Messi and Pulisic split ESPN’s World Cup verdict
After Spain’s 2026 World Cup win, ESPN’s Mark Ogden named his best and most disappointing XIs from a 48-team, 104-game tournament.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Spain lifted the 2026 World Cup after a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina, closing a 39-day tournament that featured 48 teams and 104 matches.
With the trophy settled, ESPN writer Mark Ogden has handed down his player-by-player verdict, placing Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Rodri among his standout XI, while Christian Pulisic, Neymar and Bruno Fernandes appeared in his most disappointing team.
Ogden’s picks mixed champions, breakout names and late-career stories, with Spain heavily represented after winning the final.
Ogden’s best XI
Goalkeeper: Vozinha, Cape Verde. Ogden chose the 40-year-old ahead of Spain’s Unai Simón, citing a clean sheet against Spain and saves against Messi in Cape Verde’s loss to Argentina.
Defenders: Djed Spence, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella. Ogden said Spence improved through the tournament for England, while Spain’s Cubarsí, Laporte and Cucurella formed part of the champions’ core. Cubarsí, 19, continued in the final after a challenge by Enzo Fernández, according to Ogden.
Midfielders: Rodri, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Jude Bellingham. Ogden called Rodri the world’s best in his role for Spain. He also highlighted 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Bouaddi, who had chosen Morocco over France earlier in the year, and Bellingham, who scored seven goals for England.
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. Ogden said Messi, 39, drove Argentina through his sixth World Cup. Mbappé won the Golden Boot with 10 goals after scoring twice against England in the bronze medal match. Haaland scored seven for Norway, matching Grzegorz Lato’s 1974 mark for a World Cup debut, according to Ogden.
Ogden’s most disappointing XI
Goalkeeper: Fernando Muslera, Uruguay. Ogden said the 40-year-old, back from international retirement, made three errors that led to goals and was taken off at halftime in Uruguay’s final group match against Spain.
Defenders: Joshua Kimmich, Virgil van Dijk, Marc Guéhi and Nico O’Reilly. Ogden wrote that Germany’s use of Kimmich at right back did not work, that Van Dijk shared responsibility for the Netherlands conceding five goals in four games, and that Guéhi struggled in England’s semifinal against Argentina. O’Reilly, Ogden said, looked uncomfortable at fullback.
Midfielders: Federico Valverde, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes. Ogden described Uruguay’s campaign as dismal and said Valverde failed to lift them from a group topped by Spain. He said McTominay could not match the form that helped Scotland qualify, while Fernandes again failed to reproduce his Manchester United level for Portugal.
Forwards: Florian Wirtz, Christian Pulisic and Neymar. Ogden said Wirtz’s quiet World Cup followed a difficult first season at Liverpool after a £116.5 million move. Pulisic, he wrote, started brightly in the United States’ 4-1 opening win over Paraguay before a halftime injury and did not regain that level. Neymar, selected by Brazil despite injury concerns, played only 37 minutes, according to Ogden.
ESPN’s assessment also pointed to turbulence beyond individual form, including Marcelo Bielsa’s reported clashes with Uruguay players and Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to take Neymar instead of Chelsea forward João Pedro.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.