Wings of change & striking shows in WC 2026 | Part 3

It could be argued that this is one of the best World Cups of all time. One of the major reasons for that would be the amazingly high level of performances across the boards. With most of the star players showing up, as well as new stars and forgotten veterans making a case for themselves, the new 48 team tournament has been a summer spectacle that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Never before has a World Cup been dubbed a ‘Goalkeeper’s Tournament’ while also possessing some of the greatest attacking football of all time, but that’s how all-rounded the games have been. From a French attack that drew comparisons to the 2002 Brazilian three R’s (Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo) to a Spanish defensive machine that broke the record for the least number of goals conceded by a World Cup champion, this World Cup has had it all. Of course, some players naturally rise above the others with their elite performances across their individual campaigns. However, a list of the top players will always be naturally skewed towards certain positions, usually the forwards, while others are appreciated but never included. The following is a ranking of the top three players in each position during this tournament, based on individual quality and relative to the expectations of their respective teams. 
Read part 1 and part 2.

Left Winger
3: Julian Quinones 
The man who scored the first goal of the 2026 World Cup, Julian Quinones had one of the best tournaments ever for a Mexican forward. With 4 goals and 1 assist over 5 games, Quinones tied Chicharito and Luis Hernandez to become the all-time leading goalscorer in Mexico’s World Cup history. His physically dominant play style is something that Mexico has been lacking for a long time and his impact during this campaign has been undeniable. A goal in every game except the 1-0 win over South Korea, Quinones was the one who opened the floodgates for Mexico’s attack in each one. Not only does his above average athleticism help him to hold up play well in the box, he also has a powerful strike that often sends the net flying when the ball crashes in. His best goal was undoubtedly the opener against Ecuador in the Round of 32, where he received the ball near the half-line and then cut into the edge of the box to send a screamer into the top-right corner. Even if Mexican hopes were cut short in a heart-breaking game against England, Quinones will be happy with his first World Cup performance and will be hoping for a big move to Europe in the future. 

2: Desire Doue/Bradley Barcola
It might be cheating to put both the French wingers in, but if you look at how Deschamps utilized the two young stars, it makes sense. While the other three attacking positions in the French team were locked down by Mbappe, Dembele, and Olise, Deschamps chose a starter between Doue and Barcola based on each opponent. If he felt one wasn’t working out, the first French substitute was usually Doue or Barcola replacing the other. The duo ended with a combined 4 goals and 2 assists (3 and 1 for Barcola and 1 each for Doue) and played in all 8 of France’s games. While they might play in the same position, both offer different skill-sets and Deschamps was truly spoiled for choice in making his selection. Barcola, as evidenced by most of his goals during this campaign, relies heavily on his explosive pace and his ability to make great runs behind the opposition backline. On the other hand, Doue is a lot more imaginative in attack and his dribbling skills in tight spaces helps create more opportunities against a low-block. For example, the penalty against Paraguay was won by Doue just wriggling into the box through multiple Paraguayan defenders which eventually led to the foul. On the other hand, against Sweden, Barcola was the perfect choice as the wide areas left by the Swedish backline was the kind of space that he loves to exploit. They are both still young so they have a long way to go, but as long as they continue down their current trajectory they will both be back in the red socks for 2030. 

1: Vinicius Jr
They might not have achieved the hexa, but Brazil can rest a bit easier knowing that Vinicius Jr has finally come up big for them. Before the start of the tournament, Vini’s critics were loud and he gave them a lot of ammunition as he hadn’t yet had a big campaign in the yellow shirt over the course of three major tournaments. However, that wasn’t the case with this tournament as he recorded 4 goals and 1 assist in 5 games and was far and away the best player for Brazil. He became the fifth Brazilian player to score in every game of the group stage, joining an illustrious list that comprises Ronaldo Nazario (2002), Rivaldo (2002), Romario (1994) and Jairzinho (1970). Unfortunately for Vini, all four of those players also went on to win the title in those respective years, whereas he fell short, but most of the blame should not rest on his shoulders. He was the only player on the Selecao this year that was truly playing at the elite standard that Brazil adheres to. The flair, the runs down the wing, fearless take-ons of defenders, it was all there. Perhaps his best moment was a goal that never was against Japan, where he receives the ball, nutmegs one Japanese player, dribbles into the box, sends another 3 defenders the wrong way before sending a strike across the goal that unfortunately Zion Suzuki got a touch on, which meant that the ball hit the post. In some ways that moment was oddly reminiscent of Pele’s near miss against Uruguay in the 1970 World Cup. As the wait for the hexa continues, Vinicius Jr will be hoping to be the one who brings it back if he continues to play at this level during the next tournament. 

Honorable Mentions: Anthony Gordon (England), Leandro Trossard (Belgium), Antonio Nusa (Norway)

Right Winger
3: Lamine Yamal 
Statistically speaking, one could argue that Lamine Yamal does not deserve to be among the top players of the tournament. After all, he did only register a single goal on Spain’s road to their second cup. But this isn’t a player that you watch through stats and numbers, rather he is a prime example of how those metrics should not be used to judge a player. Coming off an injury from the end of the club season, Yamal didn’t start in Spain’s opener against Cabo Verde, but he came on in the last 20 minutes and it looked like he was still getting back to full strength. However, he immediately silenced doubters in Spain’s second game against Saudi Arabia, scoring in the 10th minute. While he might not have scored or assisted any more goals, his very presence on the wing is pivotal to how Spain attacks. Because of how adept he is at going one-on-one with any defender, opposing teams were forced to defend him using more than one player. This allows his teammates to get into better positions in the empty space and create more opportunities. Apart from that, it’s also just such a joy to watch Lamine play, the way he dribbles the ball, his trivela passes, and the general confidence he has in his play style. He’s only 19-years old so even if he didn’t hit the heights he was expected to reach before the tournament, he will hopefully have many more to come in the future. 

2: Ousmane Dembele
The current Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembele, had his best individual campaign in the World Cup on his third try. In the previous two tournaments when France reached the final, Dembele had registered zero goals and even got hooked at half-time against Argentina in the final after a dreadful performance. That was not the case in 2026, as he recorded 6 goals and 2 assists across 8 games. Half of the tally came from a brilliant hat-trick against Norway in the final group stage game, with the other half coming from a goal against Iraq, another against Morocco in the quarter-finals, and one against England in the third-place play-off game. Even if France got knocked out by the eventual winners, Dembele finally had a campaign where he carried on his performance level from the club season to the international stage. While his explosive pace is still his defining quality, his improved shot selection and striking ability is what set this campaign apart from the previous ones. It’s also important to keep in mind that Dembele has spent the past few seasons playing as a 9 in Luis Enrique’s system where he gets a lot more opportunities to get the ball in dangerous areas. Unfortunately, as long as Kylian Mbappe is on the team, he will have to play second-fiddle to him, but if this tournament was any indication, they can both coexist and perform at a high-level for future tournaments. 

1: Lionel Messi
Writing just a paragraph about this man’s World Cup campaign at the age of 39 seems wrong. What more does Lionel Messi have to do to prove that he is simply operating at a different level to everyone else? Eight matches, 8 goals, and 4 assists. It should be reiterated that this is at the age of 39. People who criticise his performance in the final don’t seem to understand that Messi, well past his prime, not only carried a very middle-of-the-road Argentina team to the final, but was also competing in both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball race. Messi’s playing style and his strengths have been talked about at length so it seems redundant to repeat them here. Instead, let’s just list the World Cup records that he currently holds, given that the 2026 campaign might very well have been his last. He became only the second player after Cafu (1994, 1998, 2002) to play in three World Cup finals (2014, 2022, and 2026), and he is the only one to start in all three. He holds the record for the most assists (12) and is second in the all-time goalscorers list (21), making him the record holder for most goal-contributions with 33. He has the most number of World Cup matches played (34) and most number of matches won (23). Messi is also the only player in the history of the tournament to win two Golden Balls (some might argue that he deserved a third). He is the only player to score in a World Cup in his teens, his 20s, and his 30s, and even became the oldest player to record a hat-trick at the 38 years and 357 days, just shy of his 39th birthday. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this list goes on and on. Throughout his career, he has defied all expectations and he has continued to do so well past his prime. Don’t be surprised if he decides to return at the age of 43 and continues to dominate the tournament. Lionel Messi is truly one of a kind. 

Honorable Mentions: Bukayo Saka (England), Anthony Elanga (Sweden), Ritsu Doan (Japan) 

Forward/Striker
3: Harry Kane
While he still can’t dodge the accusations of ghosting in big games, Harry Kane did have a great tournament. With 6 goals and 1 assist across six games, it seemed like he was continuing the red-hot form that he had found with Bayern Munich during the club season. He became England’s top goalscorer at World Cups with 14, blowing past Gary Lineker’s 10 goals. Kane’s best performance came in the Round of 32 match-up against DR Congo, where the plucky underdogs had taken a 1-0 lead against the English and they seemed poised to upset the Three Lions. But the English skipper was having none of it, as he sent two to the back of the net in the space of 10 minutes to move England on to the Round of 16. His second goal in that game was remarkable as he got into the box and found space with three defenders breathing down his neck to smash the ball and send the net flying. Even if he faced a lot of criticism for playing too deep against Argentina in the semi-final, it shouldn’t be overlooked that it was Kane’s initial ball from his own half that set up Gordon’s goal. Ultimately, Kane’s drawback is that he wants to get too involved with the ball instead of simply waiting on the edges of the backline to score. The English captain is 33 years old, but if he continues this form over the next four years, he’d have a pretty good chance of getting a last chance to lift the World Cup. 

2: Erling Haaland
For years Erling Haaland had to watch from the sidelines as his club teammates and rivals competed at the World Cup, but in 2026, he took matters into his own hands as Norway qualified for their first ever tournament since 1998. Nobody expected much from Norway, but the Vikings defied the odds to make a run into the quarter-finals of the World Cup, thanks in large part to Haaland’s goals. With 7 goals in 5 matches, Haaland was the embodiment of a pure striker, something which you rarely see in modern football. His only objective is to put the ball in the back of the net, and to no one’s surprise, he proved to be one of the best at doing it. Against Brazil in the Round of 16, Haaland scored both of Norway’s goals to upset the five-time champions. The first, a powerful header where he jumped over his frequent rival Gabriel Magalhaes, and the second was an insanely pointed strike from outside the box that nestled into the bottom left corner. It’s not good to dwell on ifs, ands, or buts, but Norway might have even been in the semi-finals if Alexander Sorloth had been able to make the pass to Haaland in the quarter-finals against England. Apart from his heroics on the pitch, Haaland’s popularity also sky-rocketed after the World Cup as he gained over 30 million new followers on Instagram, thanks in part to his nose for goal and also his viral social media posts. A promising debut campaign, Haaland and Norway will surely be looking to make it even further at the 2030 edition. 

1: Kylian Mbappe
If Cristiano Ronaldo is Mr UCL, then it’s about time to crown Mbappe the World Cup equivalent. Yes, he has only 1 World Cup after three tournaments, but his worst performance at a World Cup is a fourth place finish. It has almost become expected of Mbappe to have a big World Cup campaign now, so much so that it doesn’t surprise anyone. It would have been so easy for the French captain to disappoint, especially after his tumultuous two seasons at Real Madrid. Eight matches, 10 goals, and 4 assists later, it’s clear that even if France fell short, Mbappe did not disappoint in any way. With a brace in the third-place playoff, Mbappe also officially became the all-time goalscorer in World Cup history as he has now scored 22 goals across 22 matches, an insane 1 goal per game ratio. For context, the second-highest goalscorer, Messi, has 21 goals in 34 games. It was the first World Cup where he played as France’s number 9, instead of the left-wing where he played previously, which meant that instead of being a facilitator, he was able to focus purely on scoring goals. Mbappe also grabbed his second consecutive Golden Boot as the top scorer of the tournament, becoming the only player to get two. While he may have been unable to crack the code to Spain’s backline, Mbappe will surely be looking to get back to the summit for a third time in 2030. 

Honorable Mentions: Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), Ismael Saibari (Morocco).

Read part 1 and part 2.