10 Players to Watch at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

 

The 2026 World Cup is almost here. Hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, this tournament will be different. 48 teams are competing, including first-timers like Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curacao.

 

Argentina remains the champion after beating France in 2022. But with 1,248 players on the pitch, new stars will rise. Some names are obvious. Others are less well-known. I’ve picked 10 players worth your attention. And if you want to place informed bets on these players, check out BC.Game. It is one of the top sportsbooks for World Cup action.

 

Neymar (Brazil)

 

Let me be honest with you. Everyone is going to watch Neymar this summer. But not because anyone thinks he will tear the tournament apart. People just want to know: does he still have anything left?

 

He is going into the World Cup hurt. He probably won't start. He hasn't been in the opening lineup for Brazil since 2023. Remember that World Cup qualifier against Uruguay? The 2-0 loss. That is where he did his ACL. And honestly, his career has never been the same since. Injuries just keep coming.

 

He went back to Santos in 2025. His boyhood club. He wanted to fight for his spot on the national team. But even there, the injuries followed him. It is sad to watch, really. He is 34 now. In 2026, he played eight league games for Santos. Missed ten. In those eight games, he scored four goals and got two assists. That is 0.78 goal contributions per 90 minutes. He creates 2.23 chances per 90. He tries 4.07 take-ons. But guess what? He only completes 1.05 of them.

 

Ricardo Pepi (USA)

 

Everyone talks about Christian Pulisic when this US team comes up. Captain America. Big name. Big moments. I get the hype. But you know who I am watching? Ricardo Pepi. I think he might end up being their most important player.

 

He is 23 years old. In their first warm-up friendly before the tournament, he started up top. Did he score? No. But from everything I have seen, Mauricio Pochettino already sees him as his starting striker. Last season in the Eredivisie, Pepi scored 16 goals for PSV. That put him third in the whole league. But here is the kicker. He played only 1,415 minutes. The two players who scored more than him? They each had over 1,000 more minutes on the pitch. One thousand. That is a lot of extra time.

 

So when you do the math per 90 minutes, he averaged 1.02 goals. He takes roughly 3.88 shots a game and lands 2.04 of those on target. But here is what really stands out to me. He was PSV's top scorer. And PSV ran away with the league title. They finished 19 points ahead of second place.

 

For the national team, he has 13 goals in 36 caps. That makes him the second-highest scorer in the USA squad. Only Pulisic has more. And remember, Pepi just turned 23 last January, he is still approaching his prime years.

 

Leandro Bacuna (Curacao)

 

One of my favorite things about any World Cup is seeing a familiar name come back. Leandro Bacuna is that for English fans. It has only been three years since he left Watford, but seven years since his last Premier League appearance for Cardiff City against Manchester United. He was born in the Netherlands and played for their youth teams. But he chose Curacao. He also represented Netherlands Antilles at the Under-20 level. 

 

Now he has 71 caps and will lead Curacao as captain. He turns 35 in August. He plays club football in Turkey’s second division. This season, he has nine goals and four assists, playing in midfield and defense. His teammates will look to him for leadership. 

 

Ayase Ueda (Japan)

 

Remember I talked about Ricardo Pepi earlier? Well, one of the two guys who scored more goals than him in the Eredivisie last season was Ayase Ueda. Let me give you some numbers. Ueda scored 25 goals in 31 matches for Feyenoord. That is not a typo. He alone scored 35.71% of all the league goals his team got. That is a huge chunk for one player. He took 102 shots, which ranked second in the Eredivisie. But here is the better stat. He put 46 of those on target. That was the best in the league. So he is not just shooting wildly. He knows where the goal is. And watch out for his head. He scored nine of those 25 goals from headers. The guy is fantastic in the air.

 

For Japan, his record is solid too. He is 27 years old. He has 16 goals in 39 caps for the Samurai Blue. Eight of those came in just 11 World Cup qualifying matches. That is a good ratio. He was on Japan's squad back in 2022. But he only played 45 minutes the whole tournament. He started against Costa Rica, struggled, and came off at halftime. Japan lost that game. But things are different now. He looks like Japan's first-choice striker. And he is coming into this World Cup in decent form.

 

Ferran Torres (Spain)

 

Spain does not have a pure center forward this summer. Ferran Torres will share that role. I think he is a solid option. He has 23 goals in 55 games for Spain. That is the second most in their World Cup squad, behind Mikel Oyarzabal. Torres has never had a fixed starting spot. He moves across the attack. 

 

At Barcelona in 2025-26, he took over from Robert Lewandowski as the starting center forward. He scored 16 league goals in 33 games, fourth most in La Liga. But third most from open play with 14. No penalties. His accuracy is his strength. He ranked fifth for shots on target with 37, despite being 17th for total shots at 69. That is 53.62% accuracy. Even if he plays on the wing, he is dangerous.

 

Michael Olise (France)

 

There were not many players in Europe's top five leagues who had a better season than Michael Olise. He plays for Bayern Munich on the wing. Last season in the Bundesliga, he was directly involved in 34 goals. That means he scored 15 and made 19 assists. Here is what stands out to me. He was the only player across all five major leagues to get at least 15 goals and 15 assists in the same season. Only two guys had more total goal involvements than him. Harry Kane with 41 and Erling Haaland with 35. 

 

Defenses could not really stop him. He ranked third in the Bundesliga for shots taken with 101. Third for chances created with 79. Third for completed take-ons with 65. And he led the whole league for big chances created. 27 of them. That is creating clear scoring opportunities for his teammates over and over.

 

Now here is the thing. Olise has only played 15 times for France. He made his debut in 2024. This World Cup will be his first major tournament. So he is still new to this level internationally. France has so many attacking players. Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Rayan Cherki, and Desire Doue. Coach Didier Deschamps has to figure out how to fit all these guys into one team. That is not easy. But in my opinion, Olise has to start. Leaving him out would just be a bad decision. The guy produced too much last season to sit on the bench.

 

Luis Suarez (Colombia)

 

First thing. Not that Luis Suarez. The former Liverpool and Barcelona guy did not switch countries. This one plays for Sporting CP. He has not played much for Colombia. Only 11 caps since 2020. But he has scored five goals in those games. One came in a pre-World Cup friendly. He also came off the bench recently and scored against Costa Rica. That should help his case to start.

 

He is 28. Last season in Portugal, he finished as the top scorer with 28 goals. He also led the league in big chances scored (18), total shots (136), and shots on target (60). But he is not just a goal scorer. He created 47 chances. Thirteen of those were big chances. Those turned into six assists. Pretty good for a striker.

 

Ivan Perisic (Croatia)

 

Here is another name from the past. Some people might be surprised Ivan Perisic is still playing. He turned 37 in February. This will definitely be his last international tournament. But listen. He is not on the Croatia squad just because of who he is. He earned his spot.

 

Right now, he plays for PSV in the Eredivisie. He just finished his second season there. Last season, he had 12 assists. That ranked third in the league. Here is the interesting part. He was only 15th for total chances created with 52. But for the big chances created? He had 18 of those. That put him fourth. So he is making his chances count.

 

And of course, his experience is huge. He has played over 150 games for Croatia. Three World Cups. In 2018, he scored three goals and had one assist to help Croatia win silver. He even scored in the final. In 2022, he scored one goal and had three assists as Croatia finished third in Qatar. Perisic is not going to the World Cup just to fill a number. He will be one of Croatia's starters. No question about it.

 

Musab Al-Juwayr (Saudi Arabia)

 

Saudi Arabia is in an interesting group. Finishing third and advancing is possible. Musab Al-Juwayr could be the reason they get there. He is 22 years old. For Al Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League, he was directly involved in 17 goals in 31 games. His 11 assists were fourth best in the league, only two behind the leader Joao Felix. He also ranked third for chances created with 85, 20 of them big chances. 

 

He plays in central midfield. He ranked first for final third passes attempted and completed, and also for through balls. For Saudi Arabia, he started further forward in a recent loss to Ecuador. He can play deeper or more advanced. He brings quality everywhere.

 

Ismael Saibari (Morocco)

 

I know what you are thinking. Another PSV player on this list. But I am not going to say sorry. They were that good. Ismael Saibari. Twenty-five years old. He scored 15 goals in the league last season. That was the fifth most in the Eredivisie. He and Pepi connected really well up front. On top of that, he had eight assists. That put him inside the top 10 in the league for playmaking too. Per 90 minutes, he averaged 0.63 goals from 3.82 shots. 

 

Now, let me talk about Morocco. For an attacking midfielder, his numbers are solid. Seven goals in 28 games. Three of those came in World Cup qualifying across just six matches. He also found the net in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter finals. Morocco enjoyed a strong tournament run, with Saibari playing an important role in the team's success. So what do I think? Saibari is exactly the type of player you want sitting behind Ayoub El Kaabi. He can score his own goals. He can set up the striker. Morocco should be happy to have him in the lineup.

 

GoalBible Final Take

 

These ten players offer different stories. Comebacks, breakout stars, and veteran leaders. Fans looking to follow player markets and tournament odds should consider using a reliable sportsbook. BC.Game has competitive odds on all 48 teams. You can read my full BC.Game review on GoalBible before placing any bets. I break down their features, bonuses, and user experiences.

 

Read the Full BC.Game Review →

 

FAQs

 

1. Who are the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

France, Brazil, England, and defending champions Argentina are the leading contenders. Check GoalBible’s full outright winner prediction here.

 

2. How many teams are in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

48 teams across three host nations — the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Four debut nations compete for the first time: Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Curacao.

 

3. Is Michael Olise starting for France at the 2026 World Cup?

He should be. Olise posted 15 goals and 19 assists in the 2025-26 Bundesliga, the only player in Europe's top five leagues to hit both marks. Leaving him out would be a costly call by Deschamps.

 

4. Where can I bet on the 2026 World Cup?

GoalBible recommends BC.Game. It offers extensive World Cup betting markets, competitive odds, and a user-friendly platform.