Top 100 Players In The 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ranked

The best players in the world will be on display this summer at the 2026 World Cup. So, let’s rank them.

Ahead of the world's premier sporting event, our on-air experts — Alexi Lalas, Maurice Edu and Stu Holden — and production staff ranked the 100 best stars who will likely feature at this summer’s World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. We’ll count down to No. 1 over the next five weeks, starting with Nos. 100-76. 

Just how good is USA captain Christian Pulisic? Where do living legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stack up compared to the latest generation of stars, led by Kylian Mbappé? What about players making their World Cup debuts, like Erling Haaland or Lamine Yamal? 

Some big names kick things off for us. Is South Korea's Son Heung-min too low? Is Mexico's Raúl Jiménez way overrated? And where does Pulisic really rank? 

Let's get into it!

100.

Pervis Estupiñán | Defender | Ecuador

(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Age: 28
National team appearances: 52
Club team: AC Milan (Italy)

Estupiñán thrived in the Premier League for three seasons with Brighton before making a move to AC Milan last summer. He is one of the impressive talents that make Ecuador a potential sleeper this summer.

99.

Alexander Isak | Forward | Sweden

(Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)

Age: 26
National team appearances: 56
Club team: Liverpool (England)

Isak scored 52 goals in his last two seasons at Newcastle before making a big-money move to Liverpool last summer. Injuries have limited him to just four goals and 21 games this season, but he is a constant threat to score whenever he’s on the pitch.

98.

Kim Min-jae | Defender | South Korea

(Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

Age: 29
National team appearances: 77
Club team: Bayern Munich (Germany)

Kim won Serie A with Napoli in 2023 before making a big move to Bayern Munich. He hasn’t established himself as a first-choice player for the German giants, but he will be a pillar in the Korean defense this summer.

97.

Bradley Barcola | Forward | France

(Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

Age: 23
National team appearances: 18
Club team: Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Barcola is one of the hugely talented French attacking players who will be vying for a starting spot. At 22 years old, Barcola is one of the best young wingers in the world and plays at PSG, which won last season’s UEFA Champions League.

96.

Lisandro Martínez | Defender | Argentina

(Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)

Age: 28
National team appearances: 26
Club team: Manchester United (England)

Martínez would start at center back for most teams in this tournament, but he’s likely going to start as the third option behind Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi, who started during Argentina’s winning run in 2022. He can fill in at left back, as well, and will play a role somehow for the reigning champions.

95.

Phil Foden | Forward | England

(Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Age: 25
National team appearances: 49
Club team: Manchester City (England)

Foden was the Premier League Player of the Season in 2023-24, but he has not built off that honor. At 25 years old, he is yet to find his footing and establish a spot in the England team.

94.

Kaoru Mitoma | Forward | Japan

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Age: 28
National team appearances: 31
Club team: Brighton (England)

Mitoma is an exciting winger who broke out two years ago for Brighton. He scored the winning goal for Japan back on March 31 in a friendly against England and will be the key player in attack for his country this summer.

93.

Marcus Thuram | Forward | France

(Photo by Antonio Borga/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Age: 28
National team appearances: 33
Club team: Inter Milan (Italy)

Kylian Mbappé will likely lead France’s attack at the start of the tournament, but Thuram is a very good alternative. Son of former France star Lilian Thuram, Marcus has scored at least 12 Serie A goals in each of his first three seasons at Inter Milan.

92.

Mikel Oyarzabal | Forward | Spain

(Photo by Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Age: 29
National team appearances: 52
Club team: Real Sociedad (Spain)

A winger by trade for Real Sociedad, Oyarzabal has stepped up as a striker for the national team in the past. The best example was in the Euro 2024 final, when he scored the winning goal for Spain against England.

91.

Gonçalo Ramos | Forward | Portugal

(Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

Age: 24
National team appearances: 24
Club team: Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Ramos famously replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal lineup for a Round of 16 game against Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup and scored a hat trick. Ronaldo will likely start the tournament up front for Portugal, but Ramos is one of the best backup strikers you’ll see this summer.

90.

Raúl Jiménez | Forward | Mexico

(Photo by Yair Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images)

Age: 34
National team appearances: 125
Club team: Fulham (England)

Jiménez is a fixture in the Fulham starting lineup and will be the main man for Mexico this summer. With 44 goals for El Tri, he’s two goals behind former striker Jared Borgetti for second most all time.

89.

Kenan Yıldız | Forward | Türkiye

(Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Age: 20
National team appearances: 28
Club team: Juventus (Italy)

Yıldız broke into the Juventus lineup three years ago and quickly became a focal point of the team’s attack. At 20 years old, he has already made 28 appearances for Türkiye.

88.

Eberechi Eze | Forward | England

(Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Age: 27
National team appearances: 16
Club team: Arsenal (England)

Eze made a huge move to Arsenal last summer and immediately became a big part of Mikel Arteta's squad. He normally plays an attacking role, but he could push for the spot in England's midfield that is usually occupied by Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

87.

Mikel Merino | Midfielder | Spain

(Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)

Age: 29
National team appearances: 41
Club team: Arsenal (England)

Merino is unlikely to start for Spain, but he'll still probably play a big role. He scored eight goals in 10 appearances last year for the reigning European champions. A midfielder by trade, Merino has also played as a striker for both club and country.

86.

Casemiro | Midfielder | Brazil

(Photo by Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Age: 34
National team appearances: 84
Club team: Manchester United (England)

Casemiro is a four-time Champions League winner at Real Madrid, but he hasn’t maintained his high level of quality since moving to Manchester United in 2022. His former Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is now in charge of Brazil and brought the midfielder back to the national team last year.

85.

Fabián Ruiz | Midfielder | Spain

(Photo by Fran Santiago - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Age: 30
National team appearances: 41
Club team: Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Ruiz was part of PSG’s dominant midfield trio last year that powered the team’s Champions League victory. Spain’s midfield is loaded with talent, so it won’t be as easy for him to find a spot in the starting lineup.

84.

Marc Guéhi | Defender | England

(Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Age: 25
National team appearances: 27
Club team: Manchester City (England)

Guéhi was the captain for Crystal Palace last summer when the South London club won the FA Cup. He moved to Manchester City earlier this year and has immediately become a fixture in the reigning Premier League champion’s defense.

83.

Jeremie Frimpong | Defender | Netherlands

(Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Age: 25
National team appearances: 15
Club team: Liverpool (England)

Frimpong is listed as a defender, but he’s as important to the Dutch attack as he is to its defense. He has impressive pace and is a constant threat down the right wing when he’s on the pitch.

82.

Reece James | Defender | England

(Photo by Jack Thomas - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Age: 26
National team appearances: 22
Club team: Chelsea (England)

James will be an important player for England this summer with versatility to play either right back or midfield. Staying healthy has been James’ problem at Chelsea, although he has played in more than two dozen games in the Premier League this season.

81.

Son Heung-min | Forward | South Korea

(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Age: 33
National team appearances: 143
Club team: LAFC (United States)

Son is in the middle of his first full season in Los Angeles after a decade in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur. He’s South Korea’s all-time leader in national team appearances.

80.

Jules Koundé | Defender | France

(Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)

Age: 27
National team appearances: 46
Club team: Barcelona (Spain)

Koundé will likely start at right back for the French, who are among the favorites this summer. He has made at least 40 appearances in each of the last four seasons for Barcelona.

79.

Christian Pulisic | Forward | United States

(Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Age: 27
National team appearances: 84
Club team: AC Milan (Italy)

"Captain America" will have all eyes on him this summer. At 27 years old, Pulisic has already made 84 appearances for the U.S. national team. His 32 goals are 25 behind Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. Pulisic has not scored for the U.S. since November 2024, so he’ll need to regain his form if the Americans want to make a run into the knockout round.

78.

Arda Güler | Forward | Türkiye

(Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Age: 21
National team appearances: 28
Club team: Real Madrid (Spain)

Güler is finishing up his third season at Real Madrid and has emerged as a key player in the squad. He will be the main man for Türkiye for years to come, starting with this summer’s World Cup.

77.

Viktor Gyökeres | Forward | Sweden

(Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)

Age: 27
National team appearances: 32
Club team: Arsenal (England)

Gyökeres scored a memorable hat trick against Poland in the UEFA World Cup playoffs in March, including one in the 87th minute to seal a 3-2 win. He moved to Arsenal last summer and has 18 goals in all competitions.

76.

Dani Olmo | Forward | Spain

(Photo by Luciano Lima/Getty Images)

Age: 27
National team appearances: 48
Club team: Barcelona (Spain)

Olmo emerged as a key player for Spain at Euro 2024. He scored three goals — finishing in a six-way tie for the Golden Boot — including one in the quarterfinal and semifinal against Germany and France, respectively.

We will continue to unveil FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup Rank Top 100 Players each week. Up next are Nos. 75-51 on May 11.

2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch

The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).