With the group stage of the 2026 World Cup coming to a close, the tournament prepares for the knockout phase and the battle for football’s ultimate prize – which already looks set to be a fascinating and unpredictable one.
But the first three rounds of matches in the expanded 48-team format have offered no shortage of drama. There have been shocks, tears, heroics, weather delays and intense debate about the pros and cons of hydration breaks.
Above all, there has been quality in abundance and so here are our picks for the team of the tournament (so far) as we head into the business end of this summer’s showpiece event.
Honourable mentions
A number of players have just missed out on a place in the team, but their performances still warrant a mention here:
Brian Brobbey (Netherlands): Brought into the starting XI by manager Ronald Koeman for the Netherlands’ second group game, the Sunderland forward took all of 17 minutes to bag a brace. He has not looked back since, netting a third of the tournament against Tunisia as Oranje’s World Cup prospects continue to grow.
Ismael Saibari (Morocco): The ability of Morocco’s front man was plain for all to see when he opened the scoring against Brazil, producing a delightful chip over Alisson to give the north Africans the lead. He added to his tally in subsequent games against Scotland and Haiti to help secure his nation’s passage to the knockout phase undefeated.
Folarin Balogun (USA): There had been doubts over which version of the USA team might show up at the World Cup. Thankfully for the co-hosts, they have impressed from the get-go, with Balogun encapsulating this exciting, attacking outfit.
Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast): The supremely talented teenager with a touching backstory, Diomande has said everything he does on a football pitch is for his late sister. And what he has done on a football pitch at this tournament so far is pretty dazzling as Ivory Coast secured a knockout place for the first time ever. Already being eyed up by the likes of Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, the interest in the 19-year-old is only set to grow.
Keito Nakamura (Japan): A standout performer in the 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, Nakamura embodies everything great to watch about this Japan side. Combining skill and work ethic, the Reims player has stepped up in the absence of the injured Kaoru Mitoma, chipping in with important goals and assists as the pre-tournament dark horses live up to that label.
The best XI
GK – Vozinha (Cape Verde)
Of all the breakout stars at the tournament so far, it’s hard to look beyond Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper.
Not only did Vozinha – real name Josimar Dias – pick up the player of the match – not to mention a few million new social media followers – after his heroics during the goalless stalemate with European champions Spain. But so big was his impact that the US authorities waived the visa fee and $15,000 (£11,300) bond for his mother, who was able to fly in to witness her son’s continuing adventures.
Vozinha’s story, and indeed that of his nation, will surely go down as one of the all-time great World Cup moments.
Next up is a date with holders Argentina in the last 32. Cape Verde couldn’t, could they?
DEF – Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands)
The marauding full-back has been a mainstay of the Netherlands backline for a number of years now. And for good reason. The Inter player, currently being linked with a move to Real Madrid, has two assists in the tournament already, as Oranje continue to stake a claim to be included in the list of potential World Cup winners.
A thumping 5-1 victory over Sweden, with a 2-2 draw with Japan and 3-1 win over Tunisia coming either side of that, has only strengthened that claim, with Dumfries at the centre of it.
DEF – Johan Vasquez (Mexico)
Only four teams are yet to concede a goal in the World Cup this summer, and one of them is Mexico. The co-hosts have only ever won one knockout game at a men’s World Cup – that was forty years ago – and they will be hoping to at least double that tally this time round.
The early signs are good: Mexico topped Group A with three wins from three and no goals conceded. Vasquez has been key to that solid defensive foundation, and his importance to the team will only grow as the tournament progresses.
DEF – Lisandro Martinez (Argentina)
Another of Argentina’s diminutive stars might be grabbing all the headlines, but at the other end of the pitch, Martinez is a crucial cog in a defensive machine yet to breached at this tournament.
Martinez, nicknamed ‘The Butcher’, has been solid throughout, with the holders boasting arguably the most balanced team in the competition. Given what, on paper at least, seems like a favourable run to at least the quarter-finals, few would bet against them repeating their success of 2022.
DEF – Daniel Munoz (Colombia)
Colombia have quietly been going about their business this summer. Two wins from two, albeit against sides many would expect them to beat, means the South Americans are guaranteed a place in the knockout stages with a game to spare.
Crystal Palace player Munoz has found the net in both of his country’s games, scoring the opener in a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan and the only goal in a 1-0 victory against DR Congo.
MID – Felix Nmecha (Germany)
Despite coming into the tournament with the memory of successive group stage exits firmly in the minds of their fans, Germany seem to have returned to their typically efficient World Cup ways.
Die Mannschaft picked up maximum points from the first two games, courtesy of a 7-1 thrashing of debutants Curacao and a narrow 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. They went into their clash with Ecuador – which they lost 2-1 – safe in the knowledge that progress had been assured.
At the heart of Germany’s success so far has been Nmecha – a hard-working midfielder with a fierce shot and an eye for goal.
The Borussia Dortmund player’s stock has only risen, with potential Premier League suiters starting to show an interest.
MID – Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco)
It is something of a measure of this teenager’s fledgling talents that he was the standout player against a Brazilian midfield comprising five-time Champions League winner Casemiro and Premier League star Bruno Guimaraes.
Not only did the 18-year-old Lille player hardly put a foot wrong in Morocco’s opening match against the five-time World Cup winners, he hardly appeared phased throughout the entirety of the group phase as the African champions cruised to qualification for the last 32.
A mouth-watering clash with the Netherlands awaits for Morocco, who, after their semi-final appearance in 2022, will be similarly looking to go deep in the tournament. If they do, Bouaddi will likely prove key to that.
MID – Michael Olise (France)
Much had been made of the Bayern Munich winger coming into the tournament. There is always pressure when representing two-time winners France at a World Cup, but there were few players in Les Bleus’ squad carrying quite the same weight of expectation following a standout season at club level.
Thankfully for France, Olise has lived up to the hype, the elegant playmaker more than filling the creative void left by Antoine Griezmann.
The former Crystal Palace player has three assists to his name – the joint-highest at the tournament so far. The best of those came in France’s opening game against Senegal, when he supplied an exquisite pass to Kylian Mbappe to open his country’s account.
FWD – Erling Haaland (Norway)
It is rare that all the big names at a World Cup deliver on the grandest stage of all. Haaland unquestionably fits into that A-list category and the Manchester City striker has certainly produced when it matters most.
Back-to-back braces before being rested for their final group game against France with progress assured, Haaland seems to be fully taking advantage of Norway’s first World Cup finals appearance in 28 years.
With a very winnable last 32 clash against the Ivory Coast coming before a potential Round of 16 showdown with Brazil, it’s likely the world will be seeing Haaland – as well as the Norway fans’ now-iconic ‘Viking Row’ celebration – a few more times before the tournament is over.
FWD – Kylian Mbappe (France)
The French forward is only one of four players to have scored in two separate World Cup finals, and one of only two to have scored a hat-trick at that stage of the competition.
So it hardly seems surprising that his goalscoring record on football’s biggest stage is nothing short of remarkable. Seventeen World Cup games, 16 World Cup goals – and still only 27 years of age – Mbappe just seems to come alive for his country when it matters most.
Part of a frightening French forward line, Mbappe remains the jewel in the crown, netting four times already as he bids to finally become an outright record holder as the only player in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot twice.
FWD – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
There is a now-famous moment in the Marvel movie Avengers: Endgame when big baddie Thanos utters the line: “I am inevitable”.
Far from a villain, when it comes to the Argentina captain, there has seemingly always been an air of inevitability. But perhaps even the most steadfast Messi disciples could not have believed that the 39-year-old could still have the ability to produce the kind of moments that take one’s breath away.
But the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has once again staked his claim for being the finest footballer to ever grace the game, scoring all five of Argentina’s goals at the tournament so far including a hat-trick against Algeria.
He has now become the outright top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals. And he shows little sign of stopping as Argentina look to become the first nation in more than 60 years to defend their crown. What was that about inevitability?
Manager – Mauricio Pochettino (USA)
The 2026 tournament has been dubbed by more than few people as the ‘manager’s World Cup’. It’s a valid claim to make. From Thomas Tuchel to Carlo Ancelotti, few international competitions have seen this much star power on the sidelines.
But it is Pochettino who has outshone them all so far. Having endured a rather turbulent time as USMNT head coach, the former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss came into the tournament with the pressure of a nation on his shoulders.
However, any lingering grumbles appear to have dissipated as the US team topped their group, winning two of their three matches, to set up a last 32 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He has delivered a brand of exciting, attacking football. With his flowing, textured hair and suave getup, Pochettino, who has been dubbed a dead ringer for Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, is firmly in his Master and Commander era. The question, how far can he steer this ship?
