Each World Cup produces two lists. The gamers who arrived with the load of expectation and someway 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 here are 5 from all 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 someway, in what is nearly definitely his last World Cup, Messi produced one of the best particular person event of any participant on the planet.
Eight objectives, 4 assists, 12 direct contributions, greater than another 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 another participant within the recorded historical past of the competitors.
Towards England within the semi-final, with 5 minutes left and Argentina dropping, he created two objectives within the area of ten stoppage-time minutes.
At 39 years previous, 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 in the course of 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 aim each 51 minutes. The very best debut World Cup return since Grzegorz Lato’s seven for Poland in 1974.
He scored twice within the dying minutes to get rid of five-time champions Brazil within the last-16, the spotlight of his summer season.
His conversion charge of 39% from 18 photographs was one of the best at a World Cup since Gary Lineker in 1986. Norway’s run ended within the quarter-finals, crushed 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 title 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 previous 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 dropping 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 remedy desk serious about precisely how he would carry out when the chance got here.
He ranked first in Spain’s FIFA Energy Rankings for all the competitors. His passing accuracy didn’t drop under 93% throughout seven matches.
He coated the bottom that De la Fuente’s urgent system demanded, managed the tempo of each sport Spain performed and was, towards Argentina within the last, the only cause that Scaloni’s aspect 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 greatest 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, nevertheless, Ronaldo’s event was a damning indictment of what he has grow to be 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 provide 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 absolutely unleashed the attacking high quality that might 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 one of the best a part of 9 months arrived on the worldwide stage and produced virtually nothing.
Portugal’s inventive load fell virtually fully 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 type had urged 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 previous had positioned him among the many most watched younger attackers in European soccer, with Liverpool, PSG and several other different elite golf equipment monitoring his progress.
What the World Cup produced was a reminder of why senior worldwide soccer at a significant event is a special take a look at fully.
Diomande completed with one help and nil objectives throughout 4 matches, by no means in a position to 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 crushed by Germany after which knocked out by Norway within the Spherical of 32.
Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)
Belgium’s golden technology has been attempting to win a significant event for a decade. At 35, De Bruyne arrived in North America for a last shot at including a world trophy to a rare membership profession.
The event he produced was tough to reconcile with both the popularity or the Napoli type 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 aspect had “put loads of strain on themselves.”
Probably the most damning second got here within the last-16 towards the USA, Belgium’s largest match of the event.
Rudi Garcia dropped him fully 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 inventive high quality that had been lacking for years, and a 7-1 opening demolition of Curacao briefly urged the drought of main event success was about to finish. It didn’t.
Germany failed to provide their greatest soccer towards any opponent, and when Paraguay held them 1-1 within the Spherical of 32 earlier than successful 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. Thrice 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.
