World Cup 2026 Best XI — Team of the Tournament So Far
Updated after the quarter-finals · 11 July 2026 · 4-2-3-1 formation
The Stories Behind the Picks
Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez
'Dibu' Martínez was the hero of Argentina's 2022 World Cup penalty shootout. In 2026, he has been immense from the first whistle. Three clean sheets in five games. A save against the United States in the R16 that altered the trajectory of the entire match. At 33, he is in the form of his life. His command of the box has given Argentina the platform to play with the freedom that Messi requires.
Defence: Hakimi, Saliba, L. Martínez, Theo Hernandez
Achraf Hakimi was the best player in Morocco's run despite their exit to France. At right-back for Morocco, he created more chances than most forwards in the tournament. Saliba has been faultless for France — a composed, tall, modern centre-back who rarely needs to put a foot wrong because his reading of the game prevents the situation from arising. Lisandro Martínez is his contrasting Argentine counterpart: combative, vocal, brilliant. Theo Hernandez on the left gave France a dimension no other team can match from full-back.
Midfield: Pedri & Bellingham
Pedri has been the heartbeat of Spain's possession football. 94% pass accuracy across five games while still managing to create meaningful opportunities rather than just recycling sideways. Jude Bellingham is in a different mode — he is the game-changing midfielder, arriving late into areas, scoring crucial goals and turning matches with single moments of brilliance. The 21-year-old has arrived as one of the world's elite in this tournament.
Attack: Messi, Yamal, Mbappé, Haaland
The front four selects itself. Yamal is the tournament's defining player — a teenage generational talent on the world's biggest stage. Mbappé has delivered five goals and a match-winning performance against Morocco. Messi at number 10 pulls the strings at 38 years old with a combined goal-and-assist tally that no outfield player other than Yamal can match. And then there is Haaland: seven goals, the Golden Boot race leader, a man who has turned a quarter-final clash into a blockbuster sporting event just by showing up.