With just over a week to go until the 2026 World Cup gets under way in Mexico City, it’s time to ask: who are we excited to see play?
The tournament has been expanded to 48 teams for the first time ever, and with 26 names in every squad, a total of 1,248 players will be heading to the USA, Mexico and Canada. That’s too many for anyone to track, so Opta’s analysts and football experts have selected 26 players to watch.
This is not a list of the 26 best players, nor a list of unknown prospects. The only criterion is excitement.
Elliot Anderson (England)
Anderson had an excellent season in Nottingham Forest’s midfield, playing 3,334 Premier League minutes. Only five outfielders played more.
He is a tireless, technical midfielder known for ball-winning and constant movement. Only James Garner covered more distance, while Anderson won possession more times than anyone else in the league (306).
He topped possession won per 90 (8.3), making him one of the most active midfielders in England and a likely starter at the World Cup.
Donyell Malen (Netherlands)
Since his Serie A debut, Malen scored 14 goals in under 20 matches—second only to Harry Kane in Europe’s top five leagues during that period.
He became one of the most effective mid-season signings in Serie A history, surpassing even Mario Balotelli’s record.
Callum McCowatt (New Zealand)
McCowatt enjoyed his best season in Denmark with 11 goals and 5 assists for Silkeborg.
He is a ball-carrying winger with 41 shot involvements following carries of 5+ metres, making him a key attacking outlet for New Zealand.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Yamal became the first player under 20 in the 21st century to reach 10+ goals and 10+ assists in La Liga.
He scored 24 goals in all competitions and led Europe in dribbles (133 completed, 265 attempted).
He also created or shot after dribbles more than almost anyone in the world, confirming his status as Spain’s main attacking star.
Willian Pacho (Ecuador)
Pacho played every minute of PSG’s Champions League-winning campaign and helped Ecuador concede just five goals in qualifying.
He ranked among the top defenders in blocks, clearances, and touches, anchoring one of CONMEBOL’s best defensive teams.
Mousa Al Tamari (Jordan)
Jordan’s key attacker won more penalties than anyone in Ligue 1 (4) and led the league in final-third recoveries (33).
He combines relentless pressing with creativity, contributing 6 open-play assists.
Lamine Camara (Senegal)
Camara is a dynamic midfielder with strong defensive output (7.7 recoveries per match) and excellent press resistance.
He is expected to attract Premier League interest after the World Cup.
Besfort Zeneli (Sweden)
Zeneli impressed in Sweden with 76 chances created and 176 possession recoveries in a single season.
Now at Union Saint-Gilloise, he ranks among the top midfielders in expected assists per 90 minutes.
Ricardo Pepi (USA)
Pepi averages a goal every 75 minutes for PSV—the best scoring rate in the club’s history.
He also scored 6 Champions League goals in just 442 minutes, making him a potential key striker for the USA.
Aleksandar Pavlovic (Germany)
Pavlovic averaged 100+ touches per 90 minutes for Bayern Munich, among the highest in Europe.
He also posted a 95%+ pass completion rate in the Champions League, marking him as Germany’s midfield control hub.
Luiz Henrique (Brazil)
He averages a dribble every 27 minutes for Brazil and has 5 goal involvements in 14 caps.
His dribbling and creativity draw comparisons to Brazilian legends like Garrincha.
Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)
At 19, Diomande recorded 12 goals and 8 assists in the Bundesliga.
He attempted 213 dribbles with a 55% success rate, making him one of Europe’s most dangerous young attackers.
Vitinha (Portugal)
Vitinha completed over 5,200 passes this season and led Europe in total passes completed.
He also ranked among the top players for possession recoveries, making him central to Portugal’s midfield control.
Luka Vuskovic (Croatia)
Vuskovic was key for Hamburg, helping improve their win rate significantly when he played.
He led Bundesliga centre-backs in aerial duel success (74.5%) and scored 6 goals despite being a defender.
Michael Olise (France)
Olise recorded 22 goals and 26 assists—no other player in Europe matched 20+ in both categories.
He also created more chances than almost anyone in Europe and is now a key France attacker.
Ayase Ueda (Japan)
Ueda scored 25 league goals, becoming top scorer in the Eredivisie.
Nine of those came via headers, showing his elite aerial ability.
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Yirenkyi led his league in possession wins (205) and maintained high pass accuracy under pressure (89.7%).
He combines defensive work rate with calm distribution.
Stepán Chaloupek (Czechia)
Chaloupek averaged 11.5 defensive actions per 90 and ranked among Europe’s top centre-backs in interceptions.
He also contributed significantly to attacking build-up and scored 8 non-penalty goals.
Armando González (Mexico)
González scored 24 goals in 35 games, the best scoring rate for a Mexican player in over a decade.
He also led Liga MX in shot accuracy and xG involvement.
Ibrahim Maza (Algeria)
Maza averaged 2.3 dribbles per 90 and covered more distance than almost any Leverkusen midfielder.
He also led his team in duels and attacking involvement.
Arda Güler (Türkiye)
Güler led Real Madrid in assists (9) and created 70 chances in La Liga.
He also ranked among Europe’s best for line-breaking passes and is a key figure for Türkiye.
Johan Manzambi (Switzerland)
Manzambi led Freiburg in duels won and progressive carries.
He was also one of the most fouled players in Europe, highlighting his attacking threat.
Ismael Saibari (Morocco)
Saibari has 26 goals and 19 assists across two Eredivisie seasons.
He averages over 4 shots per 90 and is among Europe’s most dangerous attacking midfielders.
Marko Arnautovic (Austria)
Arnautovic is Austria’s all-time top scorer and appearance leader.
He remains a reliable scorer, outperforming his expected goals in World Cup qualifying.
Patrick Berg (Norway)
Berg has evolved into a key midfielder for Bodø/Glimt and Norway.
He has improved his attacking output while maintaining strong defensive and passing contributions.
Nico Paz (Argentina)
Paz scored 12 goals and provided 6 assists in Serie A.
He also ranks highly for pressing and possession wins in advanced areas.
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