2026 FIFA World Cup: Key Players

Introduction
Under 20 years old
- Lamine Yamal (Spain)
- Yan Diomande (Côte d’Ivoire)
- Pau Cubarsí (Spain)
- Endrick (Brazil)
20–30 years old
- Ousmane Dembélé (France)
- Julián Álvarez (Argentina)
- Jude Bellingham (England)
- Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain)
- Erling Haaland (Norway)
- Kylian Mbappé (France)
- Pedri (Spain)
- Luis Díaz (Colombia)
- Aurélien Tchouaméni (France)
- Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
- Désiré Doué (France)
- Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
- Moisés Caicedo (Ecuador)
- Christian Pulisic (United States)
- Raphinha (Brazil)
- Rodri (Spain)
- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
- Declan Rice (England)
- Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden)
- Florian Wirtz (Germany)
- Scott McTominay (Scotland)
- Santiago Giménez (Mexico)
- Alphonso Davies (Canada)
30 and over
- Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- Luka Modrić (Croatia)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
- Harry Kane (England)
- Neymar (Brazil)
- Sadio Mané (Senegal)
- Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
- Emiliano Martínez (Argentina)
- Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
- Son Heung-Min (South Korea)
- Vozinha (Cabo Verde)

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Football (soccer) player Lamine Yamal of Spain, wearing number 19, controls the ball midair during a World Cup European qualifier match at Konya Stadium in Turkiye.

Ousmane Dembele of France, wearing jersey number 11, dribbles a soccer ball on the field during a FIFA World Cup match against Australia in Qatar.

Julian Alvarez of Argentina kicks the ball to score a goal as a Canadian defender slides behind him during the Copa America 2024 semifinal at MetLife Stadium.

England's midfielder Jude Bellingham, wearing number 10, performs an overhead kick to score against Slovakia during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match.

Erling Haaland of Norway runs toward the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Italy at San Siro Stadium in Milan.

French soccer player Kylian Mbappe, wearing jersey number 10, takes a shot on goal during the FIFA World Cup quarter final against England at Al Bayt Stadium.

Kylian Mbappé of France, wearing a blue jersey with number 10, runs with the ball during a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris.

June 2026 calendar showing 2026 FIFA World Cup match days with colored dots for host countries: green for Mexico, red for Canada, and blue for United States.

Pedri of Spain, wearing a red and yellow jersey with number 20, controls the ball on the field during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Bulgaria.

Luis Díaz of Colombia, wearing a yellow jersey, jumps to head the ball during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Venezuela at Estadio Monumental de Maturin.

Football (soccer) player Lamine Yamal of Spain, wearing number 19, controls the ball midair during a World Cup European qualifier match at Konya Stadium in Turkiye. — Lamine Yamal Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal in action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers against Türkiye (Turkey) at Konya Metropolitan Stadium, Konya, Türkiye.

2026 FIFA World Cup: Key Players

Written by

Tushaar Kuthiala

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest edition in the men’s football (soccer) tournament’s history, with more than 1,200 players from 48 participating teams playing 104 matches from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Since the first tournament was organized in 1930, many footballers have burst onto the international stage at the World Cup. Winning the quadrennial tournament is considered the crowning achievement of a player’s career, and...

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