How The World’s Biggest Stars Performed At The World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is capable of consecrating and elevating the status of any player who stands out. Many world stars perform well at their clubs but end up disappointing at the World Cup, leaving a poor impression. However, this was rare during the 2026 World Cup: most of the stars from whom much was expected performed very well.

This is why many are calling this edition the World Cup of Protagonists. Several of the players who may have appeared in best-player options at 1xBet truly lived up to expectations. This ranges from established players in their last dance to rising names who came to prove they can become generational stars. Below are the players who met everything that was expected, and finally, a few disappointments.

Lionel Messi

Messi is having one of the greatest tournaments of his already extremely celebrated career. Many thought that after the 2022 title he would retire and that would be his last World Cup. Then, many thought that due to the stage of his career he would not perform at the level that defined his legacy. However, all these predictions were wrong and he showed that he can decide a match at any moment.

In the very first match, he showed his quality by scoring all 3 of Argentina’s goals in the win against Algeria. However, the real magic came from the knockout stage onwards. Argentina struggled against Cape Verde, winning in extra time with a major contribution from Messi, who scored the first goal of the match. Against Egypt, the team achieved an epic comeback scoring 3 goals in the final 15 minutes after being 2-0 down, with Messi being crucial in leading the team’s attacking play. Then in the semi-final against England, he completely changed the course of the game and also led Argentina to a comeback in the final moments of the match, with two assists.

If Messi was already in the pantheon of the greatest in the sport’s history, this World Cup elevates his status even further. For many, Messi produced one of the greatest individual performances in World Cup history at the tournament, entering a debate that includes names such as Pelé, Maradona, and Garrincha. In addition, he broke records and became the player with the most goals and most direct goal involvements in World Cup history. After the 2026 edition of the tournament, it is also common to see arguments that he has become the greatest of all time. With just 8 games, he already puts himself in contention to be elected the world’s best player of the year once again.

Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé has also already established himself as one of the great names in World Cup history. After all, he led France’s 2018 title, and even in defeat in 2022, he made history by scoring 3 goals in the final against Argentina. In 2026 it was no different: he took responsibility upon himself and decided many games in favour of the French with stunning goals.

Throughout the tournament, he and Messi went goal for goal in the race for the top scorer not only of the 2026 edition but also of all World Cup history. The expectation is that Mbappé will keep chasing this record in future editions, as he remains in excellent physical and technical shape. Many also tipped him to receive the Ballon d’Or in 2026. However, in the semi-final against Spain, the Frenchman put in a quiet display and was completely nullified by the Spanish defence, which may count against him when the vote comes around.

Jude Bellingham

England’s leading role was shared between Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, and both lived up to expectations. Despite being eliminated in the semi-finals, the English midfielder put in outstanding decisive displays at this World Cup, practically single-handedly taking England through two rounds. Against Mexico in the round of 16, he scored 2 goals in 2 minutes and gave his team a healthy lead. Then came the extremely difficult match against Norway. After falling behind 1-0, he equalised and then scored the winner already in extra time. He definitively showed he has the potential to become one of the greatest players of his generation by shining on football’s biggest stage.

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Harry Kane

Harry Kane was for a long time considered an unlucky player due to his time without ever winning a title, something that changed completely after his transfer to Bayern Munich. He had already shown up well at previous World Cups, but never in such a decisive fashion as in 2026. The player was responsible, almost single-handedly, for taking England through in the round of 16, when he scored two goals in the final minutes to turn the match around against the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, he was also fundamental in the opening match against Croatia, again with two goals in a 4-2 victory. In the round of 16 against Mexico, he stepped up and took the penalty that ultimately gave England the win.

Erling Haaland

Even though Norway was already being pointed to as a potential sensation of the World Cup, many still had doubts about whether Haaland could carry the team far in the competition. However, the team proved to be much more than just him and Odegaard, which helped the striker be decisive and prove that he maintains his level at the world’s biggest competition. He finished the World Cup with 7 goals in 5 games played. In other words, he practically decided every match in Norway’s favour and truly managed to take the team far, reaching the quarter-finals and achieving the best campaign in the country’s history.

His most memorable performance was against Brazil in the round of 16, when he scored the two goals that eliminated the Brazilian national team. Anyone who accessed a mobile bookmaker before the tournament would have seen that he was one of the favourites to be the top scorer of the competition, and that came very close to becoming reality.

Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal’s numbers at the World Cup did not come close to those of other protagonists mentioned here. However, his performances were extremely decisive in breaking down opposing defences with his well-known talent for dribbling. He arrived with huge expectations after already deciding Euro 2024 in Spain’s favour, and the World Cup represented his first major test of responsibility on this stage. He met everything that was expected. Now, nobody doubts any longer that he belongs in the debate over the next great names of world football if he continues at this pace.

Vinícius Junior

Brazil were a major disappointment at the World Cup, but it is undeniable that Vinícius Junior finally did what was expected of him. The player had received criticism for not performing for the Brazilian national team at the same level as he does for Real Madrid, but that changed in 2026. With Carlo Ancelotti in charge, the manager who marked the best phase of his career when he was named the world’s best player by FIFA, he finally became the team’s protagonist.

During the group stage, he was involved in practically every attacking move and finished the tournament with 4 goals and one assist. However, in the elimination match against Norway, he was at the centre of a major controversy by not taking the penalty that would have put Brazil ahead on the scoreboard at the start of the game. Instead, Bruno Guimarães stepped up and missed the kick. Even so, this does not erase the previous displays that indicate a new era for Vini with Brazil.

Mohamed Salah

Salah was not as individually spectacular as other players on this list, but Egypt made history under his leadership and that cannot be overlooked. After recent World Cup disappointments such as injuries and below-average performances, the player, already in the final phase of his career, finally managed to take the Africans far in the competition.

Egypt had never won a single World Cup match, and in 2026 they reached the round of 16, achieving their first ever group stage qualification and first knockout round success in their history. Salah’s last dance was therefore extremely satisfying and he cemented his status once and for all as the greatest idol in the country’s history.

The disappointments

While many of the protagonists shone at the World Cup, the tournament also had some disappointments from major players from whom much was expected, particularly the older ones. See some of them:

• Cristiano Ronaldo – CR7 was never particularly decisive at World Cups, but that could have changed in 2026 as he had by his side the best generation in Portugal’s history. It cannot be said that the striker had a bad World Cup, as he scored 3 goals and became the first player in history to score in 6 different editions of the tournament. However, for many, his role did not fit the dynamics of the Portuguese team, in addition to some missed chances he would not normally miss.
• Luka Modric – Croatia were runners-up in 2018 and third place in 2022, always led by Modric. In 2026, many expected he could once again work the magic he usually does at the tournament, but that did not happen. Croatia did not have a good World Cup and were eliminated by Portugal in the round of 16 in one of the most controversial matches of the tournament. Modric barely stood out at any point.
• Neymar – Neymar’s call-up divided Brazilian public opinion before the World Cup, as even being one of the great stars of his generation he arrived after a difficult physical period. After the call-up, an injury was announced and he missed the first matches. He then played a few minutes against Scotland when the game was already decided in Brazil’s favour. His second appearance was against Norway. He came on with the expectation of changing the game with little time on the pitch, but the opposite happened: with Neymar on the field, Brazil conceded the two goals that led to their elimination. At the end of the game, he was also involved in a controversial scene after converting a penalty when the match was already lost.