The Offside Best XI of the 2026 World Cup: The 11 Players Who Ruled the Tournament

The Offside's 2026 World Cup Best XI: Our Team of the Tournament

Every World Cup leaves behind a team of its own.

Not necessarily the one chosen by FIFA.

And not necessarily the one made up of the biggest names.

But the one that, when we look back, best represents the football we watched throughout an entire month of competition.

The 2026 World Cup had a dominant champion, stars who lived up to their billing, young players who emerged on the biggest stage, and players who raised their level when the games mattered most.

That is why putting together a Best XI is not simply about picking the best players available.

It is about finding the right balance between individual performances, consistency, impact in decisive games and influence on the way their teams played.

After analyzing the tournament, The Offside has selected its 2026 World Cup Team of the Tournament.

And yes, there is room for world champions, finalists and a few choices that will certainly spark debate.

The XI

Emiliano Martínez — Argentina

The first controversial decision comes in goal.

The overall numbers favor Orlando Gill, who finished the World Cup as the goalkeeper with the most saves and also led the position in Sofascore rating.

But a World Cup XI also has to account for the moments that define a tournament.

And no goalkeeper produced a more monumental individual performance in a World Cup final than Emiliano Martínez.

Dibu made 11 saves against Spain, five of them from inside the box, and finished the final with an outstanding 9.6 Sofascore rating.

Argentina lost the final.

Martínez, however, did everything he could to prevent that from happening.

He was decisive throughout the campaign and, above all, in the game that mattered most.

For The Offside, that carries weight.

Pedro Porro — Right-back

Right-back was one of the toughest positions to decide.

Achraf Hakimi had an excellent World Cup, once again showcasing the combination of intensity, progressive carries and attacking threat that has made him one of the best full-backs in the world.

But Pedro Porro edged him in our assessment.

The Spaniard was one of the most important pieces in the system that carried Spain to the title and finished the tournament with a 7.45 Sofascore rating, one of the highest marks among Spain's defenders.

His game combined width, attacking aggression and composure in possession.

And there was something even more important.

Porro did not have to abandon his defensive responsibilities to influence the attack.

He could push forward without compromising the team's structure.

It showed again against Argentina.

It was Porro's long ball that found Nico Williams in the build-up to Spain's title-winning goal.

A full-back who contributes to the build-up, reaches the final third and still maintains the defensive balance of a World Cup-winning side.

Pau Cubarsí — Centre-back

At 19, Pau Cubarsí played his first World Cup as if he were playing his fifth.

And that may be the greatest compliment possible.

The Barcelona centre-back was one of the pillars of Spain's defense throughout the tournament and finished with a 7.56 Sofascore rating, the second-highest mark among Spanish players.

In the final, he delivered exactly what Spain needed.

Composure.

Reading of the game.

Precision.

Control.

He completed 121 of 126 passes, along with nine defensive actions, winning five of six ground duels and both of his attempted tackles.

He received an 8.2 rating in the final.

And, fittingly, he was awarded the FIFA Young Player of the Tournament after another outstanding performance at the World Cup.

He does not look like a 19-year-old.

He looks like a centre-back who already understands exactly what the game is asking of him.

Cristian Romero — Centre-back

Cubarsí's partner is perhaps the hardest selection to justify using raw numbers alone.

But football is not just a spreadsheet.

Cristian Romero was one of the most consistent players in Argentina's campaign.

His Sofascore rating never dropped below 7.0 across the six recorded matches, reaching 7.7 in the knockout rounds.

He did not produce one spectacular performance that dominated the headlines.

He offered something more valuable for a centre-back.

Consistency.

Romero won duels, stepped out to intercept, protected the box and kept Argentina's back line competitive against opponents with very different styles.

In a team built to survive seven World Cup games, that kind of consistency is invaluable.

Marc Cucurella — Left-back

There is very little debate here.

Cucurella was one of the defining players of Spain's World Cup triumph.

His football was aggressive without becoming reckless.

He defended on the front foot.

Pressed.

Recovered possession.

Supported the attack.

And, most importantly, turned the left flank into a zone of security for a team that so often pinned opponents deep.

He finished with a 7.09 Sofascore rating.

But the number does not tell the whole story.

In the semifinal against France, Cucurella produced one of the tournament's outstanding defensive performances.

He recorded seven defensive actions, won three of four tackles and four of seven ground duels.

He repeatedly shut down players such as Olise, Dembélé and Cherki.

He was not simply a full-back in a World Cup-winning team.

He was one of the reasons that team was so difficult to break down.

Rodri — Defensive midfielder

If there is one player who seems capable of controlling the clock of a football match, it is Rodri.

Spain did not dominate the World Cup simply because they had the ball.

They dominated because they had someone capable of deciding exactly what to do with it.

Rodri received.

Turned.

Accelerated.

Slowed the game down.

Switched play.

Protected possession.

And repeated it throughout the tournament.

He finished as Spain's highest-rated player on Sofascore, with a 7.76 rating.

He was also the tournament's outright leader for completed passes, with 756 successful passes, a clear indication of how much of Spain's build-up flowed through him.

In the final against Argentina, he completed 101 of 106 passes, with 95% passing accuracy, along with two key passes and four defensive actions.

It is difficult to find a player who better represents Spain's footballing identity.

Jude Bellingham — Midfielder

Few players had as much attacking impact from midfield as Jude Bellingham.

The Englishman finished the World Cup with seven goals, all from open play, setting a new record for goals by an English player in a single World Cup.

His final Sofascore rating was around 7.8, putting him among the five highest-rated players of the tournament.

But the attacking numbers are only part of the story.

Bellingham remained a midfielder.

He pressed.

Carried the ball.

Arrived in the box.

Attacked space.

Helped build attacks.

And stepped up when England needed him most.

Against Norway, he scored twice in extra time to send England through to the quarterfinals.

Against Mexico, he scored twice again.

He was a player who turned presence into impact.

Dani Olmo — Midfielder

The second midfield spot was one of the most fiercely contested.

Pedri posted a higher overall Sofascore rating and was crucial to Spain's control of games.

Martin Ødegaard finished among the tournament's assist leaders.

But The Offside goes with Dani Olmo.

Why?

Because his influence appeared exactly where World Cup matches are often decided.

Between the lines.

With the final pass.

In the acceleration of possession.

In his ability to receive in crowded areas and turn a seemingly safe spell of possession into an attacking opportunity.

Olmo finished with a 7.01 Sofascore rating, but his importance to Spain's structure was greater than the number alone suggests.

In the quarterfinal against Belgium, for example, he posted a 7.2 rating in a performance where he once again played an important role in controlling the midfield.

He was not necessarily Spain's most spectacular player.

He was one of their most useful — always precise when it mattered.

Kylian Mbappé — Left wing

If there was one player at this World Cup who was impossible to ignore, it was Mbappé.

The Frenchman finished as the World Cup's top scorer with 10 goals, along with four assists.

His Sofascore rating was 8.24, the second-highest among all players at the tournament.

And this was about much more than goals.

Mbappé also registered 18 key passes and 16 successful dribbles.

His ability to attack space in behind, receive wide, carry the ball at speed and drift inside made life extremely difficult for opposing defenders.

France did not reach the final.

But that does not diminish the tournament of their best player.

Mbappé delivered from the opening game to the last.

Lionel Messi — False nine

The final was below his usual standard.

The World Cup was not.

Messi finished the tournament with the highest Sofascore rating of any player: 8.79.

He recorded eight goals, four assists, 26 key passes, eight big chances created and 28 successful dribbles.

No other player combined playmaking, ball carrying and finishing quite like him.

At 39, Messi remained the main creative brain behind Argentina.

His movement between the lines constantly forced defenders into difficult decisions.

If a centre-back stepped out, space opened up behind him.

If he stayed back, Messi could receive and turn.

If two players closed him down, someone else was left free.

That was the pattern throughout most of the tournament.

In the semifinal against England, he delivered two assists and orchestrated Argentina's comeback.

The final was different.

Spain managed to neutralize him.

But one game does not erase an entire tournament.

Ousmane Dembélé — Right wing

Dembélé completes the front three.

And perhaps he is the hardest player to leave out of any XI once you look at the final numbers.

The Frenchman finished with six goals, two assists and 18 key passes, along with a 7.91 Sofascore rating.

He was the third-highest-rated outfield player in the competition.

His ability to operate on either flank, drive inside or outside and use both feet created constant problems for opposing defenses.

Against Morocco in the quarterfinals, he scored once and received an 8.9 Sofascore rating, in a performance that summed up his tournament perfectly: creativity, efficiency and movement.

Dembélé was not simply a player who offered pace.

He was one of France's main creative forces.

The Offside's Best XI

Spain leads the team with five players. Argentina has three, France two and England one.

It is an interesting reflection of the tournament.

Spain became world champions because they built the best collective unit.

But the tournament's biggest individual stars came from different footballing cultures and different national teams.

Messi led the individual performance rankings.

Mbappé topped the scoring charts.

Rodri controlled the midfield.

Bellingham turned goals from the second line into a major weapon.

Dembélé combined creativity and efficiency.

And Cubarsí, at just 19, finished the tournament looking like a seasoned veteran.

The notable omissions

Every Team of the Tournament leaves someone out.

Pedri could easily have made this XI.

Martin Ødegaard finished with four assists and had an outstanding World Cup.

Michael Olise led the tournament for assists, with seven, while also creating seven big chances.

Erling Haaland scored seven goals in just five appearances.

Vinícius Júnior also enjoyed a strong World Cup and finished among the tournament's highest-rated players before the knockout rounds.

Achraf Hakimi was another player who came extremely close to taking the right-back spot, particularly because of his ability to influence both sides of the game.

And perhaps that is the best part of putting together a World Cup XI.

There is no definitive answer.

There is only the interpretation of those who watched.

The numbers help tell the story.

But football still demands context.

The XI that stayed with us

The 2026 World Cup ended with Spain lifting the trophy.

But The Offside's Best XI is not simply a tribute to the champions.

It is a snapshot of the players who made us stop and watch.

Some controlled.

Some created.

Some scored.

Some defended.

And some managed to do all of it at once.