Renowned pundit and former England defender Jamie Carragher once named his greatest World Cup XI, with the strict condition that he could only select one player from each country. He was put to the test back in 2022, and although the latest tournament had yet to take place, the Liverpudlian still made some eyebrow-raising omissions.

While the 48-year-old would have been none the wiser that Lionel Messi was just weeks – if not days – away from almost single-handedly guiding Argentina to continental glory, Carragher chose to snub both him and long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo when selecting his final team, opting for other Argentine and Portuguese stars instead.

The Three Lions, Germany and France are all represented in some form, as are five-time winners Brazil. But as readers discover throughout the Sun’s piece, several other huge names are left out along the way.

Goalkeeper and Defenders

There are four players in Carragher’s final selection that have never won the World Cup, placing them in a rare category of the greatest to have never tasted football’s most prestigious prize. The first of that trio is found between the sticks, with Denmark legend Peter Schmeichel ,who only played at one tournament – reaching the quarter finals in 1998.

In front of him is a back four of titans. 1998 winner Lilian Thuram playing on the right, 1974 champion Franz Beckenbauer partnering 1966 victor Bobby Moore in the heart of defence, and 1994 runner-up Paolo Maldini – perhaps the greatest defender of all time – tidying things up on the left flank.

Beckenbauer is one of just three men to win the World Cup as a player and as a manager – the supreme defender leading West Germany from the dugout in 1990.

Midfielders

To fit every player into his team, Carragher opted to deploy Pele in an attacking midfield role. The Brazilian remains the only player to have won three World Cups, while also being the tournament’s youngest winner and goalscorer. Many still regard him as the greatest World Cup player of all time, with images of him lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy forever etched into football folklore.

Behind him sit two passing maestros capable of orchestrating almost any team, such was the quality of their playmaking during their respective primes. Spain’s Xavi – the ultimate tempo-setter and a World Cup winner in 2010 – takes one of the midfield spots.

Alongside him is his former El Clasico rival, Luka Modric, a World Cup finalist with Croatia in 2018. The ex-Real Madrid star is the only active player in Carragher’s XI, as he prepares to captain his nation this summer at the age of 40.

Forwards

The Portuguese representative is forward Eusebio, who leads the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation for Carragher. The ‘Black Panther’ scored all nine of his World Cup goals as he led his country to the semi-finals in 1966, including four in the stunning comeback win over North Korea – when Portugal won 5-3 from 3-0 down inside 25 minutes.

From Argentina, operating on the right, is none other than Diego Maradona, who led his nation to glory in 1986 – thanks in part to his famous double against England, which included the most controversial goal ever in the shape of the “Hand of God”. But to rate the former Napoli maverick without considering his crazy side would be an injustice.

To complete a fearsome front three is flying Dutchman Johan Cruyff, who played the game like an art form and then taught it in a way where his philosophy is still used today. He led the Netherlands to the final in 1974 with his beautiful brand of total football, but the Oranje fell short by losing to West Germany in the final. See the full team below:

The 2026 World Cup will see eight sets of brothers competing, but they aren’t all representing the same nation as their siblings.

This year’s 48-team tournament is the biggest in the competition’s history, meaning even more countries are given the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage. That also means the number of players showcased in the United States, Canada and Mexico has increased massively.

However, it’s still a surprise to see as many as eight sets of siblings make it to world football’s biggest competition. It’s even more mind-blowing to learn that four of them play for a different country to their brothers.

2026 World Cup Brothers on the Same Side

Some of the more famous brother duos to play at World Cup finals include the Ayews (Jordan and Andre) and the Hazards (Eden and Thorgan). The former both participated for Ghana, while the latter pair appeared as Belgium players.

Following that trend are Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber and his brother, Quinten. The versatile duo are both part of Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad. They’ll be delighted to hear they’ve even been predicted to win the whole competition.

Lucas and Theo Hernandez are in the unique position that they are actually competing with each other for the same position in France’s starting XI. The defenders are both left-footed and will hope to be the left-back for Didier Deschamps this summer.

Elsewhere, Laros Duarte and Deroy Duarte are both heading to the competition as Cape Verde make their first-ever World Cup appearance. Likewise, Leandro and Juninho Bacuna are playing for Curacao, with the latter captaining his country.

Siblings Competing Against Each Other

The most high-profile set of relatives on opposing sides this summer are the Williams brothers. Nico was a key part of Spain’s Euro 2024 success and is part of Luis de la Fuente’s squad once again. His older brother, meanwhile, will face England as part of Ghana’s hopeful unit.

Desire Doue got firsthand experience of what could happen if his France side come up against Ivory Coast and his sibling, Guela, this summer. In a pre-tournament friendly, the Strasbourg full-back scored and registered an assist as the Africans defeated Les Bleus.

Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey was called up to the Netherlands squad after an impressive debut season in England. His brother, Derrick Luckassen, is a centre-back for Ghana.

The Souttars are heading to the competition. Both are central defenders and are expected to have starting roles for their respective nations. Harry will represent Australia, while John plays for Steven Clarke’s Scotland.

Rio Ngumoha is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about young players in world football after impressive displays for Liverpool during the 2025-26 season.

The 17-year-old also recently made his debut for England’s senior team in a pre-World Cup friendly against New Zealand. Ngumoha is a tricky left-winger who rose through Chelsea‘s youth ranks before heading to Liverpool. The Blues were left furious over his departure as they lost one of their most celebrated teenage talents to an arch-rival.

The English attacker, who forced his way into Arne Slot’s plans at the end of the season with lightning displays, is expected to be given more minutes next season under Andoni Iraola, but his talent was spotted long before he ever stepped onto the Anfield turf.

Liverpool Deleted and Edited Clips of Eye-Catching Ngumoha

Ngumoha, when he was just 16, had been so impressive in training against Liverpool’s first-team stars that his superb dribbling abilities caused them problems. The Reds were trying to calm the hype surrounding the former Chelsea academy starlet by editing footage of him in training, per Anfield Watch.

The report noted: ‘Ngumoha regularly terrorises first team players in training and the club has had to delete and edit out footage of his performances from the Inside Training video series in a bid to contain the hype surrounding the 16-year-old.’

This speaks volumes about how exciting a talent Ngumoha already was in late 2024 as the club looked to manage the expectations of the winger. The pressure that comes with the spotlight of English football can either make or break a footballer’s career early on, so it makes sense to protect him on that front – while they also didn’t want to attract attention from rival teams who could try and swoop in and steal the youngster (much like they did from Chelsea).

John Terry, who worked closely with Ngumoha as part of the coaching setup at Chelsea’s academy, is well aware of just how much potential the teenager has. He gave a glowing verdict amid his move to Anfield:

Arne Slot Hinted at Believing in Youth Amid Ngumoha’s Rise

Liverpool has a rich history of blending youth with world-class talent, which was the case during Klopp’s reign at Anfield. The German turned to the likes of Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark and James McConnell, all teenagers who were on the pitch in a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final. They were known as ‘Klopp’s Kids’, as the club’s beloved former coach placed his faith in the academy.

There were question marks regarding Slot doing so when he replaced Klopp at the helm, but he initially suggested he’d be open-minded with affording the youth game time. He said (via This is Anfield):

While he suggested youth would be given a chance, Slot appeared to leave it too long before trusting the ex-Chelsea youngster. Ngumoha started just five games in a poor campaign for the Reds, but still managed to be the highlight in each of them. Had the manager unleashed him sooner, he may have had a better chance at keeping his job.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt as of 07/06/26.