After Ronaldo and Messi's Twilight Years: A Look at the Top 10 Players to Watch at the 2026 World Cup

(CNA Taipei, 5th, Combined Foreign News) The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off on June 11. This edition will feature an expanded 48 teams for the first time, bringing together more top global players. Fox Sports has selected the top 100 players to watch for this tournament, and the following is a selection of the top 10.

● 10th: Pedri (Midfielder, Spain) Age: 23 National Team Caps: 40 Club: FC Barcelona (La Liga) Pedri was promoted from the Spanish second division to La Liga's FC Barcelona in 2020, playing 52 games in his debut season. Since then, he has grown into a versatile box-to-box midfielder at the Catalan giants and is now considered one of the world's best midfielders. Despite being under 24, he has already earned 40 caps for Spain. Unfortunately, he injured his knee in the Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Germany and was unable to join his teammates in winning the title. If fit, Pedri will be a mainstay in Spain's starting midfield.

● 9th: Vitinha (Midfielder, Portugal) Age: 26 National Team Caps: 37 Club: Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1) From a failed loan to becoming one of the world's best players, Vitinha's story is an inspirational one. A product of FC Porto's youth academy, Vitinha was loaned to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2020-21 season, making 19 appearances without being retained. He returned to Porto transformed and moved to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2022. He is now one of the best midfielders in the world for ball control, a key engine in PSG's two consecutive Champions League titles, and remains at his peak. While Portugal has a wealth of midfield talent, Vitinha will be the one truly controlling the team's rhythm.

● 8th: Achraf Hakimi (Defender, Morocco) Age: 27 National Team Caps: 95 Club: Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1) Although born in Madrid, Spain, both of Hakimi's parents are Moroccan. He came through Real Madrid's youth system and has played for Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain. Hakimi has further cemented his status as a key player on the right flank in Ligue 1, excelling in both attack and defense. Few players in the world can match his pace. Hakimi was a key figure in leading Morocco to the semi-finals in the 2022 World Cup, and how far Morocco goes this time will largely depend on the performance of their star player.

● 7th: Vinicius Junior (Forward, Brazil) Age: 25 National Team Caps: 47 Club: Real Madrid (La Liga) Vinicius Junior joined the 'Galacticos' of Real Madrid at 18 and has since made over 370 appearances for the club, helping them win two Champions League titles, scoring the winning goal in the 2022 and 2024 finals. While his club success hasn't yet been replicated with the Brazilian national team, he will be the central figure in Brazil's title ambitions this summer. Brazil's manager is Carlo Ancelotti, who led Vinicius to two Champions League titles at Real Madrid, and Vinicius will be the focal point of the attack from the left wing.

● 6th: Erling Haaland (Forward, Norway) Age: 25 National Team Caps: 49 Club: Manchester City (Premier League) Standing at 196 cm, Haaland combines speed and power, making him a rare, monstrous striker. He scored over 160 goals in his first four seasons at Manchester City, establishing himself as the Premier League's top striker. He is even more efficient for Norway, scoring 55 goals in 49 appearances. Haaland has already won the Premier League and Champions League with his club and has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times, making him the most fearsome goal-scoring machine in football today. This World Cup is his first major international tournament, and Norway hopes to make a mark this summer thanks to him.

● 5th: Michael Olise (Forward, France) Age: 24 National Team Caps: 15 Club: Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) Olise was already an excellent playmaker at Crystal Palace in the Premier League, and he has elevated his game since moving to Bayern Munich in 2024. An attacking midfielder, Olise has contributed 41 goals and 46 assists in his two seasons at Bayern, becoming an important member of the French national team during this period. Although he has only 15 caps for France, his delicate dribbling and elegant left foot make him a key weapon on the right flank. The terrifying part is that he is not the only sharp blade in France's attacking arsenal.

● 4th: Ousmane Dembele (Forward, France) Age: 28 National Team Caps: 58 Club: Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1) Dembele won the Ballon d'Or in 2025, becoming the world's best footballer for that year. Last year, he played as a center-forward in PSG's Champions League-winning campaign, but he is likely to return to a winger position for this World Cup. After six injury-plagued seasons at Barcelona, Dembele moved to PSG in 2023, coinciding with Kylian Mbappe's departure for Real Madrid, making Dembele the new core of the team. This summer, he will link up with Mbappe and Olise to form what is arguably the most formidable attacking trio of the tournament.

● 3rd: Harry Kane (Forward, England) Age: 32 National Team Caps: 112 Club: Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) While Kane may not possess Haaland's physical attributes, he is one of the most consistent and efficient strikers in the world. Since moving from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern three seasons ago, he has scored 139 goals in 143 games. In his nine full seasons at Tottenham, he averaged 23.3 goals per season. Kane is also England's all-time leading scorer with 78 goals, always finding space in the box to make opponents pay. This could be the 32-year-old's last World Cup, and he is aiming to bring England their second World Cup title since 1966.

● 2nd: Kylian Mbappe (Forward, France) Age: 27 National Team Caps: 96 Club: Real Madrid (La Liga) Over the past six seasons, whether at PSG or Real Madrid, Mbappe has scored at least 39 goals per season, making him as consistent and efficient a scorer as Kane. Mbappe's greatest asset is his blistering pace, allowing him to easily beat defenders and create chances for himself. Mbappe burst onto the scene at the 2018 World Cup, scoring four goals (three in the knockout stages) to help France win the title. This summer, he will lead France as captain, aiming to avenge their loss in the 2022 World Cup final.

● 1st: Lamine Yamal (Forward, Spain) Age: 18 National Team Caps: 25 Club: FC Barcelona (La Liga) Over the past three years, Lamine Yamal has taken the football world by storm. He made his first-team debut for Barcelona in May 2023 at just 15 years old and entered the starting lineup shortly after turning 16. Since then, Yamal has made over 150 appearances for Barcelona and over 30 for the Spanish national team. He helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 shortly after his 17th birthday. Yamal suffered a hamstring injury in late April this year but was ultimately included in Spain's final squad; his recovery is the only variable. If healthy, this teenage prodigy will be a nightmare for opposing defenses from the right wing. (Translated and edited by Chen Yiwei) 1150605