After years of qualifiers, drama, and speculation, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally set to begin on Thursday, with Mexico hosting South Africa at the legendary Estadio Azteca.
Over a 1,000 players will step onto the field for the largest edition of the World Cup in history, and there are stars featured across the board in the three host nations of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Before the curtains draw to an open, here are my top 10 players heading into the tournament of all tournaments.
Lionel Messi of Argentina
While there are several players competing at higher levels than Messi currently is in the MLS, I can’t keep the reigning hero of the World Cup out of my top 10. No matter his form in the MLS, Messi transforms Argentina every time he puts on the blue and white stripes. There is no player like Messi at the World Cup, regardless of how many nations try to recreate the living legend.
Pedri is a special player that for most countries would be considered a once-in-a-generation talent. He was named the Young Player of the Tournament at the Euros in 2020 and was seen as the future ace of Barcelona. While a kid named Lamine Yamal might have pushed Pedri into a second-in-command role, the electric young midfielder is still one of the top talents in North America this summer.
This is the tournament for the Real Madrid superstar. After being a strong secondary option in past tournaments off on the wing, the Brazilian team will need to lean on Vinícius if they want to make a deep run in the World Cup. Like Ronaldo in 2002 or Romário back in 1994 when the tournament was last held in the United States, Vinícius needs to be the hero to break the drought for the winningest nation in World Cup history.
Vitinha of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates scoring his team’s fifth goal and his hat-trick goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur
, Paris Saint-Germain)
In a heavily offensive-focused pack of players, we have Vitinha, the maestro of the best team in Europe for back-to-back seasons. A half-decade ago, the young player was at Wolverhampton in the Premier League, and now has grown into one of the brightest tempo setters in the entire sport. While he can contribute in the attack, his true strength comes in patrolling the defensive end and being one of the toughest players to dispose from on the planet.
(France, Paris Saint-Germain)
The reigning Ballon d’Or holder as the best player in the world, Dembélé has a chance to win his second depending on how France does at the tournament. Like Vitinha, Dembélé has experienced nothing but joy the past two campaigns with PSG, most recently winning the Champions League again over Arsenal in penalties.
What can we expect from Haaland at the World Cup? If he plays as he normally does with Norway, then we might see him explode with seven or eight goals this tournament like the monster Haaland is. But after an up-and-down domestic season with Manchester City, there are some doubts about the 6-foot-5 machine-like striker heading into the biggest tournament of his life. While players in front of him had stronger domestic campaigns, I believe in Haaland’s talent to shine this summer.
Harry Kane of England celebrates after the team’s victory in the UEFA EURO 2024 semi-final match between Netherlands and England at Football Stadium Dortmund
)
The other undeniable striker in this ranking, Kane gets the nod over Haaland for having a better domestic campaign and, truthfully, being the better all-around player. When it comes to purely scoring goals and breaking down defenses, Haaland might have the edge, but Kane does a little bit of everything while also being an unstoppable scorer. If England wants to win their first World Cup in 60 years, Kane will need to be the best player in this tournament.
(France, Real Madrid)
It feels weird ranking the guy who has led France to back-to-back World Cup Finals and scored a hat-trick in the last one, but here we are. No one will doubt Mbappé’s raw talent and ability to turn a lost game into a win at the snap of his fingers, but what is his mindset heading into this World Cup? PSG fans are angry with him, national team fans are wondering about his commitment, and the pressure to make it back to the World Cup Finals is immense. Can he carry that burden?
(France, Bayern Munich)
And if Mbappé can’t, can Olise? No player has seen his stock grow these past two years than the former Crystal Palace player, who is the reigning Bundesliga Player of the Year following his tyrannical performances this most recent campaign. Olise is coming off a hat trick in France’s final tune-up before the tournament, and there might not be anyone more fun to watch with the ball at his feet right now than the 25-year-old forward.
Barcelona celebrates scoring his team’s third goal and completing his hat-trick during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF
Yamal doesn’t turn 19 until near the end of the World Cup tournament. If he makes it all the way to the World Cup Final in New Jersey, not only will he have the greatest 19th birthday party ever, but he might be on the verge of cementing himself as the true No. 1 in the sport. The Barcelona ace ended up second in the Ballon d’Or race last year, but a win at the World Cup could put him above all of his rivals for the award. Yamal is limitless; right when you think you can put a cap on what the teenager can do, he somehow surpasses it.
No will ever be the next Cristiano Ronaldo. No one will ever be the next Lional Messi.
But Lamine Yamal is starting to build a legacy that is all his own, and North America could be the stage where a kid turns into a folk hero.
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