Son Heung Min is the most famous player in South Korea’s soccer history. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
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We know the groups for the 2026 World Cup, so let’s fill you in on the players to watch.
The World Cup draw took place on Friday in Washington, and we know every country’s path to glory next summer across the United States, Canada and Mexico. With 48 teams in the field this year, though, there are a lot of players to get to know who you may not be familiar with.
We kept it to one player for each country so you can get to know every country a bit more. So, without further ado, here are the best players in every group.
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Group A
Mexico: Striker Raul Jimenez
Jimenez already has 121 caps and 34 goals to his name for Mexico. The national team is not in the best shape right now, so it will need its 34-year-old talisman to be in form and lead a sputtering attack.
South Korea: Winger Son Heung-Min
Son is a former Tottenham legend who moved to LAFC over the summer and scored 12 goals with three assists in 13 MLS matches. He scored 173 goals for Spurs and has 54 for his country. With 154 caps for the national team, Son is the star man for the Koreans, who are an intriguing team coming out of Pot 2.
Group B
Canada: Left Back Alphonso Davies
Davies is recovering from a torn ACL and should be back soon for Bayern Munich. When fit, he’s one of the best left backs and fastest players in world soccer. He will be a focal point and the key game-changer for Canada.
Switzerland: Midfielder Granit Xhaka
The Swiss are not full of superstars, but the team is led by the Sunderland midfielder, who has an incredible 143 caps for the national team. Xhaka has the Black Cats in sixth place in the Premier League, and he’s set to lead the Swiss this summer at his fourth World Cup.
Group C
Brazil: Winger Vinicius Junior
“Vini” is the star of a Brazil team that is not as full of star power as previous World Cups. Still, the Real Madrid man is one of the world’s best and has proven it at the club level. Delivering for Brazil, though, is his next step.
Vinicius Junior will look to match his club success with Brazil next summer. (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Morocco: Right Back Achraf Hakimi
Hakimi is a big part of the PSG team that won the Champions League last season. He is the best attacking right back in the world and will provide fiery pace up the right wing for a Morocco team that will not sneak up on anyone this time around.
Group D
USA: Winger Christian Pulisic
Captain America. Pulisic is at AC Milan and already has 82 caps and 32 goals for the United States at age 27. If he is in form next summer, the Americans’ chances of making a deep run will dramatically increase.
Australia: Midfielder Jackson Irvine
Jackson Irvine earned selection to multiple A-League and Scottish Premiership Team of the Season lists during his club career. His professional stops include Celtic, Ross County, Burton Albion, Hull City and FC St. Pauli, where he became a key midfield presence. At international level, Irvine has recorded 79 caps and scored in World Cup qualifying campaigns for Australia.
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Group E
Germany: Midfielder Jamal Musiala
The English-born Bayern Munich midfielder has not played this season after suffering an injury during last summer’s Club World Cup. When fit, he’s one of the first names on the team sheet at one of the world’s best teams. Germany’s attack will flow through Musiala when he’s fit.
Ecuador: Midfielder Moises Caicedo
Caicedo was a nine-figure purchase for Chelsea in 2023, and he has further established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Ecuador’s defense is also a strength with a center-back pairing of Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie and PSG’s Willian Pacho.
Group F
Netherlands: Center Back Virgil Van Dijk
The Dutch lack star power in attack, but not in defense. Van Dijk helped lead Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, during which he proved to be one of the world’s best. A slow start to this season does not mean Van Dijk is past his prime.
Virgil Van Dijk is the clear leader for the Dutch. (Stefan Koops/EYE4images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Japan: Winger Takefusa Kubo
Takefusa Kubo produced his best European season with double-digit goal contributions for Real Sociedad in La Liga. His development included time in the academies of Barcelona and FC Tokyo before professional spells in Spain with Mallorca, Villarreal, Getafe and Sociedad. He has represented Japan at both the Olympics and the 2022 World Cup, contributing goals in AFC competitions.
Group G
Belgium: Goalkeeper Thibault Courtois
Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and striker Romelu Lukaku are past their primes, but Courtois is not. Real Madrid’s goalkeeper is still considered the best in the world, and he will need to be big for Belgium, which missed its golden generation’s window.
Iran: Striker Mehdi Taremi
Taremi is the go-to guy for Iran with 56 international goals in 103 games. After a down season at Inter Milan, Taremi has regained his form at Olympiacos this season. He was one of two players in Iran’s last international squad in November that does not play his club soccer in the Middle East.
Group H
Spain: Winger Yamine Yamal
Yamal is 18 years old and has already played more than 100 games for Barcelona. At the international level, he was 16 years old when Spain won Euro 2024 and played a key role. Yamal is the game’s next young superstar and will take center stage for one of the tournament favorites this summer.
Uruguay: Midfielder Federico Valverde
In the past, Uruguay went through strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Now, it goes through Valverde, a do-it-all midfielder for Real Madrid who has an engine that doesn’t stop. Honorable mention to Jose Maria Gimenez, a center back for Atletico Madrid who is Uruguay’s captain.
Group I
France: Striker Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe is 26 years old and has scored more than 400 goals in his career. The 2018 World Cup winner, who also scored a hat trick in the 2022 final, is on fire with Real Madrid this season with 25 goals in 20 games between La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
Norway: Striker Erling Haaland
Simply put, Haaland is the best goalscorer in the world right now. Partnered by Atletico Madrid forward Alexander Sorloth and Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard, Haaland will lead a potentially lethal attack next summer. The 25-year-old has 55 international goals in just 48 games for his country.
Kylian Mbappe (left) and Erling Haaland have faced off at club level, and they’re now set to meet at the World Cup next summer. (OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Group J
Argentina: Forward Lionel Messi
Messi needs no introduction, although it does need to be noted that he hasn’t committed to playing for Argentina next summer. If Messi doesn’t play, Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez will be the key man for Argentina.
Austria: Center Back David Alaba
Alaba has not been very active for Real Madrid this season, but his 111 caps and bevvy of experience makes him the face of the Austrian team. Striker Marko Arnautovic will also be one to watch, and there are also a few noteworthy midfielders in the Bundesliga to watch for Austria.
Group K
Portugal: Midfielder Vitinha
The PSG midfielder was the maestro of the team’s Champions League triumph last season, and he has continued his fine form this year. While Cristiano Ronaldo is the biggest star, Portugal’s play will go through Vitinha next summer.
Colombia: Midfielder James Rodriguez
Rodriguez took the world by storm in 2014, when he led Colombia to the quarterfinals. At club level, Rodriguez has struggled and failed to reach the stardom he has for his national team. Now 34 years old and playing for Club Leon in Mexico, he is still the go-to guy for Colombia.
Group L
England: Striker Harry Kane
This could be Kane or Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham. There really is no wrong answer. Kane is England’s captain and the country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 78 goals in 112 caps. He moved to Bayern Munich in 2023 and has scored 76 goals in 75 Bundesliga games.
Croatia: Midfielder Luka Modric
Age is only a number for Modric, who turned 40 years old in September. He’s having another great season at AC Milan after ending his 13-year run at Real Madrid. Croatia doesn’t have the star power it has had at past World Cups, but their midfield maestro is still capable of a moment of brilliance that can beat any team in the world.
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