Top Players of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The quarter-final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has concluded, and the tournament has given football fans worldwide plenty to discuss. Despite the tournament being in the spotlight for political tensions off the field, only four teams remain in the race for the title on the field. Argentina, who won the World Cup in 2022 under Lionel Messi's leadership, have emerged as strong contenders to win the title again. France have also proven their dominance in this World Cup by maintaining a 100% win record through their aggressive play. Spain and England are also in the title race and have the potential to reach the final. The evaluation of the most impressive players among these teams has been done based on the average rating of 'WhoScored'.

30th to 21st place

Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal is in 30th place on this list. He has scored 4 goals and provided 1 assist in 6 games. Elijah Just of New Zealand is in 29th place. He scored 3 goals in the group stage, delivering an excellent performance for his team. Charles De Ketelaere played a significant role in taking Belgium to the quarter-finals. He scored two goals against the USA in the Round of 16 and one goal against Spain in the quarter-finals, securing a place in the top 30. Senegal's Iliman Ndiaye made an impact by scoring 1 goal and providing 2 assists, despite only getting 113 minutes of playing time. Spain's young star Lamine Yamal became one of the team's best players, even though he couldn't prepare well before the tournament due to a thigh injury. Similarly, Switzerland's Johan Manzambi became a rising star of this World Cup. He scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists in 4 games. Following his excellent performance, he is close to a lucrative transfer to Aston Villa. Egypt's goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir is one of the two goalkeepers to make it into the top 30. Although Ivory Coast were eliminated after losing to Norway, Amad Diallo delivered an excellent performance for the team. Belgium's Leandro Trossard consistently delivered excellent performances, helping his team reach the quarter-finals. Similarly, England captain Harry Kane, despite scoring 6 goals in 6 games, could not make it into the top 20. The responsibility of taking the team to the final in the semi-final against Argentina now rests on his shoulders.

Top 30 players based on statistics (30-21)

Rank-Player (Country) Rating

30 Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) 7.39

29 Elijah Just (New Zealand) 7.35

28 Charles De Ketelaere (Belgium) 7.35

27 Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal) 7.36

26 Lamine Yamal (Spain) 7.36

25 Johan Manzambi (Switzerland) 7.36

24 Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt) 7.38

23 Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) 7.41

22 Leandro Trossard (Belgium) 7.42

21 Harry Kane (England) 7.42

20th to 11th place

Although Uruguay were eliminated in the preliminary stage, Maxi Araújo delivered an impressive performance. Ismaïla Sarr of Senegal contributed significantly to taking the team to the Round of 32 by scoring 4 goals. Only 19-year-old Ousmane Diomande shone for Ivory Coast. He is preparing to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who have won the Champions League twice consecutively. His future teammate Achraf Hakimi also delivered an excellent performance for Morocco. Canadian midfielder Nathan Saliba established his identity at the international level through this World Cup. Although the Netherlands were defeated by Morocco in a penalty shootout, Cody Gakpo delivered an excellent performance, scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist in 4 games. France's Aurélien Tchouaméni played a significant role in the team's successful journey by controlling the midfield. Mexico's Roberto Alvarado and Julián Quiñones are in 13th and 12th place respectively. Quiñones scored 4 goals and provided 1 assist, helping host nation Mexico reach the Round of 16. Iran's goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand became the best goalkeeper of the tournament based on statistics.

Top 30 players based on statistics (20-11)

Rank-Player (Country) Rating

20 Maxi Araújo (Uruguay) 7.42

19 Ousmane Diomande (Ivory Coast) 7.43

18 Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) 7.46

17 Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal) 7.48

16 Nathan Saliba (Canada) 7.53

15 Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) 7.56

14 Aurélien Tchouaméni (France) 7.59

13 Roberto Alvarado (Mexico) 7.60

12 Julián Quiñones (Mexico) 7.64

11 Alireza Beiranvand (Iran) 7.66

Top 10 players

Argentina's center-back Lisandro Martínez has made a significant contribution to taking the team to the semi-finals with an excellent defensive performance. He also scored the decisive goal against Cape Verde in the Round of 32. Spain's Pedro Porro is in ninth place. Tottenham defender Porro has helped Spain concede only one goal throughout the tournament. He also scored a goal against Austria. France's winger Ousmane Dembélé showed his excellent ability by scoring a hat-trick in the first half of the 4-1 victory against Norway. Although Germany were eliminated from the Round of 16, Florian Wirtz secured a good position in the statistics by providing 3 assists in 4 games. Despite Brazil being eliminated by Norway in the Round of 16, Vinícius Júnior delivered an impressive performance, scoring 4 goals. France's Michael Olise has also been in excellent form throughout the tournament. England's Jude Bellingham has answered his critics with outstanding performances. He scored goals against Croatia and Panama in the group stage, and scored two goals against Mexico in the Round of 16 and two goals against Norway in the quarter-finals. Norway's Erling Haaland made his first World Cup memorable. He scored 7 goals in 5 games, including two goals against Brazil. France's Kylian Mbappé set a new record by surpassing Miroslav Klose, the second-highest goalscorer in World Cup history. He scored 8 goals in 6 games. Lionel Messi is at the top of the list. Even at the age of 39, he continues to shine as one of the best players in world football. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has scored 8 goals for Argentina so far and is moving towards achieving an immortal feat in world football next time.

Top 30 players based on statistics (10-1)

Rank-Player (Country) Rating

10 Lisandro Martínez (Argentina) 7.66

9 Pedro Porro (Spain) 7.71

8 Ousmane Dembélé (France) 7.73

7 Florian Wirtz (Germany) 7.73

6 Michael Olise (France) 7.84

5 Vinícius Júnior (Brazil) 7.90

4 Jude Bellingham (England) 7.96

3 Erling Haaland (Norway) 8.14

2 Kylian Mbappé (France) 8.36

1 Lionel Messi (Argentina) 9.15

(Statistics: WhoScored, as of July 12, 2026)