Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe sit at the top of FIFA fantasy football at $10.5m, and The Independent has pushed them to the front of its World Cup 2026 target list. With the group phase team deadline already gone, managers now have to build around those prices before unlimited transfers arrive after the group stage.
Harry Kane at $10.5m
Kane is the clearest premium pick in the guide. He is described as a must pick, which puts him ahead of the usual trade-off fantasy managers face when they spend at the top end of the budget.
Mbappe sits in the same $10.5m bracket, while Haaland can be swapped out for him after the group stages. That gives managers a direct decision point: pay for the early points now, or hold back for a later switch when the tournament opens up.
Unai Simon and cheaper routes
The cheaper options spread across the pitch. Mikel Oyarzabal is listed at $8.1m, Unai Simon is the best goalkeeper pick at $5m if he starts ahead of David Raya, and Bruno Fernandes is priced at £8.5m and described as too cheap to pass up.
There are value routes in defence and midfield too. Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Denzel Dumfries offer attacking full-back returns, Gabriel Magalhaes is flagged as a set-piece monster, and Joshua Kimmich is backed as a playmaker for Germany from right back. Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, Scott McTominay and Jeremy Doku are all described as pivotal to their teams.
World Cup 2026 value picks
The guide also leans into match-ups and team context. Germany could win big against Curacao, which brings Kai Havertz into play, while Morocco’s schedule against Scotland and Haiti strengthens the case for selective picks from that side of the board.
At the budget end, Marc Cucurella is the cheapest starting Spain defender, Ritsu Doan, Nico O'Reilly and Daniel Munoz are all praised for attacking from full or wing-back, and Cesar Montes offers set-piece threat. Hernan Galindez is a mid-tier goalkeeping option, Mehdi Taremi is labelled excellent value in an open group, William Pacho looks like a steal in defence, and Noussair Mazraoui is a good budget option if fit.
There is still room for upside after the first round of selection. Sergino Dest’s advanced role for USA and Jan Paul Van Hecke’s spot as the cheapest part of a star-studded Netherlands back four give managers different ways to save money, while the game’s new 12th man and maximum captain chips, plus bench substitutions during a round of matches, add flexibility once the group phase starts. The full problem for fantasy players is simple: choose the right premium now, because the escape hatch opens only after the group stage.
