2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat

ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi. This certainly is the last ride for the one of the greatest players to ever do it. He led La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 2022 and is still defying Father Time at 38 years old (he'll turn 39 during the tournament).

FRANCE: Desire Doue. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are the stars of France's attack, but don't forget the 20-year-old Doue, who is a key piece in Paris Saint-Germain's midfield. He's a tricky player who is constantly putting defenses under pressure.

ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger is already a well-known commodity. He's appeared more than 200 times for Arsenal and has 14 England goals already. His left foot is a wand cutting in off the right and he consistently puts defenders on their heels.

GERMANY: Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacker is coming off a serious ankle injury suffered at July's FIFA Club World Cup. He should be go good to go this summer and his trickery and dribbling give the Germans an added dimension in midfield.

BELGIUM: Jeremy Doku. This 23-year-old Manchester City winger is electric. He's among the best dribblers in the Premier League and is a nightmare when he's running at defenders with the ball at his feet.

PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo. At 40 years old, he's still not slowing down. Ronaldo has scored 109 goals since moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia four years ago and has transferred that form to Portugal, with eight goals in nine games for the national team in 2025.

JAPAN: Takefusa Kubo. The 24-year-old Real Sociedad right winger (ESP) will consistently run at defenders, putting opponents on their heels. He led Japan in goals+assists in qualifying (11) and will be key to Samurai Blue's attack.

NORWAY: Erling Haaland. An unstoppable force, the 25-year-old striker led Norway to its first World Cup since 1998. He's a scoring machine with 55 goals in 48 games for Norway and is fast approaching 150 career goals for Manchester City in just over 160 games played.

MOROCCO: Abde Ezzalzouli. A 23-year-old left winger who plays for Real Betis in Spain, gets goals and assists and isn't afraid to get stuck in. He scored in Morocco's 6-0 win over Egypt in the 2024 bronze medal game in the Paris Olympics.

USA: Christian Pulisic. A lot falls on the shoulders of Captain America, and the 27-year-old winger has been building to this moment. He's played for some of Europe's biggest clubs (Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and now AC Milan) and has 32 goals in 82 caps for the US.

MEXICO: Gilberto Mora. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder became the youngest player to debut for the senior national team and has five caps this year for El Tri. The Tijuana starlet is also the youngest to score a goal in Liga MX history.

ENGLAND: Phil Foden. The 25-year-old midfielder was named 2024 English Premier League Player of the Year, scoring 19 goals in Manchester CIty's title-winning season. He dropped off a bit last season, but is still one of the most creative players in the EPL.

NETHERLANDS: Cody Gakpo. The 26-year-old Liverpool forward has already scored 19 goals for Holland in just 46 caps.Memphis Depay is still the focal point of the Dutch attack, but Gakpo provides plenty of skill and speed to open up defenses.

ARGENTINA: Nico Paz. Part of La Albiceleste's next generation, the 21-year-old midfielder is off to a flier this season for Como in Italy's Serie A. He'll likely head back to Real Madrid next season and is the future midfield maestro for Argentina.

SPAIN: Nico Williams. With Lamine Yamal on one side and Williams on the other, Spain's wingers give defenses sleepless nights. The 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger has six goals in 30 Spain caps and is electric with the ball at his feet.

AUSTRALIA: Nestory Irankunda. Diminutive but dynamic, this 19-year-old forward has blistering pace, great dribbling ability and rocket for a shot. He had a brief spell with Bayern Munich's reserves, but now plays for Watford in The EFL Championship (England's second tier).

CANADA: Tajon Buchanan. The 26-year-old winger has featured 57 times for Canada and is among its most dangerous attacking options. He's scored four times this season for Villareal in Spain.

SWITZERLAND: Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old midfielder who plays for Freiburg in Germany has eight caps for the Swiss team (all this year) and scored against the U.S. in a 4-0 win last June.