Sports
11 Best Players Qualified for Their First World Cup (Ranked)
The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is poised to be the greatest tournament in footballing history, with a record 48 nations competing for the illustrious golden trophy.
What makes next summer’s upcoming tournament so special, is the fact that the 2026 World Cup will be the first with an expanded format, meaning that fans of the beautiful game will get to witness even more of the world’s best in action in North America.
Argentina, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, are the reigning champions following their dramatic victory over France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
However, in those four years, several young talents who did not feature in Qatar have risen to footballing prominence, and are set to make their make when the World Cup kicks-off in June.
Here, GIVEMESPORT runs through the 11 best players who will be playing in their first World Cup in the 2026 tournament, looking to knock the Inter Miami star off his perch.
Ranking Factors
- Career stats
- Team they play for
- Ability (especially for players currently sidelined by injury)
- Trophies won/
11
Nick Woltemade
Germany
Nick Woltemade has been in fine form since arriving at Newcastle United from Stuttgart in the summer window, for a club-record £69m, both on the club front under Eddie Howe and for his German national team.
In the Premier League, Woltemade has scored four goals in eight outings, and has been in even more impressive form in the World Cup qualifiers for Germany, scoring four goals and assisting once in just six appearances.
23-year-old Woltemade only made his senior debut for Germany back in June, but has already proven himself to be an important component of Julian Nagelsmann’s attack with his brace against Luxembourg this month in the qualification rounds, and the 6’6″ frontman will be a handful for defences to deal with in North America next summer for his first World Cup tournament.
10
Abdukodir Khusanov
Uzbekistan
Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov was Uzbekistan’s star player in their maiden qualification for the global footballing tournament, despite being dismissed in their recent draw with Iran, which his nation won 4-3 on penalties.
21-year-old Khusanov has seven appearances under Pep Guardiola to his name so far this season, taking his tally to 16 for City since signing from RC Lens in January, and he has solidified himself as one of the most prominent defensive talents in European football.
The City starlet will be imperative if Uzbekistan, now under the tutelage of 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, are to progress out of the group stage in their first-ever World Cup tournament.
9
Pau Cubarsi
Spain
18-year-old Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi was just a schoolboy when Spain were beaten in the round of 16 by Morocco in the 2022 World Cup, but the youngster will be intent on improving that feat next summer.
After being promoted from the Barça youth ranks in 2024, the glossy centre-back has cemented himself as one of the best young central defenders in European football under Hansi Flick, playing 56 times across all competitions last season as the Catalonians won La Liga and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
In his most recent outing for Spain, Cubarsi helped his nation to a 4-0 win over Georgia by enjoying the best passing accuracy (98%) of any player to play 45 minutes or more, showcasing that he is the ideal heir to Spain’s central defensive throne.
8
Joao Neves
Portugal
21-year-old PSG midfielder Joao Neves is another supreme young talent set to feature in his first World Cup tournament, and his national team boss Roberto Martinez will be hoping to see the central midfielder continue his exhilarating form into the summer.
So far this season, Neves has four goals in six games for the French champions, and was imperative to their Club World Cup venture in the summer with three goal contributions in seven outings, which ended in a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.
Most recently for his nation, Neves scored a hat-trick in a 9-0 rout over Armenia, and his presence in the engine room will be imperative for the 2016 European championship winners to be in contention for glory at the 2026 World Cup.
7
Estevao
Brazil
Unfortunately for Neves, next on the list is Brazilian starlet Estevao, whose parent club Chelsea beat the Parisiens in the US last summer.
After arriving at Stamford Bridge from Palmeiras in the summer, the 18-year-old winger has been in exciting form for Enzo Maresca’s side, notching five goal contributions from his first 16 games in a Chelsea jersey.
Similar to Cubarsi, Estevao was just 14 when his country were knocked out of the previous World Cup in Qatar, following their defeat on penalties to Croatia.
Within the latest international break, Estevao scored in friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia, and will be desperate to play a role in Carlo Ancelotti’s side stealing the crown from their South American rivals in the summer.
6
Florian Wirtz
Germany
They say in football that ‘form is temporary, but class is permanent’, and Liverpool summer signing Florian Wirtz will be desperate to prove so for Germany next summer.
After arriving at Anfield for a staggering £116m fee from Bayer Leverkusen, the German playmaker has struggled for form since moving to the Premier League, failing to score or assist in his first 11 top flight appearances thus far.
Reigning champions Liverpool currently sit eighth in the Premier League, and may have realistically lost hope of retaining their top flight title given the eight-point gap between themselves and leaders Arsenal.
Therefore, the 22-year-old, who was not on the plane to Qatar in 2022, will be hoping to right the wrongs of his 2025/26 season for his country in the summer.
5
Elliot Anderson
England
Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson was in the Scotland youth ranks at the time of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, in which England were beaten by France 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
Since then, Newcastle United academy graduate Anderson has pledged his national allegiance to the Three Lions, and cemented himself as one of the best young midfielders in world football after joining Forest in the summer of 2024.
As a result of his fine form, Manchester United have placed Anderson at the top of their transfer shortlist, but will need to pay upwards of £100m to secure the 23-year-old’s signature in the summer window.
In his maiden senior international tournament, Thomas Tuchel will be hoping to see the dynamic midfielder continue his impressive form from England’s qualifying campaign into the 2026 World Cup.
4
Luis Diaz
Colombia
Despite establishing himself as one of European football’s most prolific wingers, the 2026 World Cup will be Colombian Luis Diaz’s debut outing in the tournament.
The Bayern Munich forward, who has six goals and four assists in ten Bundesliga outings so far this season for the German champions, helped his Colombian compatriots to secure World Cup qualification with a 3-0 win over Bolivia back in September.
As quoted by the Bundesliga, Diaz said after Colombia’s qualification:
“I’m really happy about what we’ve achieved. It’ll be my first time at a World Cup. I’m very moved by it.”
Since Colombia sealed their spot, the 28-year-old has continued his emphatic form both domestically and for his nation, ending the World Cup qualifiers with seven goals and three assists in 17 outings, and the former Liverpool star will be hoping to continue those exploits in North America this summer.
3
Cole Palmer
England
Cole Palmer has established himself as one of the finest attacking midfielders in European football, and will be desperate to help his England teammates end their 60-year wait for World Cup triumph.
Palmer’s game-time for Chelsea and England has been hampered by injury so far this season, but his attacking output was staggering last season, which was capped off with his emphatic display in his side’s 3-0 win over PSG in the Club World Cup final.
Now 23, Palmer was a crucial part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2024 Euros, scoring England’s equaliser against Spain after coming on as a substitute before suffering a 2-1 defeat to the eventual winners.
In 2026, the former Man City starlet will be desperate to go one better with his Three Lions teammates.
2
Lamine Yamal
Spain
At the 2024 Euros, it was Spain and Lamine Yamal who tasted victory at the expense of England, in a tournament which highlighted to the footballing world just how special the Barcelona superstar is.
Yamal assisted Nico Williams’ strike in the final, and was awarded Young Player of the Tournament for his exploits despite being just 16-years-old.
Since then, the spell-bounding Spaniard has become one of the world’s elite players, with many feeling he can go on to rival his Barcelona predecessor Messi.
The 18-year-old enters his first World Cup tournament in excellent form for Barcelona, and will inevitably play an imperative role if the 2010 World Cup winners are to hoist the golden trophy once again.
Sometimes, even the greatest football players can have fragile egos. No matter what they’ve achieved in their careers, many just don’t seem able to rise above certain criticism.
Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be one of those characters. After all, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has won many honours, such as Champions League, Premier League, La Liga and European Championship titles, and yet he often comes across as a rather frustrated figure.
Perhaps that is because, throughout his career, he has been compared to Lionel Messi. The prevailing consensus in the footballing community is that Ronaldo is a legendary player, but the Argentine is even better, perhaps the best of all time – as highlighted by his record eight Ballon d’Or triumphs.
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Gary Lineker Prefers Messi Over Ronaldo
According to iconic England striker Gary Lineker – who played 12 games for the Three Lions at two World Cups (scoring 10 goals in total) and winning the Golden Boot at Mexico 1986 – Ronaldo is so insecure about his rivalry with Messi, that he no longer talks to the pundit due to some past comments made about the pair.
The ex-Match of the Day presenter made the admission during an appearance on the Louis Theroux Podcast, explaining how his one good relationship with Ronaldo has fallen to pieces ever since he dared to call Messi the better player.
He began: “I always feel bad because people have a go at me, saying ‘you don’t like Ronaldo. It’s not that I don’t like Ronaldo, I think he’s an absolutely incredible footballer, but there’s no argument about who is the better footballer. Anyone who understands the game will see that.”
He then praised the former Manchester United forward, noting, “But I’ve got so much admiration for Cristiano. He is so driven, so successful and scored so many goals.
“In many eras he would be the best player of his time. But the fact he is put in the same breath and lots of people make the comparison is a huge compliment to him and of what he has achieved.”
Because he hasn’t got the ability that Messi has. No one has. But it’s not an insult to Ronaldo to say that.”
He then explained how his past comments in favour of Messi cost him his relationship with Ronaldo, saying:
“Ronaldo fans [get annoyed with me]. And Ronaldo gets annoyed. He doesn’t speak to me anymore.
“We used to get on alright. And then suddenly I was interviewed, or something, and I was asked, ‘Who’s the better player?’ I said Messi. “Then I got told, ‘Oh, he doesn’t like you anymore’.”
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It’s not the first time there have been issues between the Portuguese star and Lineker, either. Indeed, in Euro 2024, Ronaldo failed to score a goal at the tournament, but lashed out at the punditry from within the UK.
The Tottenham Hotspur icon described Ronaldo’s antics after missing a penalty against Slovenia as childish, while his co-host Alan Shearer labelled the reaction as ‘hysterical.’ It’s believed Ronaldo was referring to the pair when he said:
“What am I going to do? Am I going to cry and then finish my career because two rats criticised me? The world loves me! The fans love me! This is my motivation. Nobody is going to take my shine away because two guys from television that nobody knows have criticised me.”
There will no doubt be plenty of focus on Ronaldo this summer as he looks to finally win the World Cup with Portugal. It will certainly be interesting to see what Lineker makes of the 41-year-old’s performances.
You scored
out of 20
Brazil fans and the media have issued a firm verdict on Casemiro after the Selecao’s opening 2026 World Cup match against Morocco on Saturday night.
The five-time world champions haven’t won the World Cup since 2002 but are among the favourites to lift football’s most iconic trophy on July 19.
However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side got off to an inauspicious start with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ismael Saibari gave Morocco the lead in the 21st minute with an excellent finish past Liverpool’s Alisson Becker. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, one of the contenders for the Ballon d’Or award, equalised with a goal of similar quality 10 minutes later.
No further goals were scored as the two sides, currently placed sixth and seventh in the latest FIFA rankings, escaped with one point apiece.
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Ancelotti made two changes at half-time, replacing right-back Ibanez with Danilo, and hooking Casemiro for Fabinho.
Casemiro, who has departed Manchester United despite an impressive final campaign with the Red Devils, has been heavily criticised for his unconvincing performance by Brazilian football fans and the media alike.
Goal handed the 34-year-old a 4/10 rating, commenting: “Had a real nightmare in midfield. Never kept up with the pace of the game, booked before half time, and hooked at the break.”
The reaction has been even more brutal on social media. One Brazilian fan account with 84,000 followers on X (Twitter) posted: “Casemiro: slow, immobile, not press resistant, can’t turn, can’t pass, no technical ability. It’s been a good 15 years but it’s time to go.”
One eye-opening clip shows Casemiro half-heartedly running back to his own half after losing possession:
Another tweet with a photo of Casemiro alongside the caption “This guy can’t be a starter for the Brazilian national team in a World Cup” has gone viral. And another Brazil supporter tweeted:
“Casemiro doesn’t have the conditions to play in this World Cup. It’s embarrassing.”
You scored
out of 20
Meanwhile, BBC Sport football reporter Simon Stone tweeted: “Man Utd probably glad they didn’t give Casemiro one more year on this evidence.”
Many Brazil fans on social media are calling for former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho, 32, to start over Casemiro in the Selecao’s next Group C match against minnows Haiti on June 19.
Fabinho, no spring chicken himself, has been playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad since 2023.
Switzerland and Qatar served up one of the most dramatic openers of the 2026 World Cup, with a 94th-minute header from Boualem Khoukhi snatching a point for the 2022 hosts in San Francisco.
But long before that late equaliser, Group B’s curtain-raiser had already generated its share of chaos, centred on a penalty incident in the 17th minute that left broadcasters, pundits and former officials demanding answers.
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Remo Freuler latched onto a headed ball inside the penalty area and attempted to deftly lift it over the advancing Qatar goalkeeper, Mahmud Abunada. The challenge that followed was heavy enough to keep both players on the ground. Honduran referee Hector Said Martinez had made his call immediately: Penalty to Switzerland. Breel Embolo stepped up and converted without any fuss.
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Replays appeared to show Freuler in an offside position as he received the ball, and VAR duly initiated a review. What followed frustrated everyone watching. No offside lines or semi-automated graphics were shown. The review concluded, the penalty stood, and viewers at home and inside the stadium were left entirely in the dark.
Watch the incident below:
Gary Neville didn’t hold back: “They’ve got the evidence of the automated decision — why are they not showing us?” he said, comparing FIFA’s approach to a “dictatorship.” Ian Wright was equally damning, calling the lack of transparency “scandalous.”
ITV commentator Lee Dixon, who had been convinced VAR would intervene, said: “There must be something wrong with my monitor.”
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Former referee and PGMOL boss Keith Hackett went further than most. Responding on X to former Norway international Jan Aage Fjørtoft, who’d questioned why VAR was reviewing a penalty rather than the apparent offside. Hackett was blunt: “This goal should have been ruled out for offside. Technology fail.”
ITV’s referee analyst Christina Unkel offered a different perspective. She explained that under FIFA’s protocol, semi-automated offside graphics are only shown when a review results in an overturn, which is why the lines and the graphics never appeared. She also defended the technology itself, insisting it operates at a precision far beyond what the human eye could ever detect:
“The technology that’s been implemented in this World Cup is at a higher level so it’s going to be even sharper and crisper.”
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Qatar ultimately had the last laugh, with Khoukhi’s late header denying Switzerland all three points. But the questions raised around the penalty are unlikely to disappear quietly.
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