call-up among FW.

Hugo SochůrekSparta PragueMF0.10G+A / 90 adj.—Career →
Sparta Prague

Hugo Sochůrek

MF · 18 · Sparta Prague (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Sparta Prague · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.10
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.00 / 0.35
Minutes
510 (17 %)
Style map Young low-minute midfielders Quality map Young low-minute midfielders

Development midfielders — the home pool's largest midfield group: median age 22, under a third of minutes, output at median. The pipeline's waiting room (Daněk, Křišťan, Mikulenka).

  1. Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit NOR NOR-Eliteserien 2024/25 · 547 min · 0.10 · d = 0.30
  2. Emirhan İlkhan TUR TUR-Süper Lig 2021/22 · 635 min · 0.09 · d = 0.32
  3. Luis Engelns GER GER-2. Bundesliga 2024/25 · 542 min · 0.06 · d = 0.45

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup

Selected as: youngest national-team call-up among MF.

Jan PaluskaViktoria PlzeňDF0.01G+A / 90 adj.→ change · −0.01 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Viktoria Plzeň

Jan Paluska

DF · 21 · Viktoria Plzeň (latest known) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Viktoria Plzeň · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.01
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.00 / 0.00
Minutes
1045 (36 %)
Style map Young low-minute defenders Quality map Young low-minute defenders

Development defenders — median age 22, about a third of minutes, output at the floor. The tier the 23–25 cohort draws from (Konečný, Kolar, Prebsl).

change −0.01 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 919 min → 1045 min)

  1. Jan Trédl CZE-First League 2024/25 · 951 min · 0.04 · d = 0.30
  2. Aleksander Kjelsen NOR NOR-Eliteserien 2026/27 · 1097 min · 0.01 · d = 0.30
  3. Adam Dohnalek CZE-First League 2024/25 · 906 min · 0.04 · d = 0.34

UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025

Selected as: youngest national-team call-up among DF.

Most top-9 minutes

Roman KvětBohemians 1905MF0.10G+A / 90 adj.→ change · −0.04 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Bohemians 1905

Roman Květ

MF · 29 · Bohemians 1905 (2026/27)

2025/26 · Dender · BEL-Pro League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.10
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.18 / 0.00
Minutes
2545 (81 %)
Style map Everyday starting midfielders, low scoring output Quality map Everyday starting midfielders, low scoring output

The engine room — nearly 80 % of minutes with median output: holding and box-to-box midfielders whose value is continuity and structure, not numbers (Hellebrand, Horák, Čermák).

change −0.04 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 2733 min → 2545 min)

  1. Nicolas Rommens BEL BEL-Pro League 2022/23 · 2398 min · 0.13 · d = 0.29
  2. Siebe Schrijvers BEL BEL-Pro League 2024/25 · 2719 min · 0.13 · d = 0.31
  3. Thom Haye IDN NED-Eredivisie 2023/24 · 2610 min · 0.10 · d = 0.32

Selected as: most top-9 league minutes among MF.

Robin HranáčHoffenheimDF0.04G+A / 90 adj.—Career →
Hoffenheim

Robin Hranáč

DF · 26 · Hoffenheim (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Hoffenheim · GER-Bundesliga

G+A / 90 adj.
0.04
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.04 / 0.00
Minutes
2251 (74 %)
Style map Everyday starting defenders Quality map Everyday starting defenders

The defensive core — 85 % of minutes, output at the DF floor. Availability and continuity are the signal; production is not (Hůlka, Halinský, Cedidla).

  1. Jonjoe Kenny ENG GER-Bundesliga 2022/23 · 2244 min · 0.04 · d = 0.03
  2. Marco Friedl AUT GER-Bundesliga 2023/24 · 2197 min · 0.03 · d = 0.10
  3. Ferland Mendy FRA ESP-La Liga 2020/21 · 2208 min · 0.03 · d = 0.14

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA Euro 2024

Selected as: most top-9 league minutes among DF.

Most domestic minutes under 23, no top-9 season yet

Lukáš MašekSlovan LiberecFW0.16G+A / 90 adj.—Career →
Slovan Liberec

Lukáš Mašek

FW · 22 · Slovan Liberec (2026/27)

2025/26 · Slovan Liberec · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.16
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.30 / 0.00
Minutes
1806 (57 %)
Style map Duel-heavy rotation forwards Quality map High-card-rate forwards

Rotation forwards whose signature is physical engagement — card rate roughly three times the forward median, a third of minutes, output at median. Pressing and duel-heavy roles rather than finishing (Mašek, Vojta, Kozak).

  1. Isak Jensen DEN DEN-Superliga 2024/25 · 1953 min · 0.16 · d = 0.36
  2. Mustapha Isah NGA NOR-Eliteserien 2025/26 · 1653 min · 0.17 · d = 0.37
  3. Mbaye Jacques Ndiaye SEN POL-Ekstraklasa 2024/25 · 1574 min · 0.13 · d = 0.39

Selected as: most domestic-league minutes among under-23 FW without a top-9 season.

Vojtech StranskySlovan LiberecMF0.07G+A / 90 adj.→ change · 0.00 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Slovan Liberec

Vojtech Stransky

MF · 23 · Slovan Liberec (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Slovan Liberec · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.07
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.07 / 0.10
Minutes
2634 (84 %)
Style map Everyday starting midfielders, low scoring output Quality map Everyday starting midfielders, low scoring output

The engine room — nearly 80 % of minutes with median output: holding and box-to-box midfielders whose value is continuity and structure, not numbers (Hellebrand, Horák, Čermák).

change 0.00 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 2017 min → 2634 min)

  1. Tomas Rigo SVK CZE-First League 2024/25 · 2528 min · 0.10 · d = 0.25
  2. Eric Martel GER GER-2. Bundesliga 2024/25 · 2740 min · 0.06 · d = 0.28
  3. Jonas Therkelsen NOR GER-2. Bundesliga 2025/26 · 2722 min · 0.10 · d = 0.30

UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025

Selected as: most domestic-league minutes among under-23 MF without a top-9 season.

Denis HalinskýPardubiceDF0.01G+A / 90 adj.→ change · −0.03 G+A / 90 adj.Career →
Pardubice

Denis Halinský

DF · 23 · Pardubice (2026/27) · NT 2024–26

2025/26 · Teplice · CZE-First League

G+A / 90 adj.
0.01
Non-penalty goals / assists per 90
0.00 / 0.03
Minutes
2790 (91 %)
Style map Everyday starting defenders Quality map Everyday starting defenders

The defensive core — 85 % of minutes, output at the DF floor. Availability and continuity are the signal; production is not (Hůlka, Halinský, Cedidla).

change −0.03 G+A / 90 adj. (one season, 1752 min → 2790 min)

  1. Oskar Wójcik POL POL-Ekstraklasa 2025/26 · 2749 min · 0.01 · d = 0.08
  2. Furkan Bayır TUR TUR-Süper Lig 2022/23 · 2789 min · 0.02 · d = 0.25
  3. Marcel Beifus GER GER-2. Bundesliga 2024/25 · 2668 min · 0.01 · d = 0.25

UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025

Selected as: most domestic-league minutes among under-23 DF without a top-9 season.

Goalkeepers — most top-9 minutes · youngest in the top-9

Braga

Lukáš Horníček

GK · Braga (POR-Primeira Liga) · NT 2024–26 · Career, season by season →

2025/26 · 2959 min

Goals against / 90
1.00
Saves / 90
2.19
Save %
66.6 %

Braga (POR-Primeira Liga) · 83 % of the league's goals scored

2024–25 Nations League · 2026 FIFA World Cup · UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025

Selected as: most top-9 minutes among home goalkeepers.

Tottenham

Antonín Kinský

GK · Tottenham (ENG-Premier League) · NT 2024–26 · Career, season by season →

2025/26 · 630 min

Goals against / 90
1.00
Saves / 90
1.43
Save %
65.9 %

Tottenham (ENG-Premier League) · 42 % of the league's goals scored

2026 World Cup qualification

Selected as: youngest home goalkeeper with minimum top-9 minutes.

* Each card renders the existing dataset; no computation beyond the join. Age on the name line is the 2026/27 season-start age (start year − birth year); the club is from the 2026/27 tables, or — labelled "latest known" — from FBref's country page where the player has no 2026/27 row. Age on the analog line follows the analog finder's convention (season start year + 1 − birth year).

The atlas: every player-season of 2025/26, one dot each

Two-panel atlas of forwards 2025/26 in PCA projection. Left panel: style map without league multipliers; right panel: quality-adjusted map. Grey points are the whole corpus of 924 players; coloured points are the 31 Czech-eligible players by cluster; green rings mark the 13 with a national-team call-up 2024–26.
How to read it: every dot is the 2025/26 season of one of the forwards in the leagues this report covers. The two axes are the first two principal components of his five per-90 numbers (goals, assists, minutes share, age, cards) — dots that sit close together had similar seasons. The style projection uses the raw numbers, the quality projection the league-adjusted ones, so switching shows who moves when the strength of his league is counted. Colours are the clusters named below; green dots are Czech-eligible players, a black ring marks a national-team call-up. Hover a dot for the player, click to pin, scroll to zoom, type a name to find him.
Two-panel atlas of midfielders 2025/26 in PCA projection. Left panel: style map without league multipliers; right panel: quality-adjusted map. Grey points are the whole corpus of 2648 players; coloured points are the 102 Czech-eligible players by cluster; green rings mark the 28 with a national-team call-up 2024–26.
How to read it: every dot is the 2025/26 season of one of the midfielders in the leagues this report covers. The two axes are the first two principal components of his five per-90 numbers (goals, assists, minutes share, age, cards) — dots that sit close together had similar seasons. The style projection uses the raw numbers, the quality projection the league-adjusted ones, so switching shows who moves when the strength of his league is counted. Colours are the clusters named below; green dots are Czech-eligible players, a black ring marks a national-team call-up. Hover a dot for the player, click to pin, scroll to zoom, type a name to find him.
Two-panel atlas of defenders 2025/26 in PCA projection. Left panel: style map without league multipliers; right panel: quality-adjusted map. Grey points are the whole corpus of 1947 players; coloured points are the 59 Czech-eligible players by cluster; green rings mark the 19 with a national-team call-up 2024–26.
How to read it: every dot is the 2025/26 season of one of the defenders in the leagues this report covers. The two axes are the first two principal components of his five per-90 numbers (goals, assists, minutes share, age, cards) — dots that sit close together had similar seasons. The style projection uses the raw numbers, the quality projection the league-adjusted ones, so switching shows who moves when the strength of his league is counted. Colours are the clusters named below; green dots are Czech-eligible players, a black ring marks a national-team call-up. Hover a dot for the player, click to pin, scroll to zoom, type a name to find him.
Every player in the 2025/26 pool — all 217, searchable

The cards above pick by rule. This is everyone with a 2025/26 season in the data: 31 forwards, 102 midfielders, 59 defenders and 25 goalkeepers. Open a name for what the report measures about him, in plain words. Rank is within his own position group on quality-adjusted production; the two arrows mark a mid-season move.

217 of 217
    How we know

    As an analytics question In numbers: 17 showcase cards chosen from the 2025/26 pool by six selection rules, one per position group per rule.

    What we did We matched each player's season to his national-team call-ups and photo, then picked one player per position group under each of six rules.

    Sources 2025/26 FBref, Wikipedia and Wikidata rows joined by name and birth year; six selection rules, applied in order — see below.

    What this means

    The cards are examples chosen by rule, not a ranking or a selection: a player appears because he comes first under a rule, and a later rule skips anyone already chosen. A card’s numbers are one season’s; the analogs show what followed for similar player-seasons, not what will follow for this player.

    What this does not show

    Players the rules did not pick (the full pool is in the list below), anything beyond the five season numbers, and any prediction for a player.

    Data snapshot: FBref tables fetched 14 September 2026, snapshot commit ef7dbd4 · code: src/historical_analogs.py, src/render.py (_build_cards), src/pool_table.py · status: exploratory, not pre-registered · all limitations

    The full pool and every player's career: Players