Over 1,200 footballers are expected to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, as all 48 participating countries have released their squad lists for the tournament.
Although all players will have important roles in their respective teams’ campaigns in North America, attention is firmly on a select group of footballers widely expected to make the difference for their nations.
From France to Portugal to England, European teams are expected to field some of the world’s best players, who can ensure the trophy returns to the continent after Argentina won the last edition.
Considering their standout performances in the recently concluded league season, here is a number of footballers fans expect to carry that form into the World Cup and replicate their success on football’s biggest stage.
Michael Olise
The 24-year-old is one of the most lethal wingers in football at the moment and proved that during the concluded season, scoring 25 goals and making 28 assists to help Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga title and reach the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. Olise’s on-field brilliance will definitely be needed if the Les Bleus want to overcome the final heartbreak of the last edition and finish the job this time.
Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes was arguably the best player in England during the immediate past season after helping Manchester United finish third in the Premier League and secure a return to the Champions League after two two-year absence.
During the course of the season, the 31-year-old created 21 assists to break the all-time Premier League assist record. He also scored eight goals.
In what is expected to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup appearance as a player, the Portugal national team is surely going to need Fernandes to be exceptional to help the Al Nassr forward lay hands on the trophy.
Harry Kane
As England’s national team’s highest goalscorer with 78 goals so far, fans are looking forward to Kane extending his goal tally in North America to push the Three Lions into the silverware race at the tournament.
The former Tottenham forward scored 64 goals across all competitions last season as Bayern Munich went on to dominate the Bundesliga and secure the league title. He also made eight assists during the period.
Lamine Yamal
At only 18, Yamal, some fans have argued, is the best player in the world. His flamboyant style of play has drawn comparisons between him and Lionel Messi. Last season, the Barcelona winger scored 24 goals and provided 17 assists across all competitions as Barcelona beat Real Madrid to the La Liga title for the second consecutive season.
Just as he did to power Spain to the European Championship in 2024, Yamal is capable of replicating that performance on the biggest stage in football to help La Roja compete for the World Cup title again.
Erling Haaland
Haaland played a huge role in Norway qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. The Manchester City forward scored 16 goals during the qualifiers to emerge as the top scorer of the phase.
Fans have high hopes that the 25-year-old will repeat the success in North America to emerge as one of the top performers in the competition.
During the just-completed campaign, Haaland scored 41 goals in 56 appearances across all competitions to power Manchester City to Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup triumphs.
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has always been a standout player at the World Cup since making his first appearance at the 2018 edition, when he played a significant role in France’s triumph, scoring against Croatia in the final at the age of 19.
The 27-year-old stole the show again in the competition four years later, scoring a hat trick in the final against Argentina. However, France eventually lost on penalties, making it unsurprising that his name is once again on everyone’s lips.
Mbappe scored 43 goals in 46 appearances for Real Madrid in the 2025/26 football season.
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