The best players in the world will be on display this summer at the 2026 World Cup. So, let’s rank them.Ahead of the world’s premier sporting event, our on-air experts — Alexi Lalas, Maurice Edu and Stu Holden — and production staff ranked the 100 best stars who will likely feature at this summer’s World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. We’ll count down to No. 1 over the next five weeks, starting with Nos. 100-76. Just how good is USA captain Christian Pulisic? Where do living legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stack up compared to the latest generation of stars, led by Kylian Mbappé? What about players making their World Cup debuts, like Erling Haaland or Lamine Yamal? Some big names kick things off for us. Is South Korea’s Son Heung-min too low? Is Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez way overrated? And where does Pulisic really rank? Let’s get into it! Pervis Estupiñán | Defender | Ecuador (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) Age: 28National team appearances: 52Club team: AC Milan (Italy)Estupiñán thrived in the Premier League for three seasons with Brighton before making a move to AC Milan last summer. He is one of the impressive talents that make Ecuador a potential sleeper this summer.Alexander Isak | Forward | Sweden (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) Age: 26National team appearances: 56Club team: Liverpool (England)Isak scored 52 goals in his last two seasons at Newcastle before making a big-money move to Liverpool last summer. Injuries have limited him to just four goals and 21 games this season, but he is a constant threat to score whenever he’s on the pitch.Kim Min-jae | Defender | South Korea (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) Age: 29National team appearances: 77Club team: Bayern Munich (Germany)Kim won Serie A with Napoli in 2023 before making a big move to Bayern Munich. He hasn’t established himself as a first-choice player for the German giants, but he will be a pillar in the Korean defense this summer.Bradley Barcola | Forward | France (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images) Age: 23National team appearances: 18Club team: Paris Saint-Germain (France)Barcola is one of the hugely talented French attacking players who will be vying for a starting spot. At 22 years old, Barcola is one of the best young wingers in the world and plays at PSG, which won last season’s UEFA Champions League.Lisandro Martínez | Defender | Argentina (Photo by Daniel…
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2026-05-04 05:00:40
