The 2026 World Cup is over, with Spain crowned champions.
This was a World Cup like never before, with 48 nations travelling across the United States, Mexico and Canada with the quest of being named world champions. Across those nations, 1,039 players made an appearance at the tournament, with some more memorable than others.
We’ve already put together our Team of the Tournament, but we know not everyone will agree. So we’ve got a few more opinions.
We asked our Squawka team of writers for their World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournaments. Read on for the teams and reasonings below.
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Ben McAleer
- Team of the Tournament (4-3-3): Vozinha; Porro, Cubarsi, Romero, Cucurella; Bellingham, Rodri, E Fernandez; Messi, Haaland, Mbappe.
Vozinha became a cult hero during the World Cup, and his performances enabled tournament debutants Cape Verde to enjoy a summer to remember.
Having conceded just once this summer, three of the four defenders play for world champions Spain, with Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Cucurella all shining. Cristian Romero is the exception. The man would die to see Argentina succeed in a five-a-side game, let alone a World Cup match.
Rodri anchors a midfield that includes England goal-machine Jude Bellingham and Argentine star Enzo Fernandez. The latter helped drag Argentina to the World Cup final, though the less said about his red card, the better.
And it’s impossible to overlook Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi on the frontline. The trio scored 25 goals between them this summer, while Messi has been head and shoulders above the rest in North America.
Andy Francis
- Team of the Tournament (4-2-3-1): Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Romero, Cucurella; Rodri, Bellingham; Olise, Messi, Mbappe; Haaland.
Spain’s world champions provide the spine. Unai Simon conceded just one at the tournament, protected by Pau Cubarsi, who played well beyond his years, and the tireless Marc Cucurella. Pedro Porro and Cristian Romero complete a back four that gave almost nothing away.
Rodri was the tournament’s standout player for me, dictating every game Spain played. Alongside him, Jude Bellingham carried England to the semi-finals with his surging runs from deep.
The front four picks itself. Michael Olise lit up the tournament from the right, Kylian Mbappe took the Golden Boot, and Erling Haaland led the line ruthlessly for Norway. At the heart of it all, Lionel Messi, still dictating games at 39.
Chris Jones
- Team of the Tournament (4-2-3-1): Vozinha; Porro, Cubarsi, Martinez, Cucurella; Rodri, Bellingham; Messi, Olise, Mbappe; Haaland.
Vozinha opened the tournament with a clean sheet against Spain and averaged 4.15 saves per 90 as Cape Verde reached the knockout rounds, perfectly encapsulating the magic of the World Cup.
A Spanish-dominated defence is mandatory after conceding just once all summer. Lisandro Martinez also deserves a mention for anchoring an Argentina side that wouldn’t lie down.
From here, it’s big hitters only. Golden Ball winner Rodri and seven-goal Jude Bellingham sit in midfield, with Michael Olise in the 10 after his creative masterclass. Golden Boot and Silver Boot winners Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are on the flanks, while Erling Haaland edges out Harry Kane after dragging Norway to the quarter-finals.
Harry Edwards
- Team of the Tournament (4-1-4-1): Vozinha; Porro, Romero, Cubarsi, Spence; Rodri; Messi, Olise, Bellingham, Mbappe; Haaland.
It would be easy to fill this team with Spain players, with some standout stars. But La Roja‘s win also came as a sum of all their parts, they were the best team at the World Cup. They boasted the best defence, but Unai Simon didn’t have too much to do. Vozinha, on the other hand, was key in Cape Verde’s surprise run despite their early exit. Pedro Porro and Pau Cubarsi are in from the Spain defence, with the former performing particularly well. Cristian Romero also looked very good as part of Argentina’s defence, while Djed Spence looked a completely different player from the one who lined up for Tottenham in 2025-26.
I’ve gone very attacking with the midfield, a 4-1-4-1 leaving Rodri to do a lot of defensive work. But he was absolutely the best player at the World Cup this summer, adding another trophy to his collection. Michael Olise broke the record for the most assists in a single men’s World Cup and was key in France reaching the semi-finals. Jude Bellingham had the same impact for England, though his came through scoring goals. Then there’s the top three goalscorers of the tournament, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
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