All 45 Major League Soccer players who appeared at the 2026 World Cup have been ranked, from Lionel Messi’s final flourish to those who barely featured.
Top Performers
1) Lionel Messi, Argentina – Messi was always going to be No 1. In what was likely his last World Cup, the Argentinian registered eight goals, four assists and the most progressive passes of any player, according to Futi. With zero defensive responsibility, the 39-year-old roamed the field and drew Argentina back from the brink repeatedly. He led his country to a 3-2 win against Cape Verde, assisted and equalized against Egypt, and created both late goals against England. In the final, however, Messi disappeared: across 139 minutes, he completed just 28 of 39 passes, registered only one shot and hardly affected the game. He left with no personal or team accolades, but extended a World Cup legacy few have rivaled.
2) Rodrigo De Paul, Argentina – De Paul started all but two of Argentina’s games and played 70 minutes against Spain. The Inter Miami midfielder was aggressive and good at keeping the ball, playing his part well in reaching a second straight World Cup final.
3) Stephen Eustáquio, Canada – Eustáquio was one of Canada’s primary creators, generating 2.76 chances and 0.36 expected assists per 90 minutes. His 46 total progressive passes ranked sixth among all players. In the last-32 matchup against South Africa, he intercepted a clearance and slotted a half-volley to secure Canada’s first World Cup knockout victory.
4) Mbekezeli Mbokazi, South Africa – The Chicago Fire defender, at 20 the youngest South African called up, appeared one of the most experienced. His performances raised his Transfermarkt value from $4m to over $9m.
5) Matías Galarza, Paraguay – Galarza started all but Paraguay’s first match, scoring against Turkey and assisting against Germany. Paraguay’s average possession of 29% limited his attacking efficacy, but he fit the system.
6) Andrés Cubas, Paraguay – The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder played every minute across five games, integral to Paraguay’s defensive stability that took Germany to penalties and held France to one goal. He won seven of 12 duels, logged seven tackles and three interceptions, and got into a kerfuffle with Kylian Mbappé.
7) Finn Surman, New Zealand – The 22-year-old Portland Timbers center-back had a breakout first two games, saving his nation with last-ditch tackles and scoring New Zealand’s lone goal in a 3-1 defeat to Egypt.
8) Sebastian Berhalter, USA – Berhalter appeared in every US match as a preferred substitute for Mauricio Pochettino. In his only start at the No 6 position, defensive issues arose due to squad depth, but he contributed a goal and an assist.
9) Steven Moreira, Cape Verde – The Columbus Crew full-back was a centerpiece of Cape Verde’s backline, helping power near-glory against Spain, Uruguay and Argentina.
10) Aiden O’Neill, Australia – O’Neill operated as a quiet, consistent possession-oriented midfielder for Australia, winning the Superior Player of the Match award against Paraguay and impressing against Egypt.
Mid-Rank and Strugglers
11) Matt Freese, USA – The NYC FC keeper had one poor moment defining his tournament, but made nine saves through four games with accurate passing.
12) James Rodríguez, Colombia – Rodríguez appeared aged; moments of quality remained but no end-product, and a disappointing last-16 exit to Switzerland ended his World Cup journey.
13) Juan Manuel Sanabria, Uruguay – The Real Salt Lake man started two group-stage games, including against Spain where he quieted Lamine Yamal (0.03 xG, 0.10 xA, five of 12 dribbles completed).
14) Richie Laryea, Canada – Laryea contributed 0.26 xA per 90 but struggled defensively, including being at fault for an opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina and frequently out of position against Switzerland.
15) Tim Ream, USA – The 38-year-old Charlotte center-back was caught unaware on Belgium’s opener by Charles De Ketelaere, then humiliated again as De Ketelaere climbed above him to score the second.
16) Lucas Herrington, Australia – At 18, the Colorado Rapids center-back was the youngest Australian on the roster and earned starts in the final two matches.
17) Maxime Crépeau, Canada – The Orlando City keeper conceded six goals and made six saves through five games.
18) Son Heung-min, South Korea – The LAFC forward failed to score in two starts and was benched for the must-win final group-stage game.
19) Petar Musa, Croatia – The FC Dallas striker managed one shot (converted) in two starts and 110 minutes.
20) Danley Jean Jacques, Haiti – Philadelphia’s Jean Jacques operated in Haiti’s double pivot, facing an uphill battle as the lowest-ranked team.
21) Carlos Harvey, Panama – The Minnesota midfielder started all three group-stage games but had a mostly quiet tournament aside from a few dangerous headers.
22) Marco Pasalic, Croatia – The Orlando City winger managed a productive start in Croatia’s third group-stage game but missed his one golden scoring opportunity.
23) Miguel Almirón, Paraguay – The Atlanta attacker registered four shots and 0.11 xG, but will be remembered for a red card against Turkey after covering his mouth during an altercation, the first enforcement of IFAB’s mouth-covering ban.
24) Michael Boxall, New Zealand – The veteran Minnesota defender appeared a half-step behind on nearly every goal conceded by New Zealand.
25) Jacob Shaffelburg, Canada – The LAFC winger appeared as a substitute in all five matches but could not meaningfully affect the game.
26) Ahmed Qasem, Iraq – The Nashville forward played in all games, starting against France and the final group-stage match before being hooked early after a teammate’s red card.
27) Louicius Deedson, Haiti – The FC Dallas winger played 112 minutes across three losses, completing 13 passes.
28) Mathieu Choinière, Canada – The LAFC midfielder made one start in a 2-1 loss to Switzerland.
29) Matt Turner, USA – The New England Revolution keeper started against Turkey, conceding three goals with zero saves.
30) Miles Robinson, USA – The FC Cincinnati center-back’s only minutes came in a meaningless final group-stage game.
31) Kai Trewin, Australia – The NYC FC defender replaced an injured Jordan Bos at half-time of the knockout match against Egypt and helped take the game to penalties.
32) Braian Ojeda, Paraguay – The Orlando City midfielder logged nine touches in a 21-minute cameo against Germany.
33) Derrick Etienne Jr, Haiti – The Toronto winger played nine minutes against Brazil, completing four passes.
34) Jayden Nelson, Canada – The Austin FC winger entered in the 87th minute of a 3-0 loss to Morocco.
35) Aníbal Godoy, Panama – The San Diego midfielder completed eight of eight passes in a single minute plus stoppage time against Ghana, but could not prevent a last-minute winner.
36) Jonathan Osorio, Canada – Toronto’s captain made two substitute appearances in the 87th minute or later, neither fruitful.
37) Max Arfsten, USA – The Columbus winger entered at the 90th minute of the 4-1 round of 16 loss to Belgium and did not touch the ball before the final whistle.
Did Not Play
Chris Brady, USA (Chicago); CJ dos Santos, Cape Verde (San Diego); Rayan Elloumi, Tunisia (Vancouver); Herman Johansson, Sweden (Dallas); Olwethu Makhanya, South Africa (Philadelphia); Cristian Roldan, USA (Seattle); Dayne St Clair, Canada (Miami); Joel Waterman, Canada (Chicago).
