The group stage of the 2026 World Cup is almost over, and there has already been a surfeit of talking points to whet the appetite of football fans across the globe. Away from the political tensions that have defined the tournament off the pitch, several teams have emerged as early favourites for glory.
Argentina look a safe bet to go far again after winning it under Lionel Messi’s guidance in 2022, while France’s attacking play has also seen them maintain a 100% start this summer with real authority. Meanwhile, Morocco, the USA and Japan have emerged as genuine dark horses, showing enough resilience and quality to suggest deep runs, while others have already fallen by the wayside, including Haiti and Tunisia.
The current state of England remains unclear, having made a statement of intent with a 4-2 win over Croatia before a damp squib against Ghana left them winless in their second match for a fourth straight tournament. But what about the players themselves within those teams? The standout performers so far have been ranked based on their average WhoScored rating.
Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez in action for Argentina Related
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Viktor GyokeresTrask Smith/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Kicking things off is Premier League star Daniel Munoz, whose two goals from right-back for Colombia earn him an average rating of 7.70. Alexi Lalas placed the South American underdogs above Argentina in his controversial World Cup Power Rankings ahead of the tournament, but they had to squeeze past debutants DR Congo in their first match before conceding to Uzbekistan in their second, resulting in Munoz’s ceiling being lower than others on this list.
Keito Nakamura, along with Paraguay duo Julio Enciso and Matías Galarza, follow within 0.02 points, while Pedri - despite being considered among the top three midfielders in the world - sits down in 26th. That could be reflective of Spain’s lack of control in the engine room when the pressure rose in a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, though the fact Matheus Cunha’s three goals only earn him one place higher is indicative of the Barcelona man’s ability to impress without necessarily dominating headlines.
In 24th is Viktor Gyokeres, having scored and assisted once so far. He is narrowly behind Canada’s Nathan Saliba, Algeria’s Nadhir Benbouali, and Portugal defender Ruben Dias, whose pass success stands at an incredible 98.4% so far.
30 Best Players at 2026 World Cup Based on Stats (30-21)
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Christian Pulisic | USMNTKiyoshi Mio via Reuters
Two USA players feature in this section after the Stars and Stripes managed to win back-to-back World Cup matches for just the second time in their history, and the first since 1930. Christian Pulisic’s dictatorial performance against Paraguay earned him an 8.04 rating before an injury ruled him out of Mauricio Pochettino’s next two matches, while Alex Freeman (7.85) has won more aerial duels than anyone on this list with five, having also kept a clean sheet and contributed to two goals.
Maxi Araujo of Uruguay, and Japanese ace Ko Itakura sit either side of him in 20th and 18th respectively. Achraf Hakimi, who has created 11 big chances so far this summer, then follows after his goal and assist against Haiti in their final match spared Morocco plenty of blushes, while Mikel Oyarzabal was boosted by Lamine Yamal’s return in Spain’s second match to score twice and register another assist in a cruising victory over Saudi Arabia.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was among those to be viciously trolled on social media after Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their opener, with many Cristiano Ronaldo fans infuriated by what they felt was a deliberate decision not to pass to him. In the second match, however, all was forgiven when he set up Portugal’s opener, placing him just behind Alexander Isak on this list, as Liverpool fans dream of a return to full sharpness for their British transfer fee record signing.
30 Best Players at 2026 World Cup Based on Stats (20-11)
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Vinicius Jr in action for Brazil at the 2026 World CupKim Price/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA via Reuters
In a World Cup that has already produced several memorable goalkeeping performances, Alireza Beiranvand joined the group with seven saves during Iran's recent goalless draw against Belgium, which included one of the saves of the tournament. For that reason, he earns a place in the top 10, with his 8.12 rating just behind that of Felix Nmecha (8.14) and Pedro Porro (8.15).
Deniz Undav has only played 57 minutes, but the former Brighton man has scored three goals and registered two assists, almost certainly earning him a starting place going into the knockouts. Despite more goal contributions in fewer minutes, though, Michael Olise has proven his special talent once again so far and ranks sixth, just behind Vinicius Junior who has finally started putting numbers up on the board for Brazil.
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Both those wingers will be vying for a Ballon d'Or come October. The same can't be said for Cody Gakpo, who seems to do much better for country than he does club, earning a place in at fourth as he averages a score of 8.54. That's still a decent amount behind Kylian Mbappe (8.61) and Erling Haaland (8.87), but nobody ius even close to reaching Messi's pedestal, with his score of 9.66 reflecting the fact he's still one of the best in the world, scoring all five of Argentina's goals so far as he eyes immortality once again.
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30 Best Players at 2026 World Cup Based on Stats (10-1)
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Stats courtesy of Whoscored (correct as of 25/06/2026)