Jason Burgos
On Wednesday afternoon, the 2026 World Cup final became official when Argentina made another late-game comeback, this time against England, to set up a matchup with Spain on Sunday. With only two games left on the World Cup schedule, one of the best tournaments in recent memory is nearly at an end.
With that in mind, we take a look at 10 international stars who delivered on the biggest stage on Earth and showed out for their nations during the 2026 World Cup.
Kylian Mbappe, France
Heading into this year’s World Cup, there were some around the sport who thought Kylian Mbappe was no longer France’s top player. Well, he shut down that talk with an otherworldly performance throughout the tournament. Unless Lionel Messi scores a goal during the finals, he will end the tournament tied with the Frenchman for the most goals at eight. And the Argentine played for 40 more minutes.
At times, Mbappe seemed unstoppable and reestablished that not only is he still among the best players on the planet, but he is on pace to be the greatest World Cup scorer of all time.
‘Vozinha,’ Cape Verde
One of the best stories from this year’s World Cup was the emergence of Cape Verde on the world stage. But the nation of only 529,000 doesn’t get its moment in the sun and nearly beat Argentina in the Round of 32 without the brilliance of goalkeeper Vozinha.
The 40-year-old was outstanding in goal for his side (18 saves) and was the heart and backbone of the best feel-good team of the tournament. It is why he went from having around 50,000 followers on Instagram before the World Cup to nearly 30 million today.
Erling Haaland, Norway
Over the last eight years, Norway’s Erling Haaland has gradually emerged as one of the elite players in the game during stints with Dortmund in the Bundesliga and Manchester City in the Premier League. However, if you weren’t aware of him before, you will be now.
Outside of Mbappe and Messi — two titans of the game — Haaland was the most prolific scorer during this year’s World Cup. Posting seven goals and carrying his country to an unexpected appearance in the Round of 8. He will be one of the faces of future World Cups and the sport.
Lamine Yamal, Spain
One of the biggest stories heading into the World Cup final is the now-legendary photo of a 20-year-old Messi taken with Spanish star Lamine Yamal when he was only six months old. However, the picture is so epic because the 19-year-old has become one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars.
The Barcelona star’s stats in the World Cup don’t show it, but he has had a major influence on Spain’s appearance in the tournament final. He brings an electricity and scoring threat that his country needed, and it has shown in their impressive run. Like Haaland, he will be one of the faces in future World Cups.
Yan Diomande, Ivory Coast
Similar to Yamal, there was another teenager who had a standout showing in the 2026 World Cup. And that is Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande.
The youngster has blinding speed and advanced dribbling skills that he showed off in his team’s matches. He played a key role in his country advancing to the elimination round by winning two games and then being competitive in tough matchups against Germany and Norway during the tournament.
Lionel Messi, Argentina
What else is there to write about Argentine icon Messi that hasn’t been written already? After he led his team to the 2022 World Cup title, he seemingly solidified his place as the greatest player in the history of the sport. However, if there were any doubters, he made it an undeniable fact during this year’s tournament.
Despite being one of this year’s oldest competitors at 39, the Inter Miami star has again been one of the top players on the pitch all tournament long. He is tied for the most goals at eight, and added two more amazing assists during Argentina’s come-from-behind win over England in the semifinals. Being great in two straight World Cups and on the verge of a consecutive tourney win is why Messi is the GOAT of futbol.
Harry Kane, England
England has remained one of the top countries in the world for soccer because of their ability to consistently develop special talent. Tottenham legend and current Bayern Munich star Harry Kane is one of them. While there was some doubt about how far the English could go in this year’s tourney, Kane nearly got his squad to the championship game for the first time since 1966.
Although they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Argentina in the semifinals, Kane showed out during the tourney as he posted six goals and an assist in a memorable run for England, which included a great win against Mexico in enemy territory.
Orlando Gill, Paraguay
Unsurprisingly, the guys who can put the goal in the back of the net got a lot of the attention from fans and the media. However, having a game-changing goalie can be a huge advantage for a team. Paraguay had that in 2026 with Orlando Gill.
Of course, Gill got help from the defenders in front of him, but he still led this year’s World Cup with 28 saves. Although he had a rough night against the Americans, Paraguay allowed just one goal in their three other group stage matches. He played a key role in their upset win over Germany in the Round of 32. Then helped push France to the brink of defeat in the Round of 16.
Ousmane Dembele, France
Mbappe was the biggest story for France during this World Cup because of his striking brilliance. However, the French wouldn’t have been the dominant force they became for much of the tournament without Ousmane Dembele.
The Paris Saint-Germain star had a great tourney as he tallied five goals and two assists. The French veteran was an example of the deep and talent-rich squad his country had this year and will have again in 2030.
Jude Bellingham, England
While Harry Kane was the grizzled veteran star for England this year, the 2026 edition of the World Cup was a coming-out party globally for 23-year-old countryman Jude Bellingham. Despite playing in 50 fewer minutes than Kane, he had just as many goals, with six. The Real Madrid star brought his squad energy and often set the tone on offense. He was a major reason why they nearly reached the Finals this month.
