As di biggest World Cup on record dey move toward di final game on Sunday, several players don seize di spotlight on soccer’s biggest stage. Here’s a look at some of di tournament’s top players by di metrics, according to data analyzed by Northeastern NetSI Sport research group.
Most goals plus assists: France‘s Kylian Mbappe currently dey hold di top spot for total goals and assists, wey im don score eight goals and three assists. Di French captain’s closest competitor na Argentina‘s Lionel Messi, wey don score eight goals and make two assists through six games going into di semifinal match with England.
Most defensive actions: Paraguay’s Andrés Cubas perform di most total defensive actions, wey im complete 237 over di country’s five games. Dat include 91 direct actions such as tackles, interceptions, blocks and ball recoveries, and 146 pressures, an action wey involve chasing or marking players with di ball in an attempt to win am back. His closest competitor na England’s Elliot Anderson, wey don complete 182 defensive actions over six games.
Most attempted passes: Spain‘s Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante, or Rodri, dey at di top of di list in attempted passes. His closest competitor na im own teammate Pau Cubarsi, wey before di semifinals attempt 537 passes and complete 510, for a success rate of 95 percent.
Most overall attacking threat: Argentina’s Lionel Messi dey at di top or among di top in several key metrics, wey put am squarely in di category of being di tournament’s biggest overall attacking threat, according to Northeastern’s NetSI Sport research group. For one, im lead di tournament’s attackers in progressive passing – which are long passes wey put di ball close to an opponent’s goal post — wey im don complete 43 of dem before di semifinal match. Combine dat with di fact say im dey in di 99th percentile of players in dis World Cup for expected goals, assists, threats and key passes, im dey largely considered to be one of di most versatile goal scorers on di pitch, according to NetSI Sport.
Di 2026 World Cup don so far be full of thrills, frustrating hydration breaks and superstars shining on di biggest stage. There don already be grand total of 292 goals scored. Football fans go naturally begin to reflect on di tournament and fit start to wonder which players truly stand out as di very best dis summer. And luckily for such supporters, Transfermarkt don cover dem, as e turn to im amazing community to vote for dia World Cup player of di tournament.
All you need to do to vote na to click on di image below! Di Transfermarkt community don make a pre-selection of six candidates per position (goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards) from which one must be chosen per position. Next, from di four players wey you choose, you go decide who be di best player of di entire tournament. Voting dey close on July 20 so remember to make your selections by den! All of di candidates dey listed below alongside dia World Cup stats dis summer.
Vozinha – Cape Verde, Unai Simon – Spain, Oufa Shobeir – Egypt, Gregor Kobel – Switzerland, Øscar Nyland – Norway, Orlando Gill – Paraguay, Achraf Hakimi – Morocco, Dayot Upamecano – France, Lisandro Martínez – Argentina, Pau Cubarsi – Spain, Daniel Muñoz – Colombia, Marc Cucurella – Spain, Jude Bellingham – England, Michael Olise – France, Johan Manzambi – Switzerland, Martin Ødegaard – Norway, Ayyoub Bouaddi – Morocco, Youri Tielemans – Belgium, Erling Haaland – Norway, Lionel Messi – Argentina, Kylian Mbappé – France, Harry Kane – England, Leandro Trossard – Belgium, Ousmane Dembélé – France.
