The best players in the world will be on display this summer at the 2026 World Cup. So, let\u2019s rank them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ahead of the world’s premier sporting event, our experts ranked the 100 best stars who will likely feature at this summer\u2019s World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n
This week we’re releasing Nos. 50-26, and there are some serious star players making their appearances. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo \u2014 who is expected to play in his sixth World Cup \u2014 joins the list, as do Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne\u00a0and Croatia’s Luka Modri\u0107. Where do these legends land and which young stars beat them out on the countdown?
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without further ado, let\u2019s get into it!<\/p>\n
100.<\/p>\n
Pervis Estupin\u0303a\u0301n | Defender | Ecuador<\/p>\n
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 28 Estupin\u0303a\u0301n thrived in the Premier League for three seasons with Brighton before making a move to AC Milan last summer. He is one of the impressive talents that make Ecuador a potential sleeper this summer.<\/p>\n 99.<\/p>\n Alexander Isak | Forward | Sweden<\/p>\n (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 29 Kim won Serie A with Napoli in 2023 before making a big move to Bayern Munich. He hasn\u2019t established himself as a first-choice player for the German giants, but he will be a pillar in the Korean defense this summer.<\/p>\n “When we redo this, maybe at the end of the tournament, and we look back, we might say, \u2018I can\u2019t believe we had Kim only at 98,\u2019 when he comes out as one of the great center backs of the tournament.” \u2014 Alexi Lalas, FOX Sports Analyst<\/p>\n 97.<\/p>\n Bradley Barcola | Forward | France<\/p>\n (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 28 Marti\u0301nez would start at center back for most teams in this tournament, but he\u2019s likely going to start as the third option behind Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi, who started during Argentina\u2019s winning run in 2022. He can fill in at left back, as well, and will play a role somehow for the reigning champions.<\/p>\n 95.<\/p>\n Phil Foden | Forward | England<\/p>\n (Photo by Michael Regan – The FA\/The FA via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 28 Mitoma is an exciting winger who broke out two years ago for Brighton. He scored the winning goal for Japan back on March 31 in a friendly against England and will be the key player in attack for his country this summer.<\/p>\n Editor’s note: Mitoma will miss the World Cup due to a hamstring injury on May 9.<\/i><\/p>\n 93.<\/p>\n Marcus Thuram | Forward | France<\/p>\n (Photo by Antonio Borga\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 29 A winger by trade for Real Sociedad, Oyarzabal has stepped up as a striker for the national team in the past. The best example was in the Euro 2024 final, when he scored the winning goal for Spain against England.<\/p>\n “Just an absolute baller. I think he should be so much higher than 92. He\u2019s so underrated. He\u2019s 29 years old, and he\u2019s played in six finals in his career. Do you know in how many of those finals he has scored? All six. He\u2019s scored in every final that he has played in.” \u2014 Stu Holden, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 91.<\/p>\n Gonc\u0327alo Ramos | Forward | Portugal<\/p>\n (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 34 Jime\u0301nez is a fixture in the Fulham starting lineup and will be the main man for Mexico this summer. With 44 goals for El Tri, he\u2019s two goals behind former striker Jared Borgetti for second most all time.<\/p>\n “The pressure that\u2019s going to be on his shoulders will be incredibly heavy.” \u2014 Maurice Edu, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 89.<\/p>\n Kenan Y\u0131ld\u0131z | Forward | T\u00fcrkiye<\/p>\n (Photo by Hakan Akgun\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 27 Eze made a huge move to Arsenal last summer and immediately became a big part of Mikel Arteta’s squad. He normally plays an attacking role, but he could push for the spot in England’s midfield that is usually occupied by Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.<\/p>\n 87.<\/p>\n Mikel Merino | Midfielder | Spain<\/p>\n (Photo by Diego Souto\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 34 Casemiro is a four-time Champions League winner at Real Madrid, but he hasn\u2019t maintained his high level of quality since moving to Manchester United in 2022. His former Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is now in charge of Brazil and brought the midfielder back to the national team last year.<\/p>\n “Have you watched Casemiro this season? He\u2019s having a renaissance. He\u2019s been flying. Brazil is going to need him with some of the injuries they\u2019re picking up now.” \u2014 Stu Holden, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 85.<\/p>\n Fabia\u0301n Ruiz | Midfielder | Spain<\/p>\n (Photo by Fran Santiago – UEFA\/UEFA via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 25 Gue\u0301hi was the captain for Crystal Palace last summer when the South London club won the FA Cup. He moved to Manchester City earlier this year and has immediately become a fixture in the reigning Premier League champion\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n 83.<\/p>\n Jeremie Frimpong | Defender | Netherlands<\/p>\n (Photo by Rico Brouwer\/Soccrates\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 26 James will be an important player for England this summer with versatility to play either right back or midfield. Staying healthy has been James\u2019 problem at Chelsea, although he has played in more than two dozen games in the Premier League this season.<\/p>\n 81.<\/p>\n Son Heung-min | Forward | South Korea<\/p>\n (Photo by Marc Atkins\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 27 Kounde\u0301 will likely start at right back for the French, who are among the favorites this summer. He has made at least 40 appearances in each of the last four seasons for Barcelona.<\/p>\n 79.<\/p>\n Christian Pulisic | Forward | United States<\/p>\n (Photo by Robin Alam\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 21 G\u00fcler is finishing up his third season at Real Madrid and has emerged as a key player in the squad. He will be the main man for T\u00fcrkiye for years to come, starting with this summer\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n “[G\u00fcler] and Kenan Y\u0131ld\u0131z are going to play a big part for T\u00fcrkiye in this World Cup. Playing at Real Madrid, there\u2019s a certain level of not just quality that you need to have, but personality \u2014 being able to handle the weight of that shirt. And now, when you put on that T\u00fcrkiye jersey as well, we\u2019ve seen him deliver. At such a young age, we have seen him take that responsibility.” \u2014 Maurice Edu, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 77.<\/p>\n Viktor Gy\u00f6keres | Forward | Sweden<\/p>\n (Photo by Sebastian Frej\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 27 Olmo emerged as a key player for Spain at Euro 2024. He scored three goals \u2014 finishing in a six-way tie for the Golden Boot \u2014 including one in the quarterfinal and semifinal against Germany and France, respectively.<\/p>\n 75.<\/p>\n Joa\u0303o Cancelo | Defender | Portugal<\/p>\n (Photo by Agustin Cuevas\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 24 Martinelli will be a key player for Brazil this summer. He has struggled to establish a starting spot on the left wing because of Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior and Rodrygo, but his pace means he will be a key contributor this summer. He only has one Premier League goal for Arsenal this season, so he isn\u2019t in the best form right now.<\/p>\n 73.<\/p>\n Weston McKennie | Midfielder | United States<\/p>\n (Photo by Shaun Clark\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 27 Mac Allister will be a key presence in the Argentina midfield this summer, as he was in 2022 en route to World Cup glory. Since then, he moved to Liverpool and won the Premier League last season. Mac Allister is capable of popping up and scoring a huge goal while also dictating the game on the ball. He\u2019s one of the best center midfielders in the world.<\/p>\n “If it\u2019s one game in a World Cup to win, I want that guy on my team. He\u2019s a World Cup winner, a Premier League winner. He\u2019s a gamer. He can flick the light switch and be a baller.” \u2014 Stu Holden, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 71.<\/p>\n Rafael Lea\u0303o | Forward | Portugal<\/p>\n (Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 28 Sarr played all 38 games in the Premier League for Crystal Palace last season, during which the South London club also won the FA Cup. Sarr has made 83 appearances for Senegal and will be one of the go-to guys for his country this summer, alongside teammate Sadio Man\u00e9.<\/p>\n 69.<\/p>\n Mike Maignan | Goalkeeper | France<\/p>\n Photo by Andrew Katsampes\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 24 Brazil has been looking for a definitive No. 9 in its lineup for years, and Pedro might be the answer. After two impressive seasons at Brighton, he has 14 Premier League goals for Chelsea this season. He\u2019ll likely be the focal point of Brazil\u2019s attack this summer, which puts a lot on his shoulders for the perennial contender.<\/p>\n “He\u2019s a guy that\u2019s very dynamic on the ball. He can run in behind, he likes to drop underneath and hold the ball up. You have someone that needs to say, \u2018I\u2019m going to be that guy that scores goals for Brazil,\u2019 and I think Jo\u00e3o Pedro has the ability to do that.” \u2014 Stu Holden, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 67.<\/p>\n William Saliba | Defender | France<\/p>\n (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 31 At 31 years old, Marquinhos has already played 104 times for his country. He has been widely considered one of the best defenders in the world for the past decade, having played more than 500 games for PSG since arriving in 2013. The 31-year-old is still playing at a high level and will be wearing the captain\u2019s armband for Brazil this summer.<\/p>\n “Marquinhos is going to have to be big with the injury to Milit\u00e3o.” \u2014 Alexi Lalas, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 65.<\/p>\n Pau Cubarsi\u0301 | Defender | Spain<\/p>\n (Photo by Diego Souto\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 33 Part of what makes Alisson one of the best goalkeepers in the world is his ability with his feet. He may be the best passer at his position in world soccer. His problem in past years has been staying on the pitch, as he\u2019s missed at least 10 Premier League games in each of the last three seasons. When he\u2019s between the posts, though, he\u2019s still one of the world\u2019s best for both club and country.\u00a0<\/p>\n 63.<\/p>\n Ibrahima Konate\u0301 | Defender | France<\/p>\n (Photo by Stephen Nadler\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 24 Gvardiol is the most expensive defender in soccer history, having cost Manchester City $105 million back in 2023. He has been injured for much of this season, but he\u2019s one of the best passing defenders in the world. While Luka Modri\u0107 runs the Croatian midfield, Gvardiol will command the defense.<\/p>\n 61.<\/p>\n Cody Gakpo | Forward | Netherlands<\/p>\n (Photo by Stefan Koops\/EYE4IMAGES\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 22 Lo\u0301pez is the perfect example of the impressive depth that Spain has in midfield. He has made more than 120 appearances for Barcelona over the past three seasons, but he might not come close to cracking the starting lineup. Lo\u0301pez is more than capable of scoring and creating goals and will be a key player for Spain this summer, regardless of whether he starts games.<\/p>\n 59.<\/p>\n Mohamed Salah | Forward | Egypt<\/p>\n (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT \/ AFP) (Photo by ABDEL MAJID BZIOUAT\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 23 Gravenberch moved to Liverpool in 2023 after an uneventful season at Bayern Munich, and he has established himself as an elite defensive midfielder. He was a key player last season when Liverpool won the Premier League and has remained a fixture in the Reds\u2019 midfield.<\/p>\n 57.<\/p>\n Scott McTominay | Midfielder | Scotland<\/p>\n (Photo by Alan Harvey\/SNS Group via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 24 Pacho broke out last season for PSG, cementing his spot in the middle of the French champions\u2019 defense. From there, he starred en route to Champions League glory. He\u2019ll partner Arsenal\u2019s Piero Hincap\u00ede in the middle of Ecuador\u2019s back four, which on paper might be one of the stronger units in the field.<\/p>\n “Ecuador is my dark horse, and they\u2019re going to make a run in this tournament built off being strong defensively. William Pacho being at center back plays a massive role in that equation.” \u2014 Maurice Edu, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 55.<\/p>\n Martin \u00d8degaard | Midfielder | Norway<\/p>\n (Photo by Adam Escada\/Eurasia Sport Images\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 25 Ferna\u0301ndez broke out during Argentina\u2019s run to World Cup glory in 2022 and made a move to Chelsea one month after lifting the trophy. He\u2019s an all-action midfielder who can cover every blade of grass and is capable of popping up with a big goal when necessary. He\u2019ll be the key man in Argentina\u2019s midfield this summer.<\/p>\n 53.<\/p>\n Nico Williams | Forward | Spain<\/p>\n (Photo by Ahmad Mora – UEFA via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 27 When Rodri got hurt in the first half of the Euro 2024 final against England, Zubimendi stepped in at halftime and helped lead Spain to victory. If healthy, Rodri is likely to start over Zubimendi, but the Arsenal midfielder provides plenty of stability off the bench when necessary.<\/p>\n “When I see him for Spain, I see a freer version of Zubimendi, and I think that\u2019s where he is a little bit better because he can get around the field a little bit more. He can read the spaces, and there are different types of combinations and a little bit more free-flowing attacking play. I think we see a better version of him with Spain than we do at Arsenal.” \u2014 Stu Holden, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n “This summer, based on the health, the fitness and the form of Rodri, he will have a significant role to play for Spain. I still look at Zubimendi \u2014 he\u2019s a top player. Quality on the ball, quality in the way that he sees the game. He\u2019s just got to get back to being at his very best.” \u2014 Maurice Edu, FOX Sports analyst<\/p>\n 51.<\/p>\n Sadio Mane\u0301 | Forward | Senegal<\/p>\n (Photo by PATRICK MEINHARDT\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n Age<\/strong>: 27 While players have come and gone at Chelsea over the past few years, Cucurella has been one constant presence. He\u2019ll enter the World Cup having played more than 100 games over the past two seasons for the Blues, all since starting for Spain en route to the Euro 2024 crown two years ago.<\/p>\n The 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/u> will run from June 11\u2013July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches<\/u> will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One<\/u> and the FOX Sports <\/u>app. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).<\/p>\n The opening match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi<\/u>, as well as the USA’s opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).\u00a0<\/p>\n Watch FIFA World Cup 2026:<\/u><\/i> All 104 games on <\/i>FOX One<\/u><\/i>. Start your free trial today.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" POPULAR SEARCHES BROWSE BY The best players in the world will be on display this summer at the 2026 World Cup. So, let\u2019s rank them.\u00a0 Ahead of the world’s premier sporting event, our experts ranked the 100 best stars who will likely feature at this summer\u2019s World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
National team appearances<\/strong>: 52
Club team<\/strong>: AC Milan (Italy)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 77
Club team<\/strong>: Bayern Munich (Germany)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 26
Club team<\/strong>: Manchester United (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 31
Club team<\/strong>: Brighton (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 52
Club team<\/strong>: Real Sociedad (Spain)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 125
Club team<\/strong>: Fulham (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 16
Club team<\/strong>: Arsenal (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 84
Club team<\/strong>: Manchester United (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 27
Club team<\/strong>: Manchester City (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 22
Club team<\/strong>: Chelsea (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 46
Club team<\/strong>: Barcelona (Spain)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 28
Club team<\/strong>: Real Madrid (Spain)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 48
Club team<\/strong>: Barcelona (Spain)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 22
Club team<\/strong>: Arsenal (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 44
Club team<\/strong>: Liverpool (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 82
Club team<\/strong>: Crystal Palace (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 8
Club team<\/strong>: Chelsea (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 104
Club team<\/strong>: Paris Saint-Germain (France)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 76
Club team<\/strong>: Liverpool (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 46
Club team<\/strong>: Manchester City (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 7
Club team<\/strong>: Barcelona (Spain)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 25
Club team<\/strong>: Liverpool (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 34
Club team<\/strong>: Paris Saint-Germain (France)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 40
Club team<\/strong>: Chelsea (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 25
Club team<\/strong>: Arsenal (England)<\/p>\n
National team appearances<\/strong>: 23
Club team<\/strong>: Chelsea (England)<\/p>\n