The 2026 World Cup features several players whose talent or legacy is not in doubt, but they could take things to another level with a successful tournament. Here are the major five.
Cristiano Ronaldo
At this tournament, Portugal’s captain will become one of the few players to appear at six World Cups. His career is undisputedly up there as the greatest in history, alongside Lionel Messi. Ronaldo has won league titles in England, Spain, Italy, and then Saudi Arabia this year. He has won five Champions Leagues and collected almost every individual honour available. But this is his last chance to win the world cup. “Of course, I really want to win [the World Cup] but honestly it won’t change my standing in football,” Ronaldo told Piers Morgan. But there is no doubt that winning it would be the crowning jewel on an extraordinary career, and how the legend would want that.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane has finally started collecting major trophies at club level. The next step is obvious. England’s captain spent much of his career carrying the reputation of a prolific goalscorer who lacked silverware. That changed after his move to Bayern Munich, where domestic success has turned his career around.
But the World Cup offers something even bigger. England have reached the semi-finals, a final and a quarter-final in their last four major tournaments. Kane has been at the centre of that progress but has yet to lead England to a trophy. Success in North America would elevate him from one of England’s greatest forwards to their undisputed greatest. And how the country would honour them. It would also place him firmly in the Ballon d’Or conversation, particularly if he finishes among the tournament’s leading scorers.
Lamine Yamal
Spain’s star player has already won the Euros and established himself as Barcelona’s best player. Last year he finished second in the Ballon d’Or rankings before becoming a legal adult. This year he won La Liga’s player of the season award. With the World Cup, he could lift his already stratospheric career even higher. Spain are favourites to win the tournament and if they manage that, just as they won Euro 2024, Yamal would almost certainly be at the epicentre of it, and it would strengthen his claim to be regarded as the best player in the world.
Angelo Stiller
Angelo Stiller has spent years being mentioned as a possible successor to Toni Kroos. This World Cup could be his opportunity to justify those comparisons. The Stuttgart midfielder has been one of the Bundesliga’s most influential players over the past two seasons. His passing range and ability to dictate play are elite level. Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany already have established stars in Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Aleksandar Pavlovic, which means Stiller has often operated outside the spotlight.
The 2026 World Cup is an opportunity to change that. Germany have lacked a midfielder capable of controlling matches in the way Kroos once did. Stiller does not play exactly the same role, but he shares many of the same qualities. If Germany make a deep run and he impressed enough, Europe’s biggest clubs are likely to come knocking. Kroos earned his move to Real Madrid after winning the 2014 World Cup with Germany. Stiller could do something similar.
Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz is one of the most talented players in Europe, his performances for Bayer Leverkusen earning him a record move to Liverpool last summer. But he has not quite reached the level expected. His first season at Anfield showed some of his promise but he also struggled to adjust to the physicality of the English game, and Liverpool’s confused tactical play under Arne Slot did him no favours. Returning to Anfield a World Cup champion would do a world of good for his confidence.
