Ranking the 5 largest achievers and underperformers at this summer season’s event

Each World Cup produces two lists. The gamers who arrived with the load of expectation and in some way exceeded it, and those who carried the identical weight and crumbled.

The 2026 version, for all its expanded format and logistical complexity, delivered each in abundance.

Spain received the event and produced loads of standout performances, so did Argentina, France and England. Listed below are 5 from both sides of the road.

5 gamers who overachieved on the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

He’s 39 and has been doing this since 2006, and in some way, in what is sort of definitely his closing World Cup, Messi produced the most effective particular person event of any participant on the planet.

Eight objectives, 4 assists, 12 direct contributions, greater than every other participant on the event. His first World Cup hat-trick, in 31 appearances throughout six editions.

He broke Miroslav Klose’s all-time scoring file. He scored or assisted in 11 consecutive World Cup matches.

He has 10 knockout stage assists, six greater than every other participant within the recorded historical past of the competitors.

Towards England within the semi-final, with 5 minutes left and Argentina shedding, he created two objectives within the house of ten stoppage-time minutes.

At 39 years outdated, the age when most footballers are two or three years into retirement, Messi produced essentially the most extraordinary particular person World Cup efficiency since his personal earlier efforts.

Jude Bellingham (England)

Going into this event, there have been questions on Bellingham. His membership season at Actual Madrid had been tough, derailed by the chaos of Raul Arbeloa’s caretaker tenure and an absence of consistency that noticed him out and in of the crew at factors throughout the marketing campaign.

The World Cup supplied a reset, and what adopted was essentially the most prolific particular person event any midfielder has ever produced for the Three Lions.

Six objectives throughout six matches, a seventh within the third-place match towards France, 4 Man of the Match awards and a spot within the file books because the highest-scoring midfielder within the historical past of the competitors.

Erling Haaland (Norway)

This was Haaland’s first main worldwide event, and he scored seven objectives. A purpose each 51 minutes. One of the best debut World Cup return since Grzegorz Lato’s seven for Poland in 1974.

He scored twice within the dying minutes to remove five-time champions Brazil within the last-16, the spotlight of his summer season.

His conversion fee of 39% from 18 pictures was the most effective at a World Cup since Gary Lineker in 1986. Norway’s run ended within the quarter-finals, overwhelmed 2-1 by England after further time, however Haaland left North America with extra World Cup objectives from fewer matches than Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney or Zidane managed of their whole careers on the event.

Vozinha (Cape Verde)

The identify means “Little Granny.” He didn’t flip skilled till he was 25. He has performed in Angola, Moldova, Portugal, Cyprus and Slovakia.

He was 40 years outdated when he ran out at MetLife Stadium for Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup match towards Spain and held the reigning European champions to a 0-0 draw with seven saves.

Over the course of the event, Vozinha made 18 saves, third most of any goalkeeper within the competitors, and Cape Verde didn’t lose a single match in regular time.

They drew with Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia earlier than shedding to Argentina 3-2 in further time within the Spherical of 32, a match wherein he made eight saves, together with a miraculous cease on a Messi free kick within the 73rd minute.

By the point Cape Verde had been eradicated, Vozinha had extra Instagram followers than Manuel Neuer. Solely Peter Shilton in 1990 and Dino Zoff in 1982 have made extra World Cup saves on the age of 40 or above.

Rodri (Spain)

In September 2024, Rodri tore his ACL in a Manchester Metropolis match towards Arsenal. He didn’t play aggressive soccer once more till February 2026.

He missed most of Metropolis’s season, watched them collapse domestically with out him and arrived on the World Cup off the again of what was, by his requirements, a restricted aggressive preparation.

What adopted was the event of a person who had spent that point on the therapy desk fascinated about precisely how he would carry out when the chance got here.

He ranked first in Spain’s FIFA Energy Rankings for your complete competitors. His passing accuracy didn’t drop beneath 93% throughout seven matches.

He coated the bottom that De la Fuente’s urgent system demanded, managed the tempo of each recreation Spain performed and was, towards Argentina within the closing, the only cause that Scaloni’s facet by no means discovered the rhythm they wanted to threaten Unai Simon.

From ACL surgical procedure to a World Cup winners’ medal in 18 months, he stays the sport’s finest defensive midfielder.

5 gamers who underachieved on the 2026 World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

He achieved his file. He turned the primary man to attain in six World Cups and reached 27 appearances, second solely to Messi within the all-time record.

Past these milestone numbers, nonetheless, Ronaldo’s event was a damning indictment of what he has develop into at worldwide stage.

He’s the one ahead to play 500 or extra minutes throughout the 2022 and 2026 World Cups mixed with out finishing a single profitable dribble previous an opponent.

Towards DR Congo within the group stage opener, he had 16 touches and despatched 17 of his 22 tried passes backwards.

Towards Spain within the last-16, when Portugal wanted their most well-known participant to supply one thing, he was peripheral from begin to end as Mikel Merino’s 91st-minute winner ended their marketing campaign.

Ronaldo completed with three objectives throughout the event, two towards Uzbekistan, one penalty, and Portugal, with Rafael Leao, Joao Felix and Pedro Neto accessible on the bench, went out having by no means totally unleashed the attacking high quality that would have taken them additional.

Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)

At membership stage, Bruno Fernandes had simply damaged the all-time Premier League assists file with Manchester United, offering 21 in a single season.

On the World Cup, the person who had been threading by way of balls and unlocking defences for the most effective a part of 9 months arrived on the worldwide stage and produced nearly nothing.

Portugal’s artistic load fell nearly completely on youthful shoulders, Joao Neves, particularly, was essentially the most dynamic presence within the center, whereas Fernandes struggled to impose himself on matches in the best way his membership kind had instructed he would.

His no-show towards Spain, the place Portugal wanted somebody to create one thing and located the captain unable to offer it, was the defining picture of his event.

Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)

Earlier than the event, the dialog round Yan Diomande centred on whether or not this was a breakout second or just the subsequent step for a participant who had already introduced himself.

Twelve objectives and eight assists for RB Leipzig in his debut Bundesliga season at 19 years outdated had positioned him among the many most watched younger attackers in European soccer, with Liverpool, PSG and a number of other different elite golf equipment monitoring his progress.

What the World Cup produced was a reminder of why senior worldwide soccer at a serious event is a unique take a look at completely.

Diomande completed with one help and 0 objectives throughout 4 matches, by no means capable of impose his tempo, directness and ending high quality on the stage he had managed all season within the Bundesliga.

Ivory Coast beat Ecuador and Curacao within the group stage however had been overwhelmed by Germany after which knocked out by Norway within the Spherical of 32.

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)

Belgium’s golden technology has been making an attempt to win a serious event for a decade. At 35, De Bruyne arrived in North America for a closing shot at including a global trophy to a rare membership profession.

The event he produced was tough to reconcile with both the popularity or the Napoli kind that had earned him his place within the squad.

Belgium drew with Croatia, Egypt and Iran throughout a stuttering group stage, with De Bruyne admitting to “foolish errors” and suggesting his facet had “put plenty of stress on themselves.”

Essentially the most damning second got here within the last-16 towards america, Belgium’s largest match of the event.

Rudi Garcia dropped him completely from the beginning lineup. Belgium received 4-1 with out him. He returned as captain for the quarter-final towards Spain, however by then the momentum was gone, and Belgium misplaced 2-1.

Joshua Kimmich (Germany)

Germany got here to North America with real optimism. Nagelsmann had rebuilt the squad, Wirtz and Musiala supplied the artistic high quality that had been lacking for years, and a 7-1 opening demolition of Curacao briefly instructed the drought of main event success was about to finish. It didn’t.

Germany failed to supply their finest soccer towards any opponent, and when Paraguay held them 1-1 within the Spherical of 32 earlier than profitable on penalties, it was a 3rd consecutive World Cup elimination earlier than the quarter-finals.

Kimmich, as captain, delivered essentially the most trustworthy post-match evaluation of anybody on the event. “We didn’t play properly towards any opponent. 3 times we had main issues towards groups that aren’t world-class. That’s a reality. We deserved to be eradicated.”

He can be 35 on the 2030 World Cup, and the window he needed to make use of to win one thing for Germany has now closed.