World Cup 2026 will always be remembered as the one where the biggest stars shined the brightest, with the best players in the sport all delivering on the biggest stage.
Some lesser-known names also captured the imagination and became superstars, and a few of the individual performances at this World Cup are among the best in the history of the greatest tournament in sports.
Here are the 10 best players of the 2026 World Cup:
10. Vozinha
No one will ever forget Cape Verde’s story in this tournament, and Vozinha
was the symbol of a nation that won the hearts of every single football fan during their journey in the World Cup.
Vozinha became an internet sensation thanks to his name and charisma during the huge upset against Spain in the opener, and he went on to show he’s actually a pretty good goalkeeper throughout the tournament.
Cape Verde’s loss to Argentina in the Round of 32 is one of the best World Cup games in recent history, and Vozinha played a huge part in that as well with a couple of monster saves against Lionel Messi of all people.
What a story.
9. Ousmane Dembélé
The 2025 Ballon d’Or winner was a remarkable talent who still hadn’t played a great tournament for his country, but Dembélé showed up in a big way in this World Cup as the French finished fourth.
After a brilliant hat-trick against Norway in the group stage finale, Ousmane went on to play three great knockout games in a row, and he was absolutely one of the World Cup’s top performers despite the disappointment of the semi-final loss to Spain.
8. Harry Kane
Kane didn’t finish the World Cup as well as he started, but his tournament will add to his Ballon d’Or case after scoring six goals and leading England through a difficult start before Jude Bellingham took over in the final rounds.
The captain finishes the tournament as his country’s all-time record scorer in the World Cup, and still looks more than good enough to have another great cycle and be part of the 2030 squad as England will once again try to bring it home.
7. Michael Olise
Olise’s disappointing performance in the semi-final loss to Spain was the only negative in an otherwise stellar World Cup. After exploding onto the scene with an outstanding season for Bayern Munich, Olise delivered at the biggest stage and was France’s second-best player in their run to a fourth place finish.
Olise broke the World Cup assist record that belonged to none other than Pelé, and established himself as the creative fulcrum of the French attack for years to come. Zinedine Zidane will absolutely love coaching him, and he’s undoubtedly one of the very best players in the world.
6. Pau Cubarsí
Spain conceded just one goal in eight games and finished the tournament with the best defensive record in World Cup history, and Pau Cubarsí was the standout performer for La Roja’s remarkable defense.
At the age of 19, the Barcelona man was quite simply spectacular in every aspect of defending and showed why he’s the best young defender in the sport by a considerable distance.
His passing was outrageous all tournament and especially in the Final against Argentina under huge pressure in the dying moments, but it was his ability to win the physical battles against bigger and tougher attackers that truly caught the eye.
Cubarsí was sensational against Kylian Mbappé in the semi-final win over France, and has a real claim to be Spain’s best player in this World Cup. An incredible young talent, and the deserved winner of the Young Player of the Tournament award.
5. Rodri
All of the controversy over his 2024 Ballon d’Or win should now be a thing of the past as Rodri has added a world title to his résumé along with a sensational performance throughout the tournament.
Rodri looked 100% fit after recovering from a major knee injury over the last couple of years, and was the dominant force in Spain’s midfield, which along with their defense was the key to the title.
He set the tone and controlled the pace with his poise and passing ability, and was the leader of Spain’s relentless press which helped them dominate every game on the road to a deserved trophy win.
Ladies and gentlemen, Rodri is back.
4. Erling Haaland
Haaland made it look so incredibly easy as Norway knocked out five-time winners Brazil and made a sensational run to the quarter-finals in their first World Cup appearance in almost three decades.
The Manchester City striker proved that the biggest stage in sports was not big enough for his greatness, scoring seven goals in five games and dominating every defender who crossed his path.
Haaland captured the imagination of casual fans like no one else with his remarkable combination of power and finishing ability, and there is no doubt he will be back at the World Cup stage to find the net many, many, many more times.
3. Jude Bellingham
After a complicated season at club level, Bellingham returned to his very best to lead England to a third-place finish.
Jude’s seven goals are the most in a single World Cup by an England player, and his performances in the knockout rounds made him a hero.
His sensational solo goal in the third-place game against France was a fitting way to end a remarkable tournament, and there is no doubt he is now England’s biggest hope to finally bring it home in 2030.
2. Kylian Mbappé
Something special happens when Kylian Mbappé plays World Cup matches in a France shirt, and his 2026 tournament performance will go down in history despite the team’s disappointing fourth place finish.
His 10 goals are the most in a single tournament since 1970, and he is now all alone in first place ahead of Lionel Messi in the all-time scorers list with 22 goals, all before the age of 28.
Mbappé could easily still play at least two more World Cups at the highest level, and there’s no telling just how amazing his numbers will look when it’s all said and done.
1. Lionel Messi
The defeat to Spain in the final will not erase the extraordinary tournament played by the greatest footballer of all time. Messi was by far the best player in the World Cup, carrying Argentina to the Final and adding even more to his legacy in the process.
Messi’s amazing numbers (8 goals, 4 assists) don’t even begin to tell the full story of what it was like to see him dominate the tournament at the age of 39. Messi makes you feel football in a way no one else can, and his tears at the end of the game signal the likely end of his Argentina journey.
And what a journey it was.
Thank you, Lionel Messi.
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