Breaking Down 1 World Cup Player To Watch From All 48 Teams

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will ultimately come to life because of its constellation of stars, and this summer’s tournament will be full of them. 

From living legends like Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo to goal machines Kylian Mbappé of France and Erling Haaland of Norway — these are the names who’ll take center stage starting in June. 

Here’s one player from each of the 48 World Cup squads worth keeping a close eye on.

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(Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)

Age: 34
National team appearances: 123
Club: Fulham (England) 

Jiménez is part of Mexico’s veteran core. He scored nine of El Tri’s 22 goals in 2025, including a brace in both the Nations League semifinal and final. Jimenez also netted the winning goal in the Gold Cup semifinal and added another in the win over the U.S. in the tournament final. Jimenez, who has already played in three World Cups, has also scored nine goals for Fulham across all competitions this season and is in ideal form entering an important summer with a World Cup on home soil.

Notable stat: Jiménez has scored 44 goals for Mexico, which is three shy of moving into second all time and nine shy of breaking the record held by Javier "Chicharito" Hernández. Jimenez's European club career includes stops at Atlético Madrid, Benfica, Wolverhampton and Fulham. 

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Age: 25
National team appearances: 30
Club: Burnley (England)

Fosterbrings a strong attacking presence to the Bafana Bafana. He’s fast and can be dangerous in the buildup, but his teammates need to find ways to get him the ball. The 25-year-old striker plays for