By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-06-02 13:01:30 | Updated at 2026-06-07 19:21:32
5 days ago
Who are the players you need to watch out for at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Here, we’ve picked out 26 we’re looking forward to seeing in action.
With just over a week to go until the 2026 World Cup gets under way in Mexico City, it’s time to ask: who are we excited to see play?
The tournament has been expanded to 48 teams for the first time ever, and with 26 names in every squad, a total of 1,248 players will be heading to the USA, Mexico and Canada. That’s obviously far too many for anyone to get their head around, but that’s where we come in.
We’ve enlisted the help of data nerds and football experts from all over the world in Opta’s ranks to pick out a more manageable number of players to keep an eye out for.
This isn’t a list of the 26 best players going to the World Cup, nor is it a list made up entirely of players you’ve never heard of. The only criterion given to the authors was that they have to be excited about seeing them in action.
So, here are 26 players we’re excited to watch at the 2026 World Cup.
The Players
Click below to skip to the player:
Elliot Anderson ••• Donyell Malen
Callum McCowatt ••• Lamine Yamal
Willian Pacho ••• Mousa Al Tamari
Lamine Camara ••• Besfort Zeneli
Ricardo Pepi ••• Aleksandar Pavlovic
Luiz Henrique ••• Yan Diomande
Vitinha ••• Luka Vuskovic
Michael Olise ••• Ayase Ueda
Caleb Yirenkyi ••• Stepán Chaloupek
Armando González ••• Ibrahim Maza
Arda Güler ••• Johan Manzambi
Ismael Saibari ••• Marko Arnautovic
Patrick Berg ••• Nico Paz
Elliot Anderson
England
The England squad is stacked full of players at Champions League clubs, though in Elliot Anderson, they have a star who is not currently playing at the very highest level of European football but is without doubt destined for it. A strong World Cup could accelerate any development for his career.
Anderson had an excellent season in Nottingham Forest’s midfield, starting 37 of their 38 games, while he came off the bench at half-time in the other – when manager Vítor Pereira rotated almost his whole team for the trip to Chelsea last month ahead of the Europa League semi-final second leg. Only five outfielders played more minutes in the Premier League this season than Anderson (3,334).
He is a technical midfielder but stands out most for his tireless running and ball-winning ability; he is constantly on the move, hoovering up possession. Only James Garner (415.4 km) covered more ground than him in the Premier League this season (411.0 km), while Anderson won possession at least 96 more times (306) than anyone else. He also topped the league on a per-90 basis for possession won (8.3).
Anderson is already attracting attention from bigger clubs, and the World Cup, where he is expected to start in England’s midfield, will give us an exciting glimpse into what he can do when surrounded by elite players.
Ali Tweedale
Donyell Malen
Netherlands
Donyell Malen made an incredible start to his Serie A career. The 27-year-old had grown accustomed elsewhere to playing on the wing or being used as a substitute, but he immediately became Roma’s new centre-forward.
Since his debut on 18 January, the only player with more goals than Malen (14) in the top five European leagues is Harry Kane (16). The former Villa winger also ranked top in a host of other attacking metrics over that period.
Malen became just the third player to score at least 14 times in Serie A despite playing fewer than 20 games in a season, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15 in 19 games in 2020-21) and Ronaldo (14 in 19 in 1998-99). His goal tally was also higher than any other winter signing in the Italian competition this century (a record previously held by Mario Balotelli, 12 goals in 2012-13).
Could Malen prove to be the missing piece in the puzzle for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup?
Wesley Mak
Callum McCowatt
New Zealand
Chris Wood is the name most would associate with New Zealand’s football team, which is understandable considering he’s the only Kiwi to have played in the Premier League this season. But some eyes might be diverted to the talents of winger Callum McCowatt for this summer’s World Cup.
The 27-year-old plays in Denmark for Superliga club Silkeborg, where he was a key player in helping them avoid relegation from the top flight in 2025-26.
McCowatt has just completed his sixth season in Danish football following a move to Europe in 2020, but this campaign was his best yet. His goal (11) and assist (five) tallies were more than he’d achieved in his first two Superliga seasons at Silkeborg combined (10 goals, four assists).
Much of his threat comes when running with the ball, with only three Superliga players in 2025-26 having more shot involvements following a ball carry of at least five metres than McCowatt (41 – 29 shots attempted, 12 chances created).
Since scoring on his full international debut for New Zealand in November 2019 against the Republic of Ireland, McCowatt has only scored three more times for his nation, something he’ll be hoping to improve on this summer.
Matt Furniss
Lamine Yamal
Spain
Lamine Yamal was arguably the most influential player in La Liga this season; no one else reached double figures for both goals (16) and assists (11) in the competition. In the process, he became the first player under the age of 20 to have achieved this feat in the 21st century.
He will be one of the main attractions at the 2026 World Cup, where he will lead European champions Spain as they strive to be crowned the world’s best team for the second time in their history.
It is easy to forget that Yamal is still only 18 years old, but he is already consistently demonstrating his leadership skills with Barcelona, where he has put an end to the debate over his supposed lack of goals. He scored 24 times in 45 matches this season across all competitions, well above his 19.9 expected goals (xG) and just one fewer than in his entire club career previously (25 goals in 106 appearances).
He is, of course, best known for his directness, dribbling and creativity, all of which he has honed even further this season. Only Vinícius Júnior (92 – 49 shots and 43 chances created) was involved in more shots following dribbles than Yamal (86, 50 shots and 36 chances) across the top five European leagues this season. Furthermore, he completed the most dribbles (133) and attempted the most (265) of any player in those leagues.
He already surprised the whole of Europe at Euro 2024. Now it is his turn to conquer the world.
Albert Valor and Luis Ledesma
Willian Pacho
Ecuador
Still only 24 years old, Ecuadorian centre-back Willian Pacho has enjoyed another sensational season with PSG, winning the Ligue 1 title and playing every minute in their victorious 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign.
Next, he looks set to play a pivotal role in Ecuador’s latest World Cup foray, one which is very likely to be built upon defensive foundations helped in no small part by the central defender.
During qualification for the tournament, Pacho and his side conceded just five goals and kept 13 clean sheets across 18 matches, the best figures by any South American nation.
Individually, Pacho ranked joint first for blocks made (15) and fourth for clearances (65) among all players in the CONMEBOL section, with his influence on his nation’s play additionally measured by his 1,290 total touches of the ball, also the fourth most.
He’ll need to produce similarly accomplished displays this summer if his nation are to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for just the second time, after making the round of 16 in 2006.
Nathan Evans
Mousa Al Tamari
Jordan
Nicknamed the “Nashama” (the Chivalrous Ones), Jordan will play in their first World Cup, led by the tireless Mousa Al Tamari.
Sitting just outside the top five of his country’s all-time leading scorers with 24 goals (including seven in the qualifiers) in 92 caps, Al Tamari will celebrate his 30th birthday just before the tournament kicks off.
The indefatigable right winger is, above all, a relentless agitator. In Ligue 1 this season, he won more penalties than any other player (four), while also ranking in the top five for dribbles attempted inside the opposition’s box (19).
However, his contributions go far beyond what he does with the ball; he regained possession in the final third more times than any other player in Ligue 1 in 2025-26 (33).
He can sometimes be a little overeager, having been caught offside more times than anyone else in the French top flight (26), but his fighting spirit and work rate will be crucial for Jordan, who will have to work hard to have an impact on the world stage. They will also need his technical quality: he provided six assists in open play in 2025-26, the second most of all players in Ligue 1.
After facing Austria and Algeria, Jordan will close out their group stage with a glamorous clash against reigning world champions Argentina. Simply being able to play in such a match already feels like a victory for Al Tamari and the rest of the Chivalrous Ones.
Jules Aublanc
Lamine Camara
Senegal
If you believe what you read, it would seem there’s a strong chance Lamine Camara ends up in the Premier League next season.
A hard-working, dynamic and technically gifted central midfielder, Camara already has plenty to give – and he’s only 22.
After his club, Monaco, failed to qualify for the Champions League next season, it’s widely accepted that Camara will be one of the players they have to offload. The World Cup should provide another opportunity to convince big clubs to make their interest known, and he’ll likely feature prominently given he’s already got 31 senior caps.
Defensively, Camara gets through plenty of work, with his 7.7 possession recoveries in Ligue 1 this season the second most among all midfielders (1,000+ mins). But there’s a lot more to him than that.
He’s tidy in tight spaces and uses his body well, the combination of which makes him able to wriggle out of compromising positions, evidence of good press resistance. He also offers decent creativity both in open play and from set-pieces.
The radar above highlights his roundedness as a midfielder. Don’t be surprised if he stands out at this summer’s tournament.
Ryan Benson
Besfort Zeneli
Sweden
Just like 32 years ago, when Sweden surprised the world with a third-place finish the last time they played World Cup football in the United States, the Blågult can rely on top-class forwards to once again cause an upset, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres present.
But while there is an abundance of options up front, the squad is still looking for a playmaker; one player who will relish playing that role is Besfort Zeneli.
The 23-year-old had been a dominant force in Elfsborg’s midfield for the past few seasons prior to joining Union Saint-Gilloise, impressing with the breadth of talent to his game. After all, Zeneli finished the 2025 Allsvenskan season with the second-most chances created (76) and the second-most possession regains (176), while also recording top-five spots for successful dribbles (fifth with 47) and duels won (third with 205).
This winter, he made the move to the Belgian league and, since his USG debut on 24 January, has averaged the second-most expected assists (xA) per 90 in the league among players with 500+ minutes.
Zeneli is an energetic, playmaking midfielder who is astute defensively, too. While not a player to rack up assist after assist, his ability to make a team tick could see him make an impact this summer.
Michiel Jongsma
Ricardo Pepi
USA
For the past three years, Ricardo Pepi has ranked among Europe’s brightest attacking talents. The 23-year-old American striker has played exactly 100 Eredivisie matches – 29 for FC Groningen and 71 for PSV – and averages a league goal every 75 minutes for the Dutch champions from Eindhoven.
It is the best scoring rate of any player in PSV’s history, surpassing legends such as Mateja Kezman, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Romário and Ronaldo.
Pepi has also delivered on the biggest stage, scoring six goals in 442 Champions League minutes – further proof of his efficiency in front of goal.
He could lead the line for the USA this summer on home soil, and his success in trying to carry his goalscoring record at club level into the tournament may determine how far the co-hosts go.
Joris van den Ban
Aleksandar Pavlovic
Germany
It is easy to forget that Aleksandar Pavlovic only established himself as a first-team regular at Bayern Munich around two years ago, given that his composed style of play suggests he has much more experience than he actually does.
Having been forced to pull out of Euro 2024 due to tonsillitis, he is now expected to be as much of a driving force in Germany’s play at his first major tournament as he is at Bayern.
Given that Joshua Kimmich, his midfield partner at club level, is set to play at right-back for the national team, they will rely even more heavily on Pavlovic’s ability to dictate the play.
He impressively demonstrated his importance to Bayern in their 2025-26 Champions League campaign. He averaged 100.4 touches per 90 minutes; among all players with at least 500 minutes of game time, it was the second-highest figure behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha (111.6), who finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting. In the semi-final first-leg defeat at PSG, he had more touches than anyone else (72) and the best pass completion rate of anyone to play more than 45 minutes.
His overall pass completion rate in the Champions League this season (95.4%) was the best among midfielders and the third best among all players with 500+ minutes, behind two centre-backs, teammate Jonathan Tah (95.8%) and Manchester City’s Abdukodir Khusanov (95.6%).
Christian Schmidt
Luiz Henrique
Brazil
Interested in Brazilian dribbling skills? Then you should watch Luiz Henrique, one of the most exciting players going to the World Cup.
His game style is all about what Brazilians love: he has completed 20 of the 33 dribbles he has attempted in his 548 minutes for the Seleção, an average of a dribble completed every 27.4 minutes on the field.
Despite making only five starts and racking up a total of 14 caps for Brazil, he has contributed to five goals (two goals and three assists) since his debut in September 2024, averaging a goal involvement every 109.6 minutes. In that period, only Estêvão (one every 94 minutes) is picking up goals or assists at a better rate for Brazil among players with at least three appearances.
He has earned comparisons to Garrincha not only because of his dribbling, but also because of his accomplishments in Botafogo’s famous number seven jersey, as previously worn by the Brazilian legend.
Luiz Henrique was the star of the team who won both the Brazilian league and the CONMEBOL Libertadores in 2024, registering 11 goals, five assists and 110 dribbles completed in 47 matches across those competitions.
Last season, he led the Russian league in dribbles completed (51 in 28 matches), netting five goals and providing three assists in Zenit’s title-winning campaign.
Matheus Sacramento
Yan Diomande
Ivory Coast
Having made his first professional appearance in European football slightly over a year ago (March 2025 for Leganés), Yan Diomande took the Bundesliga by storm in his first season for RB Leipzig.
With 12 goals and eight assists, the 19-year-old has been quite the discovery.
Among all teenagers in the big five leagues, only Lamine Yamal contributed more goals in 2025-26 (27). And, since detailed data collection started (2004-05), only Jadon Sancho has managed more goal involvements in a Bundesliga season as a teenager (29 in 2019-20, 26 in 2018-19) than Diomande this season (20).
With his explosive acceleration, exceptional control and immense confidence, the Ivorian has quickly proven himself as a winger to be feared, attempting the third-most dribbles in Europe’s big five leagues (213) in 2025-26, behind only Yamal (265) and Vinícius Júnior (218). However, Diomande (55%) boasts the highest dribble success rate of all players with more than 100 attempts.
With a hunger for goals, Diomande completed 21 drives into the penalty area, a figure only bettered by Vinícius Júnior (29) in the big five leagues this season, while Diomande scored five goals following take-ons, the outright most across the big five leagues. It is clear to see that the 19-year-old is the Ivory Coast’s biggest hope at the World Cup.
David Schäfer
Vitinha
Portugal
If Portugal are to have a successful tournament, it will no doubt be partly due to the performances of their midfield, which is by far their greatest strength. A player who will be hoping to play a key role in the tournament this summer is Vitinha.
In the form of the Paris Saint-Germain pass master, the Seleção have a world-class talent at their disposal.
On the ball, he can dictate the tempo of a game, bring much-needed calm when required and also move his team through the gears with his sharp, penetrative passes. He provided 11 assists this season across all competitions, with only Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembélé providing more for PSG (12).
Meanwhile, of every player in the top five European leagues, Vitinha completed the most passes (5,234), completed the most passes in the opposition’s half (3,001) and ranked seventh for progressive carries of at least 10 metres (277).
It’s not just on the ball where he excels, though. Off the ball he is intense and covers ground exceptionally well; he won possession 299 times in Ligue 1 this season, which put him third across the top five European leagues.
In Vitinha, Portugal have the guile and creativity to take the initiative in crucial moments, as well as a remarkable awareness and understanding of the game, which, when coupled with his defensive hunger, allows him to win duels, break up attacks and stifle the opposition.
Aaron Barton
Luka Vuskovic
Croatia
When it comes to the signings who had the biggest impact on their club’s success in the 2025-26 Bundesliga, the most transformative new arrival was likely Luka Vuskovic. The Croatian centre-back joined Hamburger SV on loan from Tottenham in August and played a vital role in the Dino’s survival.
Vuskovic appeared in 28 Bundesliga matches in 2025-26, playing the full 90 minutes in 26 of them. Hamburg did not win any of the six games he missed (D2 L4), compared to a 32% win rate when he featured (9/28).
The Croatian was a rock in Hamburg’s defence – he had the best aerial duel success rate of all outfielders to play at least 1,000 minutes in the Bundesliga (74.5%) and ranked fourth in overall duel success rate (67.7%).
However, Vuskovic not only played an important role in front of his own goal, he has also found time to make a difference at the other end of the pitch. He was Hamburg’s second-highest goalscorer, and his six goals was more than any other centre-back. Looking at these numbers, it is not outlandish to suggest Vuskovic enjoyed the best 2025-26 season of all players contracted to Tottenham.
Born in 2007, the 19-year-old is the youngest player in Croatia’s squad and was not even alive when team captain Luka Modric made his first World Cup appearance in 2006.
Michael Harringer
Michael Olise
France
Is Michael Olise currently the most complete attacker in the world?
The only player from the European top five leagues to score 20+ goals (22) and provide 20+ assists (26) in all competitions in 2025-26, Olise has emerged as a driving force in Bayern Munich’s prolific attack (181 goals this season).
He also ranked second for chances created in all comps (123) behind just Bruno Fernandes (138), while only Kevin De Bruyne in 2022-23 (28) has recorded more assists for a club in the top five European leagues over a single season in the last 10 campaigns.
Beyond his playmaking, Olise is a constant threat in the attacking third, as evidenced by his output for successful dribbles (140 – third among players in the top five leagues), possession won in the final third (49 – first) and defensive-line-breaking passes (58 – fourth).
After a relatively slow start for Les Bleus, London-born Olise has established himself as a mainstay in a fiercely competitive attacking unit. Since 2025, he has made the third-most starts under Didier Deschamps (eight) and boasts the second-most goal involvements (six, second to Kylian Mbappé’s 13).
Olise arrives at his first World Cup with two genuine ambitions: leading France to the pinnacle of world football would make him a real contender to claim the Ballon d’Or in the autumn.
Erwann Simon
Ayase Ueda
Japan
After struggling in his first two seasons with Feyenoord, Japanese striker Ayase Ueda finally found his rhythm in 2025-26, finishing as the competition’s top scorer with 25 goals. It was a particularly impressive feat considering only three players in the last 40 years have scored as many goals in a league campaign for Feyenoord.
Among players in Europe’s top 10 leagues, only Harry Kane (36), Luis Suárez (28) and Erling Haaland (27) bettered his tally this season.
However, no player in the top 10 leagues could top the nine goals he scored with his head (Paul Onuachu also scored nine for Trabzonspor), proving just how big an aerial threat the 27-year-old centre-forward is.
The Netherlands will be the first opponents of Samurai Blue. Can Ueda hurt the nation he has called his home for the past three years?
Maarten Jol
Caleb Yirenkyi
Ghana
FC Nordsjælland have built a reputation as one of Europe’s leading talent developers, with the Right to Dream academy providing a steady pipeline of African prospects. Caleb Yirenkyi is the latest example.
The 20-year-old Ghanaian operates mainly as a midfielder for Nordsjælland, but he’s often been used as a right (wing)-back by Ghana. His athletic profile stands out immediately: height, speed and mobility allow him to cover ground quickly and disrupt opponents consistently. No player won possession more times in the Danish Superliga this season than Yirenkyi (205), while across Ghana’s last four friendlies he also led the squad for recoveries (23) and interceptions (eight).
What makes him particularly interesting, though, is his composure in possession. Yirenkyi received the second-most high pressures (1,248) and attempted the second-most passes under high pressure (987) in the Superliga this season, yet he still recorded the best pass completion rate among players with 150+ such passes (89.7%). So, next to winning the ball, he doesn’t lose it often, either.
With former Ghana star Michael Essien now part of the coaching staff at FC Nordsjælland, Yirenkyi has a fitting example to follow as another emerging Ghanaian talent.
Kasper Spruijt
Stepán Chaloupek
Czechia
Stepán Chaloupek made his breakthrough this season, earning a place in the starting XI of Czech champions Slavia Praha and becoming one of the key players in securing a second successive title. The 23-year-old centre-back, primarily deployed on the left side of a back three in Slavia’s 3-4-2-1 system, combines defensive solidity with clear attacking intent on the ball.
Chaloupek averaged 11.5 defensive actions per 90 this season, a solid figure for a team with the lowest average ball-in-play time of any team in Europe’s top 10 leagues (45.8 minutes) and an average possession of 57.2%. Chaloupek was particularly effective with his interceptions, averaging 2.1 per 90 – a rate surpassed by only nine of the 639 centre-backs with at least 900 minutes played across Europe’s top 10 leagues in 2025-26.
Among the same group of players, Chaloupek excelled when it came to his involvement in build-up play. Open-play sequences involving him contributed an average of 0.7 expected goals per 90 in the Czech league this season, which was the fourth-highest rate across Europe’s top 10 leagues; only established centre-backs Kim Min-jae, Eric García and Jerdy Schouten were involved in more threatening sequences.
This brings us to a defining aspect that makes Chaloupek highly unusual for a centre-back — his goal threat. He scored more non-penalty goals than all the previously mentioned centre-backs in Europe’s top 10 leagues (eight), including the most goals from throw-ins (four) of any player across those leagues. His attacking threat is further highlighted by the fact that he recorded the highest xG per 90 minutes among all centre-backs in the top 10 leagues (0.35), underlining the consistent danger he poses at set-piece situations.
Jakub Kadrnozka
Armando González
Mexico
Chivas has always been a primary source of players for the Mexican national team, boasting some of their biggest talents from recent World Cups, including Javier Hernández.
The latest is Armando González, who has taken Liga MX by storm in the last two years, having made his debut in January 2024 against Santos Laguna and scored his first league goal just two weeks later.
Since the appointment of Gabriel Milito as Chivas manager in May 2025, González has been trusted to lead the line, and that gamble has paid off. ‘La Hormiga’ (the Ant) scored 24 times in 35 games in the 2025-26 season, with his average of 0.69 goals per game the highest in a single season for any Mexican player in Liga MX since 2013.
In the most recent Clausura – the ‘closing’ part of the 2025-26 Liga MX season – González was instrumental for Chivas, who only lost in the semi-finals to eventual champions Cruz Azul. No player was involved in sequences that generated more xG than him (13.6), while he also led the league in shot accuracy, with 53% (27 shots on target from 51 shots), and first-time shots (37).
Antonio Maza
Ibrahim Maza
Algeria
Following a very busy transfer window in the summer of 2025, Bayer Leverkusen faced questions as to whether their new signings could replace key players such as Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka and Jonathan Tah.
Many of their new arrivals failed to play a major role at all, but one who most certainly did was Ibrahim Maza.
Arriving for a relatively modest €12 million from Bundesliga 2 side Hertha BSC, the 20-year-old has demonstrated his excellent creativity, fleet-footedness in his dribbling, and work rate, making him arguably the most fun to watch player in this unpolished Leverkusen side.
Among players from any club with 1,500+ minutes of action in the Bundesliga this season, only Yan Diomande (4.3), Antonio Nusa (3.0) and Michael Olise (2.5) completed more dribbles per 90 minutes than Maza (2.3). Furthermore, no central midfielder (500+ minutes) averaged as many touches in the opposition’s box as him (5.4).
Maza also contested (247) and won (133; 54%) the most duels of Leverkusen players, while averaging the most distance covered per 90 as well (12.1 km; 1,200+ min.).
Florens Kolkmann
Arda Güler
Türkiye
In his short but stellar career so far, Arda Güler has already achieved a few noteworthy accomplishments.
He is already the youngest debutant to score a goal in the European Championship and the youngest Real Madrid player to score a direct free-kick in the Champions League. He is approaching 22, but he still has time to add to that list: Güler can become the youngest Turkish goalscorer at the World Cup and the youngest to assist a World Cup goal on record (since 1966).
Having established himself as a key player for Madrid, the Turkish phenomenon heads to North America in top shape. No teammate created more chances than him in La Liga this season (70, level with Vinícius Júnior), while he led the team outright for assists (nine).
In the Champions League, only two players from any club – Joshua Kimmich (22) and Lamine Yamal (17) – played more passes that broke the opposition’s defensive line than Güler (16).
Güler has proven time after time that he can perform regardless of his age or the level of competition. Now, he will be a focal point for a nation that is set for their first World Cup in 24 years. He will be able to handle the pressure.
Cem Ak
Johan Manzambi
Switzerland
At just 20 years of age, wonderkid Johan Manzambi is Switzerland’s youngest on the plane to North America.
Following a promising debut season at SC Freiburg in 2024-25, Manzambi quickly emerged as a key performer this term as the club embarked on a journey to the final of the Europa League (seven goals, six assists).
The versatile Manzambi led Freiburg in the Bundesliga this season for duels won (179) and dribbles completed (33). Teeming with confidence and bridging his side’s midfield and attack, Manzambi also recorded 116 progressive carries over 10 metres in length, the most of any central midfielder in the Bundesliga.
Opposing players have found it hard to stop Manzambi, who was fouled 139 times in all competitions in 2025-26, which is more than any other player from a team in Europe’s top five leagues.
To top off his impressive club season, Manzambi scored three of his Bundesliga goals in 2025-26 from outside the box; only Bayern’s Harry Kane (6) and Michael Olise (4) scored more often from distance.
David Schäfer
Ismael Saibari
Morocco
After being given the Eredivisie Player of the Year award for 2025-26, Ismael Saibari may well be hoping to earn a transfer to a top competition after the World Cup.
The Moroccan attacking midfielder has registered 26 goals and 19 assists across the last two Eredivisie seasons. Since 2024-25, only 13 players in Europe’s top 10 leagues have been involved in more goals than Saibari, who has consistently delivered in the biggest matches. Last season, he became the first PSV player since 1980 to score a hat-trick away to Feyenoord, the eventual runners-up.
Saibari is always a threat. Across the last two Eredivisie seasons, he averaged 4.0 shots per 90 and 2.1 chances created from open play. Among all players with at least 1,000 minutes played in Europe’s top 10 leagues in that time, only Ousmane Dembélé (4.6 shots, 2.7 chances created from open play) and Lamine Yamal (4.6 shots, 2.3 chances created from open play) could match him.
Hidde Spaan
Marko Arnautovic
Austria
Marko Arnautovic heads to the 2026 World Cup as one of the defining figures in Austrian football history. At 37 years old, he is his country’s record appearance holder (133 caps) and all-time top scorer (47 goals), and leads them on their return to the global football stage after a 28-year absence.
The World Cup will serve as the crowning moment for a generation led by Arnautovic, David Alaba and Marcel Sabitzer. While Arnautovic’s talent remains undisputed, his longevity in the later stages of his career adds another remarkable layer to an already accomplished journey.
He has been performing at the top level for an incredibly long time: in September 2025, he scored in the Europa League more than 16 years after his last goal, while in November 2023 he found the net in the Champions League almost 13 years after his first goal. Both mark the longest gaps between two goals by the same player in the history of those competitions.
Arnautovic’s physical presence, experience and finishing ability continue to make him one of Europe’s most efficient forwards. His eight goals in the European World Cup qualifiers was surpassed only by Erling Haaland (16).
Furthermore, Arnautovic exceeded his xG value by 3.2, scoring eight times from chances worth just 4.8 xG. Only four players across the European qualifiers outscored their xG by a larger margin.
Matthias Pacher
Patrick Berg
Norway
Norwegian football is on the up and as a regular for both the national team squad and Champions League surprise package Bodø/Glimt, few epitomise that rise better than Patrick Berg.
A Bodø native, Berg made a name for himself as a tidy holding midfielder at his hometown club, ranking top five in three consecutive seasons (2019-2021) for possession won in the Norwegian Eliteserien, dominating in duels and pairing that with deep playmaking.
RC Lens managed to lure him out of Bodø for eight months, but home is where the heart is and since returning to the club in August 2022 his play has only developed further. Whereas he recorded eight goals and four assists in his first 120 games in the Eliteserien, he added an impressive 19 goals and 21 assists in the 107 appearances since. In 2025, Patrick Berg reached double figures for assists for the first time in a league season (12) and ranked third for defensive-line-breaking passes (29).
His ability to fulfil different roles has made him a mainstay in the Norway squad, deputising for Sander Berge or Martin Ødegaard when needed and being able to play with them, too. And in doing so, he has already followed in the footsteps of his father Runar and his grandfather Harald in representing his country.
Now, the younger Berg is about to go where no man in his family has gone before, as a World Cup debut awaits.
Michiel Jongsma
Nico Paz
Argentina
Attacking midfielder Nico Paz has been outstanding for Como since joining from Real Madrid in 2024, helping them qualify for the Champions League this season. It’ll be the first time the club have ever played European football of any kind.
Paz recorded 12 goals and six assists in Serie A in 2025-26. Only Inter trio Federico Dimarco (24), Lautaro Martínez (23) and Marcus Thuram (19) managed more goal involvements than him.
The 21-year-old has been a key part of Cesc Fàbregas’ high-pressing setup off the ball, too, with only Roma’s Matías Soulé (38) and Juventus’ Francisco Conceição (29) winning possession in the final third more often than Paz (26) in Serie A this season.
It’s been reported that Madrid could look to trigger their buy-back option for Paz this summer, and he will look to warm up for potential life back at the Bernabéu with a strong showing for Argentina at this World Cup.
David Segar
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