The 17 Best Players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Seasoned captains and teenage breakout stars shared the same stage this summer, from golden-boot chases to a final decided in extra time. Who was the tournament's true standout?

1. 1
   Kylian Mbappe

   France striker who won the adidas Golden Boot with 10 goals, becoming back-to-back top scorer.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Ousmane Dembele

   France forward who scored a group-stage hat-trick and added more goals through the knockouts.
   551pts
3. 3
   Lionel Messi

   Argentina's captain who scored 8 goals and led his side to the 2026 final at age 39.
   494pts
4. 4
   Unai Simon

   Spain's goalkeeper who won the Golden Glove with seven clean sheets.
   494pts
5. 5
   Marc Cucurella

   Spain's attacking left-back who earned a place in most pundits' Team of the Tournament.
   494pts
6. 6
   Harry Kane

   England captain and striker who scored 6 goals during the tournament.
   494pts
7. 7
   Ferran Torres

   Spain forward whose extra-time substitute goal won the 2026 World Cup final.
   428pts
8. 8
   Pedro Porro

   Spain's marauding right wing-back who was one of the tournament's standout defenders.
   428pts
9. 9
   Enzo Fernandez

   Argentina's box-to-box midfielder who anchored the run to the final alongside Messi.
   350pts
10. 10
    Rodri

    Spain's midfield anchor who won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best overall player.
    350pts
11. 11
    Lamine Yamal

    Spain's teenage winger widely rated the tournament's most dangerous dribbler.
    257pts
12. 12
    Denis Undav

    Germany forward who emerged as a surprise Golden Boot contender during the tournament.
    257pts
13. 13
    Cristiano Ronaldo

    Portugal's veteran forward who scored 3 goals in his record-setting final World Cup appearance.
    257pts
14. 14
    Erling Haaland

    Norway's striker who scored 7 goals in his first-ever World Cup appearance.
    257pts
15. 15
    Pedri

    Spain's composed deep-lying playmaker who controlled tempo throughout the run to the title.
    257pts
16. 16
    Jude Bellingham

    England midfielder who scored 7 goals, including in the third-place playoff.
    143pts
17. 17
    Pau Cubarsi

    Spain's 19-year-old defender who won the Young Player of the Tournament award.
    143pts