FIFA's World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament springs surprise; Messi and Mbappe in, two Spain heroes miss out

The Best XI features three players each from Spain and France, two from Argentina, and one apiece from England, Norway and World Cup debutants Cape Verde.

Updated on: Jul 23, 2026, 08:34:23 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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FIFA has finally unveiled its Team of the Tournament for the recently concluded 2026 World Cup, held across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Spain lifted the trophy for only the second time in their history after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium in New York.

Kylian Mbappe for France and Lionel Messi for Argentina. (AFP)

The Best XI features three players each from Spain and France, two from Argentina, and one apiece from England, Norway and World Cup debutants Cape Verde.

Spain's representatives are right-back Pedro Porro, left-back Marc Cucurella and midfielder Rodri, who also won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

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But while Rodri's inclusion was never in doubt, FIFA's selections have raised eyebrows elsewhere. Two of Spain's standout performers — centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte — failed to make the XI despite anchoring the tournament's best defence. Goalkeeper Unai Simon, who won the Golden Glove after keeping seven clean sheets and conceding just once throughout the World Cup, was another notable omission.

Cubarsi, who won the Best Young Player award, completed 668 passes during the tournament, second only to Rodri, while Laporte added another 618. Together, they formed one of the most composed defensive pairings of the competition, leading a Spain side that conceded the fewest goals at the tournament.

Instead, FIFA opted for France's Dayot Upamecano and Argentina's Lisandro Martinez in central defence.

Simon's exclusion also came as a surprise. Rather than selecting the Golden Glove winner, FIFA handed the goalkeeper's spot to Cape Verde veteran Vozinha, whose remarkable performances during the African nation's historic run to the Round of 32 turned him into one of the breakout stars of the tournament.

Elsewhere, there were few surprises.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, the tournament's two biggest stars, headline the attack. Mbappe finished with 10 goals and four assists to claim the Golden Boot, while Messi almost single-handedly carried Argentina to a second successive World Cup final with eight goals and four assists.

The pair are joined in the front three by Norway striker Erling Haaland, who scored seven goals as his country reached the knockout stage for the first time in their history, including a famous Round of 32 victory over Brazil.

France's Michael Olise and England's Jude Bellingham complete the midfield alongside Rodri.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament:

Goalkeeper: Vozinha (Cape Verde)

Defenders: Pedro Porro (Spain), Dayot Upamecano (France), Lisandro Martinez (Argentina), Marc Cucurella (Spain)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (England), Rodri (Spain), Michael Olise (France)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Argentina), Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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