Five months into 2026 and WWE‘s Superstars have already given us plenty of stand-out moments that have delighted and stunned fans in equal measure.
Now, with the likes of WWE Backlash, WWE Night of Champions, and WWE SummerSlam all on the horizon, we have asked AI to name and rank the 26 greatest wrestlers of the calendar year so far.
Best WWE Superstars of 2026 so far (20-11)
Position
WWE Superstar
26.
Roxanne Perez
25.
Carmelo Hayes
24.
Dominik Mysterio
23.
Jacob Fatu
22.
Iyo Sky
21.
Logan Paul
20.
LA Knight
19.
Tiffany Stratton
18.
Drew McIntyre
17.
Becky Lynch
16.
Damian Priest
15.
Sami Zayn
14.
Liv Morgan
13.
Trick Williams
12.
Oba Femi
11.
Bron Breakker
10 Penta
The Mexican professional wrestler has had a memorable year so far. Having debuted in WWE only last year on Monday Night Raw, the luchador has quickly established himself as one of the stand-out entertainers of the roster.
Often making an appearance in WWE’s weekly highlight reel due to his high-flying exploits, his match-up vs Rusev in late April was a five-star performance that gained many plaudits. That in itself followed a win of huge significance, as the 41-year-old obtained the Intercontinental Championship at the expense of Dominik Mysterio.
The cherry on top of the cake came at WrestleMania 42, which saw Penta come out on top in a six-pack ladder match as he defended his title against Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and the legendary Rey Mysterio.
9 Randy Orton
The Viper has had no shortage of box office moments over the years in WWE and 2026 has been business as usual for one of the company’s biggest active stars. The building blocks of what was to come started to come into play after he won the Elimination Chamber. Who can forget that back-to-back RKO attacks on Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes that crowned him the victor?
This year has seen Orton return to the main-event fold, with Pat McAfee alliances and Rhodes feuds. Entrusted with headlining WrestleMania 42, he went toe-to-toe with his one-time friend to settle their differences and delivered a memorable segment filled with betrayal, interference, and no shortage of blood.
While he didn’t walk away with the win on the night, The Apex Predator made sure no one forgot the part he played with his vicious attack after the bell had been rung, one of the most talked-about moments of this year’s ‘Mania.
8 Jey Uso
The year so far has seen WWE attempt to develop Jey Uso into one of its biggest stars. That push has worked emphatically well; ‘Main Event Jey Uso’ is here to stay, ‘The Right Hand Man’ is long gone.
The tag team division has again provided Jey Uso with no small amount of success, with WWE fandom keeping ‘YEET’ energy alive.
7 Jade Cargill
Cargill’s demeanour in the women’s division as a consistent, physical presence has seen her stock continue to rise. A former AEW mainstay, her in-ring dominance has transferred nicely to her new WWE arena, where she has continued to make inroads into the organisation.
Fans have had their say and voted for the 20 greatest WWE Superstars of all time, with John Cena, The Rock, and many more legends making the cut.
The first few months of 2026 have seen her front and centre of the most high-profile moments of the year so far, which have kicked on from her heel turn in October 2024, where she betrayed Tiffany Stratton and went on to secure the WWE Women’s Championship from her not long later.
A high-profile feud with Rhea Ripley ensured, culminating in their Night 2 title match-up at WestleMania 42, which saw Ripley come out on top and ending Cargill’s impressive 169-day reign at the top of the mountain. Needless to say, the powerhouse has unfinished business and will be looking to regain the belt in the future.
6 Gunther
The man you can’t help but love to hate has had a 2026 to remember. Building off the back of his victory against John Cena in his final match, the push to establish The Ring General as one of WWE’s biggest entities couldn’t be more evident.
His ‘legend killer’ streak gained another victim this year in the form of AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. If that in itself wasn’t enough, Gunther then found the time to take part in the main event itself as the last man to enter the 39th Royal Rumble, eliminating both Randy Orton and Penta in the process before being dispatched by eventual winner Roman Reigns, as well as a dramatic match-up on The Grandest Stage of Them All we will get into more detail in a minute.
5 Seth Rollins
The year so far has seen the six-time WWE World Champion chase the World Heavyweight Championship ghost, in the form of main event billing and near misses at adding to his accolades.
Even when he isn’t chasing the belt, Rollins is never far away from the action. WrestleMania 42 was a prime example of just that, with the Night 1 singles match between Gunther and Rollins, that ended in another victory for The Ring General, and clocking in as the second-longest showdown of the day, which despite his eventual defeat, left no doubt about his continued importance.
4 Rhea Ripley
The Eradicator has continued her dominance of the women’s scene with numerous standout moments already this year.
It was business as usual when she defeated all before her to win the 2026 Women’s Elimination Chamber match in Chicago, Illinois, and in doing so, earned her title spot at WrestleMania at the expense of the likes of Tiffany Stratton and Alexa Bliss.
That opportunity to reclaim the biggest prize in women’s wrestling was grasped with both hands as she defeated Jade Cargill and once more captured the title. Instantly building off that success on SmackDown with a major statement of intent to all would-be rivals, Ripley’s position as one of 2026’s greats couldn’t be any clearer.
3 CM Punk
The Best in the World has found himself front and centre of the action to date, from iconic Elimination Chamber entrances to WrestleMania main eventing.
Under the backdrop of the iconic “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project, Chicago welcomed back one of its own as CM Punk took to the ring to the iconic theme made famous by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. If his successful title defence against Finn Balor wasn’t enough reason to celebrate, the night was made even sweeter when AJ Lee won her first title in over a decade.
WrestleMania 42 again provided a chance for Punk to solidify his claim as one of the main draws of the Netflix era, with his World Heavyweight Championship clash with Roman Reigns, delivering one of the best matches of the year so far.
2 Roman Reigns
Entering the Royal Rumble at #26, Reigns‘ victory at the purpose-built arena in Riyadh, where he eliminated the likes of Logan Paul, The Miz, Jey Uso, Jacob Fatu, and Gunther, was a sign of things to come.
WWE has played host to some seriously strong Superstars over the years…
Building off that, his rivalry with CM Punk was born leading into the main event of Night 2. What followed was a 33-minute epic with the World Heavyweight Championship the prize. What made this victory all the sweeter? Reigns won it without any outside help with a cleanly hit Spear.
The era of The Tribal Chief is upon us once again.
1 Cody Rhodes
The Undisputed WWE Champion has had a whirlwind of a year so far, marked by his dramatic clashes with former mentor Randy Orton and more recent developments leading into future PPVs.
His victory over Orton at WrestleMania was one that left a sour taste in the mouth, when The Viper lived up to his nickname and attacked the victorious Rhodeswith the title after the match had been called.
Briefly sidelined in the aftermath as he awaited medical clearance, he returned to the ring with an expertly delivered statement confirming his return to action, seen as a direct invitation to those who would seek to challenge him. “Easy to find and hard to beat.”
The locker room is on notice, Cody Rhodes’ status as the greatest WWE Superstar of 2026 is without question.
Kylian Mbappe is lighting up the 2026 World Cup as he looks to fire France to their second success in world football’s biggest competition since 2018.
The Real Madrid forward is firmly in the Golden Boot race against the likes of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior, having found the net four times in the group stages. Mbappe was crucial to his nation lifting the trophy in 2018, bursting onto the scene as a teenager.
He then had an incredible tournament four years later in Qatar. Despite his side having to settle for second place, the 27-year-old fired in a hat-trick in the final, something only Sir Geoff Hurst has previously managed.
Kylian Mbappe Wearing Different Shirt to France Teammates
Kyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
That treble in the final against Argentina helped Mbappe to the Golden Boot in the 2022 World Cup. The versatile forward netted eight times in total, and was undeserving of being on the losing side.
He tends to step up on the big stage when his country needs him. Some eagle-eyed fans may have spotted a difference in the shirt Mbappe is wearing this summer compared to the rest of Didier Deschamps’ men.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane are all expected to finish among the top goalscorers in this summer’s tournament.
The reason for that is his Golden Boot victory in 2022. Any active player who has won the individual award at the World Cup is allowed to wear a special patch on the sleeve of their shirt.
England’s Harry Kane and Colombia’s James Rodriguez are the only other players at the tournament this summer allowed to wear the patch, after winning the 2018 and 2014 Golden Boots, respectively.
The award has never been won back-to-back in the competition’s history. But with France being among the strong favourites and expected to go far, there’s every chance their talisman can scoop the honour once again. After all, he’s only four goals away from being the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer.
Mbappe: Lionel Messi Still the Best
Reuters/Maria Lysaker
While Mbappe is hunting his old Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi down in the current Golden Boot race and the all-time scoring charts, he still concedes he has a lot to do to overtake the Argentine.
It was no surprise to Les Bleus’ number nine that Messi has continued to deliver on the big stage. He said (per ESPN): “I already knew Messi was going to keep scoring goals. He always does. He’s ahead of me and I’m behind him. I’ll keep scoring to help my national team go as far as possible.”
Following the greatest footballer of all time smashed a hat-trick against Algeria, Mbappe declared him still the best in the world. He claimed:
“It’s clear that Messi is the best in the world, and so is Cristiano [Ronaldo]. For 16 years, he [Messi] has shown his extraordinary talent. I’m just trying to do what I know how to do: show my talent on the biggest stage possible and help my national team.”
Newcastle United have lined up a deal to sign a midfielder this summer, as the Magpies face the possibility of losing some key players in the coming weeks.
A deal for the former seems the most likely, meaning Newcastle are on the market for replacements, and one target is now seemingly in the club’s sights.
Newcastle Add Felix Nmecha To Shortlist
According to a report from journalist Craig Hope, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha is on Newcastle’s shortlist as a transfer target for this summer.
The Magpies are described as “long-term admirers” of the 25-year-old, who has impressed in the Bundesliga as well as in the World Cup with Germany in recent weeks.
Nmecha has a release clause in his deal worth £73.5 million, though that doesn’t come into effect until next summer. That said, the report claims that there is hope a move can be negotiated for lower than that price.
There is likely to be some competition for Nmecha’s signature, as Manchester United have been linked with a transfer, along with fellow Premier League rivals Liverpool.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle can get an agreement with both Dortmund and the Germany international over a potential transfer in the coming weeks as a result.
Newcastle are facing a tough summer transfer window, with Anthony Gordon’s exit set to be just the first of a few key moves away from the club.
Given the struggles in the Premier League last season, the Magpies will be keen to not be in a weaker position next campaign when it comes to the options available.
However, it may be the sales that help ensure that is the case. Selling some important players in favour of huge transfer fees could allow it to be reinvested in a way that will add a better balance of quality across the whole squad.
Newcastle United are in the market for a striker, as one star looks set to leave the club this summer.
That, in theory, should allow the team to become stronger. But that will only happen if the right transfer replacements are found for the right price.
That was the theory in practice last summer, with Alexander Isak’s sale generating a club-record fee, but resulting in the wrong options being signed to take his place.
Newcastle cannot allow a repeat of that, especially in the midfield engine room, which has been among the key areas of strength under Howe.
Yan Diomande’s early coach Faissal Chehade explains why Liverpool could be the perfect fit, and why his ceiling may be Ballon d’Or level.
Chehade, who worked with Diomande at Leganés, reveals on Market Madness what stood out from the very beginning: the confidence, the one-v-one ability, the training-ground moments that made coaches take notice, and the mentality behind his rise from rejection across Europe to becoming one of the most talked-about young players in world football.
He also breaks down why Leipzig was the right step, why Liverpool could give Diomande the platform to become “the main man,” and why he believes the winger has the potential to reach the very top of the game.
Chapters:
0:09 — Yan Diomande’s First Coach Reveals the Talent
2:07 — The Training Goal That Made Everyone Stop
3:36 — Why Yan Diomande Was Rejected Across Europe
4:21 — Why Leipzig Was the Perfect Move for Diomande
4:55 — Why Liverpool Could Be Yan Diomande’s Perfect Fit
8:02 — Yan Diomande’s Ballon d’Or Ceiling Explained
