The Athletic ranks top 50 Fifa World Cup Players before Thursday kickoff
The Athletic has released provisional rankings of the top 50 fifa world cup players set for 2026, with the list built for a tournament that kicks off Thursday. The rankings will be updated over the next five weeks and are shaped by a new player ratings model rather than pure reputation alone.
Dembele and Kane lead the list
Ousmane Dembele sits near the top after a 2025-26 Champions League knockout run in which he scored against Chelsea, Liverpool twice, Bayern Munich three times and Arsenal. He also won the Ballon d'Or, which puts him at the center of the early debate over who should head the field in North America.
Harry Kane follows as England's main reference point after scoring 61 goals across all competitions for Bayern last season. Thomas Tuchel will build England's attack around him, and that role is reflected in the ranking.
Yamal edges Olise
Lamine Yamal gets the narrowest nod over Michael Olise, with Yamal set to turn 19 at this World Cup. Olise forced his way into the conversation by tearing apart Bundesliga defences and elite Champions League opponents last season from the right flank, but the list rewards more than output alone.
Form and fitness matter, along with whether a player is likely to actually play for his national side. That is why the list is not a pure ranking of the 50 most talented footballers in the tournament.
Portugal and France options
Portugal's case starts in midfield, where Vitinha completed 141 passes in last month's Champions League final and helped push the argument that Portugal might have the best midfield in the competition. France still places Kylian Mbappe as its third-best attacker in the ranking, a reminder that World Cup match-winning pedigree is still part of the calculation.
Pedri adds another layer to Spain's profile. At 23, this will be his fifth senior international tournament, and the list credits him as capable of dictating possession in deeper areas or picking passes through the opposition lines farther forward.
Defensively, Gabriel is described as tough, smart and aerially dominant, while Achraf Hakimi is billed as the best right-back in the world, with speed and athleticism described as otherworldly and freakish. The rankings will keep shifting over the next five weeks, giving players one last stage to move up before the first ball is kicked between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday.
