Lionel Messi leads the latest ranking of the best players at the 2026 World Cup, a list that orders the tournament’s most decisive figures as the competition enters its defining stage. The Argentina captain sits ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, the other two major attacking standouts.
Messi reached the top with eight goals and two assists. Six of those goals came in the group stage, he added another against Cape Verde and was decisive again against Egypt: after missing a penalty, he helped drive Argentina’s comeback with an assist and the equalizer. He also reached 21 World Cup goals.
Haaland is second after scoring seven goals in four matches for Norway, which is playing its first World Cup with the striker as its focal point. Mbappé ranks third, also with eight goals and two assists, backed by his finishing inside and outside the box and by decisive interventions against Paraguay and Morocco.
Harry Kane is fourth with six goals and remains England’s main attacking weapon. Michael Olise, in fifth, leads the tournament with five assists, while Jude Bellingham climbed to sixth after a decisive performance against Mexico that included two goals and a goal-line clearance.
Ousmane Dembélé moved into eighth place with five goals and two assists, Achraf Hakimi stands ninth and Rodri entered the top ten for the first time. The Spanish midfielder gained ground through his control of the tempo and his growing influence on Spain’s play.
Messi’s place at the top underlines Argentina’s impact on the World Cup and keeps one major question open for the final matches: who will finish as the tournament’s outstanding player and win the Golden Ball. His individual performance already makes him the championship’s benchmark; the collective outcome will determine the ultimate value of that lead.
