30 and over
Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
- Full name: Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes
- Age: 31
- Preferred playing position: Attacking midfielder
- World Cup appearances: Three (2018, 2022, 2026)
Fernandes has been one of his clubâs top players in the past five years.
Bruno Fernandes has done well at the 2026 World Cup following a sterling 2025â26 Premier League season with the English club Manchester United, during which he broke the leagueâs all-time record for most assists in a season. He has also been one of the top players for Manchester United since joining the club in the 2019â20 season, setting a club record for most chances created in a calendar year (120) in 2023. He has also won the Matt Busby Player of the Year award for the club four times. Fernandesâs guile and creativity were on full display during an international friendly match against the United States in March 2026. He supplied both assists while wearing the captainâs armband as Portugal won 2â0. Portugal depended on him to manage complex plays, deliver quality set pieces and final passes, and marshal the teamâs attacks. Fernandes played a prominent part in helping his team reach the knockout stage, where it was eliminated in the round of 16 after a loss against Spain.
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi
- Age: 38
- Preferred playing position: Forward
- World Cup appearances: Six (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Fifth time was the charm for Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who led the national team to the 2022 World Cup title following four earlier failed campaigns. Messi is also the first male player to receive the World Cupâs Golden Ball twice, in 2014 and 2022. Playing in the tournament for a record sixth time, he extended his tournament appearance record and became the first player to captain a national team in three World Cup finals. Messi got off to a flying start in the 2026 tournament, scoring a hat trick in Argentinaâs opening match, against Algeria, equaling (and later surpassing) German footballer Miroslav Kloseâs record as the top scorer at World Cups (16 goals). Messi also became the oldest player to score a hat trick in the tournament. He is now second on the tournamentâs all-time leading goal scoring chart with 21 goals, behind Franceâs Kylian MbappĂ©. The Argentine team received the best of his leadership, inspiration, and moments of Messi magic at the 2026 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
- Age: 41
- Preferred playing position: Forward
- World Cup appearances: Six (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a hugely successful career across international and club football, yet the gameâs biggest trophy has remained out of reach. Ronaldo is the winner of five Ballon dâOr awards (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017), and in 2024 he became the first menâs player to score 900 career goals in official matches. In 2016 Ronaldo helped Portugal win the European Championship. At the 2018 World Cup he scored four goals in four games as Portugal advanced to the knockout round. He helped his national team win the UEFA Nations League against Spain in 2024. He is playing in a record sixth World Cup this summer and is looking to close in on 1,000 career goals, but it will take a miracle for his team to become the ninth country to win the tournament. Ronaldo became the first man to score in six separate World Cups, adding two goals to his tally in a group-stage match against Uzbekistan. Portugal benefited from Ronaldoâs vast experience and attacking hunger during the tournament, and his team advanced to the round of 16 where it was eliminated by Spain in what is almost certainly Ronaldoâs last World Cup.
Luka ModriÄ (Croatia)
- Age: 40
- Preferred playing position: Midfielder
- World Cup appearances: Five (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Luka ModriÄ is considered one of the greatest midfielders as well as one of the top Croatian footballers of all time. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, ModriÄ captained his national team to the final, beating Denmark, Russia, and England in the knockouts before suffering a 4â2 loss in the final to France. He won the Golden Ball award for best player of the tournament. He also won the Ballon dâOr in 2018 while playing for Spanish club Real Madrid; since 2025 he has played for the Italian team AC Milan. ModriÄ also helped Croatia finish third in the 2022 World Cup, winning the Bronze Ball for the tournamentâs third-best player. He was chosen as part of the Croatian squad in what is likely to be his final World Cup, and has guided and mentored the younger players in the squad as the team advanced to the knockout round. His team was eliminated in the round of 32 following a 2â1 loss against Portugal.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
- Full name: Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly
- Age: 34
- Preferred playing position: Winger
- World Cup appearances: Two (2018, 2026)
Mohamed Salah headed to the 2026 World Cup while going through a major career transition. In March the talismanic Liverpool FC forward announced his departure from the club with which he had won two Premier League titles (2019â20 and 2024â25) and the UEFA Champions League (2018â19). He was named 2017 African Footballer of the Year and the Premier Leagueâs player of the season in 2017â18 after scoring 32 goals in a single season as a forward for Liverpool FC. Salah has also won the Premier Leagueâs Golden Boot award for the seasonâs top scorer multiple times. He is a driving force on the Egyptian national team and its main scorer, creator, and senior leader. He helped the national team qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, marking the first time since 1990 that it had advanced to the main tournament. In September 2019 he was appointed the captain of the Egyptian national team. During the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Salah scored nine goals in nine matches, which included two goals scored during Egyptâs 3â0 win against Djibouti, which sealed its qualification for the main tournament. He helped his team reach the round of 16 at the 2026 tournament, where it lost against Argentina.
Harry Kane (England)
- Full name: Harry Edward Kane
- Age: 32
- Preferred playing position: Center forward
- World Cup appearances: Three (2018, 2022, 2026)
Harry Kane has become Englandâs top goal-scorer in World Cups and remains the teamâs main attacking threat. At the 2026 tournament group stage he scored a brace (two goals) in Englandâs 4â2 victory against Croatia, and scored another goal against Panama. During the knockout stage, he scored both goals during his teamâs 2â1 win against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32. He also scored a crucial penalty in the round of 16 match against Mexico to help England win 3â2 and advance to the quarterfinals. He is also Englandâs most prolific international goal scorer of all time. The forward has emerged as one of the teamâs most important players, and he is looking to make amends for the unfortunate penalty miss that ultimately led to England getting knocked out by France in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup. Kane scored in every qualification game for the Euro 2020 tournament, including hat tricks against Bulgaria and Montenegro. In the main event, held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he scored four goals in the knockout stages and led England, the tournamentâs host, to the final, which it lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out. Having achieved considerable success at the club level with Bayern Munich in Germany, English supporters expect him to lead the line, finish high-value chances, and provide leadership and direction. The 2026 tournament was also realistically his last chance to help the national team end its World Cup drought, which has now lasted 60 years.
Neymar (Brazil)
- Full name: Neymar da Silva Santos, Jr.
- Age: 34
- Preferred playing position: Forward
- World Cup appearances: Four (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Having not played for Brazil since 2023, Neymar was a surprise inclusion in the countryâs 2026 FIFA World Cup squad. The decision to include him appears to rest partly on the belief that Brazil needs his experience to guide a young and mercurial squad to a record sixth World Cup title. However, given his extensive history of injuries, the question of Neymarâs match fitness was at the front of everyoneâs mind. The player, who was nursing a calf injury before the tournament began, had only made eight appearances for his current club, Santos, this season, which added to the uncertainty surrounding his selection. Known for his dribbling, creativity, and scoring from both open play and set pieces, Neymar has played for Brazil at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups. He has scored 79 goals in 128 international appearances to surpass his compatriot and football legend PelĂ©âs record (77 goals) and become the leading goal scorer in menâs football for Brazil. He announced his retirement from international football after Brazil was knocked out of the 2026 tournament by Norway in the round of 16.
Sadio Mané (Senegal)
- Age: 34
- Preferred playing position: Winger
- World Cup appearances: Two (2018, 2026)
ManĂ© has scored the fastest hat trick in the English Premier Leagueâs history.
Sadio ManĂ© may not be quite as fast as he was during the peak of his career, but his importance to Senegalâs World Cup squad cannot be underestimated. He helped his team reach the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, where it was eliminated because of a 3â2 loss against Belgium. At the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the striker surpassed the record held by CĂŽte dâIvoireâs Kolo TourĂ© for most appearances as a starting player in the tournament (28). ManĂ©âs 29th appearance came in the controversy-riddled AFCON 2025 final. He won the 2022 African Player of the Year award after helping Senegal win its first Africa Cup of Nations title that year. The decision of the ConfĂ©dĂ©ration Africaine de Football (the governing body of international football in Africa) to retroactively award the 2025 title to Morocco months after the match was played almost certainly still rankles for the Senegal team.
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
- Full name: Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois
- Age: 34
- Preferred playing position: Goalkeeper
- World Cup appearances: Four (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Courtois won the 2018 World Cup Golden Glove.
Thibaut Courtois has had a long, successful career and remains one of the worldâs best goalkeepers. Known for his reach, reflexes, and big-match shot stopping, he was part of the Belgium teams for the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups and helped the national team finish third in 2018. Supporters are hoping for Belgium to put its underwhelming showing at the 2022 edition, in which it was knocked out in the group stage, behind it. The team, which has advanced to the quarterfinals where it was eliminated by Spain, relied heavily on Courtoisâs World Cup experience, leadership from goal, and history of delivering crucial performances in knockout matches.
Emiliano MartĂnez (Argentina)
- Full name: DamiĂĄn Emiliano MartĂnez Romero
- Age: 33
- Preferred playing position: Goalkeeper
- World Cup appearances: Two (2022, 2026)
MartĂnez won the Golden Glove at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Emiliano MartĂnezâs penalty shoot-out heroics during the 2022 tournament played a prominent role in Argentina winning its third World Cup, and for his efforts he was awarded the Golden Glove for the tournamentâs best goalkeeper. Since then he has gone from strength to strength and solidified his reputation as a shot stopper who strikes fear into the hearts of opposing teams. The national team has been reliant on him to maintain his high standards and shot-stopping ability this time around. In 2024 MartĂnez remarked that he would retire from international football if Argentina won back-to-back titles.
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
- Age: 34
- Preferred playing position: Center back
- World Cup appearances: Two (2022, 2026)
Van Dijk was named UEFA Menâs Player of the Year for the 2018â19 season.
Virgil van Dijk is one of the best center backs in the world. His aerial strength, defensive reading, and excellent leadership during matches mean that he remains one of the mainstays of the Dutch national team. He wore the captainâs armband at the 2022 World Cup, in which the Netherlands was knocked out by eventual champions Argentina in a tense penalty shoot-out. Although van Dijk has seen considerable success at the club level with Liverpool FC, he has yet to win an international competition and was part of the Netherlands team that was eliminated on penalties in the round of 32 at the 2026 edition.
Son Heung-Min (South Korea)
- Age: 33
- Preferred playing position: Forward
- World Cup appearances: Four (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Son won the 2020 FIFA PuskĂĄs Award for best goal of the season.
Contrary to expectations, Son Heung-Min had an indifferent 2026 World Cup, scoring no goals and being dropped from the starting 11 for his teamâs last group-stage match. His campaign was cut short after South Korea was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the group stage. Son is the first Asian player to both score more than 100 goals in the English Premier League and win the Golden Boot for the seasonâs top scorer, (2021â22). He played at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups, scored South Koreaâs second goal in its famous 2â0 win over Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and provided the assist for teammate Hwang Hee-chanâs stoppage-time winner against Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, which helped South Korea reach the knockout stage in Qatar four years ago. The forwardâs speed, two-footed finishing, and counterattacking threat make him a dangerous player for opposing teams to face.
Vozinha (Cabo Verde)
- Full name: Josimar JosĂ© Ăvora Dias
- Age: 40
- Preferred playing position: Goalkeeper
- World Cup appearances: One (2026)
Vozinha is one of the early standouts at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In Cabo Verdeâs first match, the veteran goalkeeper kept a clean sheet against Spain in a 0â0 draw, making seven saves and helping one of the competitionâs smallest debutant countries secure a point against the European champion. He then played a prominent part in his teamâs 2â2 draw with Uruguay and 0â0 draw with Saudi Arabia, leaving Cabo Verde unbeaten through its three group-stage matches, which led to the team advancing to the knockout stage. He also restricted Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to one goal from nine shots during the round of 32 clash between the two teams as Cabo Verde exited the tournament following a narrow 3â2 defeat in the match. Born in Mindelo, a port city on SĂŁo Vicente island in the Cabo Verde archipelago, Vozinha has had spells with AS TrenÄĂn in Slovakia and Gil Vicente and GD Chaves in Portugal since making his professional football debut at 25. He has earned more than 80 caps and appeared in four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments as the first-choice goalkeeper for the national team.
